To all lutherans

[reda]

How did you become a Lutheran? Where you raised in the Lutheran faith or or later accepted the faith when you became an adult? If you accepted the faith as an adult, please tell your story.:)

[RadMan]

We just did one of these surveys. http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=7067151

[reda]

sorry, I forgot I read that.

[Tofferer]

Still, we really do love to answer questions like these. It is good for us to remember and think of our baptisms.

[LilLamb219]

I'm copying and pasting from that other thread :)

I was raised Lutheran but tried to leave in search of something else when I got older. It was God who called me back to the faith after discussions and my trying to continually pull away thinking, It can't be that simple that I'm forgiven by Jesus' death...there must be SOMETHING I CAN DO...

But there isn't anything I have to do, pray, work, feel, etc...

God saves us 100% and I don't contribute in any way to it. Thankfully I don't have to because I'd totally mess it up if it was relied upon me to do anything!

I came back to realizing that the Lutheran beliefs are biblically correct after reading the Bible within 6 weeks...always that book in my hand while cleaning, cooking, etc...and the house didn't fall down and everything still got done around here (I'm a stay at home mom). It was so clear how things are intertwined in scripture and how God uses means to achieve His purposes!

Lutherans are cross focused whereas too many other denominations are ME focused. Lutherans look to Christ and the cross and bear fruit because of it, whereas other denoms look to themselves and see how they're doing...it just doesn't fit in scripturally the way they view it.

I'm Lutheran also because Lutherans properly distinguish between Law and Gospel. We know that baptism and Holy Communion weren't new Laws given to us by Jesus Christ (for He said He didn't come to bring new Laws), but they are Gospel, a means that God uses to give us the benefits of the cross.

Because of Lutheranism, I am assured that objectively I have been justified, that outside of myself, Jesus died on the cross in my substitute and I am forgiven. That truth is something that is muddied in other denoms because they say that before anything like that is true you first need to do this, or this or this...you know, words like pray this prayer, surrender yourself or accept Him in you heart. But, Jesus died on the cross before any of us were born. Our sins WERE forgiven there. We didn't need to do anything to earn that...no prayers, nothing like that.

This is why I'm Lutheran. The Lutheran beliefs are the closest biblically than any other denomination that I can see...here I stand :)

[Zecryphon]

I can't remember if I posted my story in the other thread or not, so here goes. I used to be an Evangelical Free. When I moved to AZ in 2000, I couldn't find an Ev Free church near my house, but a Non-Denom Bible church that I drove by on my way to work everyday was highly recommended so I went there. Anyway, toward the end of my 5 years there, I started seeing that their teachings weren't lining up with the scriptures and that every time I asked a question of the ministry team, the answer would change depending on whom I asked.

I was also listening to the Stupid Church People podcast which informed me about a lot of the nonsense that was prevalent in my church. Things like focusing on church growth and making small group attendance mandatory. At this time I was also listening to other podcasts like Wrestling With the Basics and Issues, Etc. and really liked what I heard regarding Lutheran theology and interpretation of the scriptures. Then, when I saw the Luther movie, I immediately went in search of Lutheran churches in my area. Within a 5-mile radius of my house, there were two ELCA, two LCMS, and one WELS. I was surrounded by Lutherans! It was like I had no choice but to become a Lutheran! LOL So I visited both the WELS and one of the LCMS churches and became an LCMS Lutheran officially in February of last year.

[reda]

LilLamb, you worded your post so nicely and truthfully. I pretty much came to the same conclusion that you Zecryphon came to. We're bless to have had a hunger for sound doctine. The scripture twisting in other denominations have destroyed lives. It's pretty much like you said Zecryphon, that depending on who you ask, the scripture changes. Everyone in those places have a different interpetation. It's sad but as paul stated that there will come a time when people won't want sound doctrine. Thanks for your stories guys.

[BabyLutheran]

I became Lutheran as a compromise, I wanted to become RC, and my wife wanted to keep going to happy-clappy type churches. Our compromise was the Lutheran Church. Now I am so glad that I am Lutheran, and even though I am pretty ignorant of the nuances, I am so happy that I am saved by grace alone!

[DaRev]

I was raised Roman Catholic (but I'm all better now :P). I grew disheartened with the RCC. I began to read the Bible and I wondered why what the RCC was teaching didn't jive with what I was reading. I began to do a little research and determined that the Lutheran Church most closely represented the Apostolic Church of the first century. The more I learned about the Lutheran Church (including going to seminary after the fact) the more I realized that I was right. When I joined the Lutheran Church I was welcomed like the Prodigal Son.

[RevCowboy]

I think I missed the other thread.

Anyways, I like to say that I was born into the Lutheran Pastors Breeding Program.

I grew up in a strong Lutheran family, my mother was a preacher's kid and the church organist. My father and is parents were founding members of the congregation I grew up in. My mother's father was the pastor there for a while in 50's, which is how my parents met (at the ages of 9 and 6).

It was expected of my sister and me as kid growing up that we would be in church every Sunday, we would be at all the youth events, and when we were old enough to play various instruments we had to play a long with the hymns and liturgy. Even though I often had to miss other stuff like sports on Sunday morning, or being with my school friends because of youth group church was never really something I rebelled against. Part of it was that throughout junior high and high school, there was a good youth group, so being at church was something I looked forward to.

I was around pastors a lot growing up, there are quite a few in my family. My mother always told me that being pastor was something I should consider. She didn't push it on me, and always told me that first and foremost I could do whatever I wanted. I thought for most of high school that I would be a teacher. Towards the end it just started creeping into my mind that being a pastor might be a serious option.

For me, the question of whether or not to be anything other than a Lutheran never hit me. I had not had the desire to "try out" other denominations or religions really. The question for me seemed to be (and I realize now that I had been wrestling with it all my life) was whether or not to be a pastor. And I think that is why my mother often talked to me about it. It also might have had to do with the fact that when I was 2 years old I was the ring bearer at my uncle's wedding. He was preachers kid marrying a preacher's kid, so there were about 7 pastors who were part of the service. For months after that I wandered around the house with a towel wrapped around me saying, "Da Peas wof da Lord be wif you".

Now perhaps some may criticize me for not exploring my options enough or not really embracing my faith on my own. But sometimes I think about if I had been born a Baptist or Roman Catholic or Methodist and I get the feeling that I wouldn't be a Christian at all. The answers that I always received from my Lutheran parents, Pastors, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders always seemed to make sense with the world. The answers have I heard other denominations give to some of my questions have not made sense with how I see the world and how I see God. I don't think I would be even a Christian if I wasn't born a Lutheran.

Now that I have been going to university and seminary for 7 years (where my call to pastoral ministry has been really cemented), and I have been to a variety of churches, read lots of theology, studied world religions and Christian history, I think I have a pretty good grasp on my options in terms of religion and I am still not even the slightest bit tempted to even try any of them.

[Tofferer]

The previous thread included questions by a BeckyH. Here are her questions with my unaltered responses from the previous thread:

Originally Posted by BeckyH
Were you raised in a Lutheran family

Yes, but just because part of my family was Lutheran and I was baptized Lutheran is not much.

or did you become a Lutheran later on in life?
Yes, because I found I couldn't believe what the Baptists were teaching about salvation, baptism, and end times. Something started sounding wrong and I began to inquire as why. I even was treated as a "heathen" by those at a church that Tim LaHaye once pastored when I began to express my disbelief in a pretrib rapture.

What is it about it that appeals to you?


Just wondering.
I was given straight answers from scripture, not some ecclessiastical run around. I much prefer truth over tradition.

[cerette]

Hi reda,

are you a Lutheran? If so, how did you become one?

God's blessings to you.

[reda]

It's funny because I'm not a Lutheran as of yet. I just call myself a christian even though my heart tells me I'm a Lutheran.
As a child, I was dragged from this church to that church, this faith to that faith and this religion to that religion and while all this was going on, I never heard of the Lutheran faith. It was about four years ago. Here I was a confused adult with no peace in my heart and lots of unanswered questions. It was then, that I picked up my bible and started from the first page and read to the last. Nothing has been the same since then. According to the bible, nothing was in line with what I was taught all those years. Then one day, I stubbed across a Lutheran web site, from there I started reading and listening to the teachings of the Lutheran faith. Mostly all of it was inline with the bible. Of course, I still have a few weeds in my garden concerning past doctrines (prelutheran times) but basical, the only real thing I'm seeking at this point in time is what Lutheran branch and church i should join.

[RevCowboy]

It's funny because I'm not a Lutheran as of yet. I just call myself a christian even though my heart tells me I'm a Lutheran.
As a child, I was dragged from this church to that church, this faith to that faith and this religion to that religion and while all this was going on, I never heard of the Lutheran faith. It was about four years ago. Here I was a confused adult with no peace in my heart and lots of unanswered questions. It was then, that I picked up my bible and started from the first page and read to the last. Nothing has been the same since then. According to the bible, nothing was in line with what I was taught all those years. Then one day, I stubbed across a Lutheran web site, from there I started reading and listening to the teachings of the Lutheran faith. Mostly all of it was inline with the bible. Of course, I still have a few weeds in my garden concerning past doctrines (prelutheran times) but basical, the only real thing I'm seeking at this point in time is what Lutheran branch and church i should join.

While some here may disagree with me, I would suggest that if you really want to become a Lutheran, than check out all the Lutheran churches, regardless of their national or synodical affliation, that are within a reasonable commute. Talk with pastors, see how you are treated by the congregation as a visitor, and see if one sticks out as a place that feels like home. You may agree more or less with one nation church body or the other, but I think at this point, being relatively new to Lutheranism, the politics of the church are not what you want to dive into. There are duds and gems in every stripe of Lutheranism - find the church that looks like a gem to you.

[cerette]

It's funny because I'm not a Lutheran as of yet. I just call myself a christian even though my heart tells me I'm a Lutheran.
As a child, I was dragged from this church to that church, this faith to that faith and this religion to that religion and while all this was going on, I never heard of the Lutheran faith. It was about four years ago. Here I was a confused adult with no peace in my heart and lots of unanswered questions. It was then, that I picked up my bible and started from the first page and read to the last. Nothing has been the same since then. According to the bible, nothing was in line with what I was taught all those years. Then one day, I stubbed across a Lutheran web site, from there I started reading and listening to the teachings of the Lutheran faith. Mostly all of it was inline with the bible. Of course, I still have a few weeds in my garden concerning past doctrines (prelutheran times) but basical, the only real thing I'm seeking at this point in time is what Lutheran branch and church i should join.

Very interesting story! God's blessings to you.

[LilLamb219]

Awesome :) So, you might call yourself a church mutt? :D

God's Word accomplishes amazing things! :thumbsup:

It's funny because I'm not a Lutheran as of yet. I just call myself a christian even though my heart tells me I'm a Lutheran.
As a child, I was dragged from this church to that church, this faith to that faith and this religion to that religion and while all this was going on, I never heard of the Lutheran faith. It was about four years ago. Here I was a confused adult with no peace in my heart and lots of unanswered questions. It was then, that I picked up my bible and started from the first page and read to the last. Nothing has been the same since then. According to the bible, nothing was in line with what I was taught all those years. Then one day, I stubbed across a Lutheran web site, from there I started reading and listening to the teachings of the Lutheran faith. Mostly all of it was inline with the bible. Of course, I still have a few weeds in my garden concerning past doctrines (prelutheran times) but basical, the only real thing I'm seeking at this point in time is what Lutheran branch and church i should join.

[Jim47]

Welcome to the board Reda :clap:

If you read here long enough you will find that many of the liberal Lutherans don't accept what is written in the bible. While conservative Lutherans fully accpet everything that is written.

I did what you did 20 years ago, only I was already Lutheran. What a treasure we have in God's word, and the more we read it the better understanding He gives us.

If you ever have the chance to see the Luther movie don't pass it up, I guess I should say you will likely have to rent it as its rather old to be in the theaters now. We own a copy of it on DVD and we have watched it probably 20 times, still enjoy it. There is also a short book that is easy to read but gives a very good picture of what happened in the reformation, only its the real story, not the one that has been fabricated on the net by Catholics and Jews.

[Tofferer]

Jim47 is correct. I consider myself a conservative, though there may be some debate there due to my particular choice of affiliation. Regardless, the Bible is the infallible word of God and it is the standard by which we should seek to live. Welcome to the forum. I sincerely hope you will stick around.

[reda]

[quote=LilLamb219;47202353]Awesome :) So, you might call yourself a church mutt? :D
I guess you can say that. That's very funny never looked at it like that.:)

[reda]

[quote=Jim47;47202841]Welcome to the board Reda :clap:

If you read here long enough you will find that many of the liberal Lutherans don't accept what is written in the bible. While conservative Lutherans fully accpet everything that is written.

I noticed the liberal side some years ago. Not to offend anyone, but that particular Lutheran branch....well, it's just not for me.:eek:



If you ever have the chance to see the Luther movie don't pass it up, I guess I should say you will likely have to rent it as its rather old to be in the theaters now. We own a copy of it on DVD and we have watched it probably 20 times, still enjoy it.

I think I would enjoy that movie. What is it's title?:)

[DaRev]

I think I would enjoy that movie. What is it's title?:)

"Luther" with Joseph Fiennes and Sir Peter Ustinov. :thumbsup:

[reda]

"Luther" with Joseph Fiennes and Sir Peter Ustinov. :thumbsup:



Thanks:)

[ctay]

Me, I grew up in the Lutheran church, guess you could call me a cradle Lutheran.

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Me, I grew up in the Lutheran church, guess you could call me a cradle Lutheran.

Reda,

Me too. I have found that being Lutheran continues to compel me to maintain and grow my faith. The more I learn and study Scripture, the more I realize that I need to!

Welcome and blessings!

Mark

[Tofferer]

"Luther" with Joseph Fiennes and Sir Peter Ustinov. :thumbsup:

I thought she meant the 1952 Niall McGinnis movie "Martin Luther" which was used in the adult catechism class at a church I used to attend.