r/Lutheranism

Hey everyone! Very personal question, but recently I have been struggling a lot with the church that I go to. It is a medium-large southern baptist church, and I’d say for the most part I’ve enjoyed being here. Recently, both me and my wife have left Sunday service feeling unfulfilled. I grew up “old school” southern baptist in a more traditional and structured church, but that’s a hard thing to find nowadays. I’ve done a lot of digging into Lutheran theology, and I find that I agree with everything. I’ve always had a few disagreements with the SBC my entire life on a few key issues, and I feel like Lutheran theology affirms what I have always believed to be true. I have never been to a Lutheran service, and I really want to try going.

The Issue is that my wife grew up in a Pentecostal church. While I can say without a doubt that she is saved and has a fiery passion for God, she has a my way or the highway stance. She really doesn’t like trying anything that isn’t contemporary singing and dancing, and she has been taught that Catholics are the root of all evil. Because of this, she really dislikes anything that “feels too Catholic”, and I’m worried that she would be terrified in a Lutheran church 😂.

Is this something that any of y’all have dealt with? If so do you have any advice, or am I just cooked?

So, the reason I thought it was best to come reddit and ask, rather than go to a Lutheran Church and talk to a Pastor, is because, I'm British. Now that may not sound important, but there are very few Lutheran churches here — I think less than 100 or so — and the closest one is over an hour drive away.

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Anyway, as mentioned in the title/header, I'm converting from Athiesm. I already know some core beliefs such as Sole Fide, Sola Scriptura and Sola Gratia, or beliefs on the Eucharist but there are other things about Lutheranism that I don't know, mainly to do with religious practices.

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Though I am Atheist, I come from a mixed religion background; I was originally brought up through Anglicanism until I was about three, where my dad's new wife would take me to Methodist church until I was about 8-9. I have not been confirmed in any faith (atleast I don't remember being, though I remember taking Communion a few times in Methodist). Since then, I never really thought about religion, I had gone to a Catholic School (I still do infact, just not the same one (I'm 16 now)) but I never really paid attention to R.E. class until recently when I found out about Lutheranism and decided to research parts of it. Now you might think "why not research what we can tell you here?" and if you are thinking that I have two things to say to that: 1. Thats kinda what I'm doing — you guys are I guess my source of information for my research, and, 2. There may be things I don't know the existence of.

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I'd like to say thanks in advance and any questions you guys have about my conversion I will try to answer!

Hello everyone, it's been a long time since I last posted here. As some of you may remember, I was that tremendously annoying guy who used to ask about 10 questions a day. 😅

Recently I did something that has been very difficult for me: I started trying to actually live the community life. I’m not a member yet and my faith has been kind of lukewarm, but it has been a good experience.

But one thing still bothers me.

In my community, they serve the bread and grape juice in a way very similar to the Baptist church I attended when I was little. And, for someone who used to be Catholic and would kneel because I felt extremely unworthy before the Eucharist, this ends up being a collision of worlds for me.

In short: is it irreverent for me to simply take the bread from the hand of another community member (it’s not the pastor who distributes it) and then take the cup of juice with my hands and drink? I feel a lot of guilt, because I think: “that is the body of Christ.”

Does this happen in all Lutheran communities?

Hi everyone!

I’m a relatively new Lutheran (confirmed this past Easter), and before that I spent a lot of time exploring Orthodoxy which meant dipping my toes into church history but never quite finding a single resource that pulled everything together clearly.

Right now I’m reading Called to Be Holy in the World: An Introduction to Christian History, and I just wanted to highly recommend it to anyone looking for a comprehensive, readable overview of early Christian history from a Lutheran lens.

What I’ve loved about it so far:

It starts with Luke and Paul as the foundation for understanding the early church.

It walks through the Apostolic Fathers, major theologians, and key movements/heresies.

It covers all the major ecumenical councils with helpful summaries

It even gives concise overviews of texts like the Shepherd of Hermas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and others

Despite being approximately 500 pages, it manages to cover the 1st–10th centuries in order with such good detail while still being readable.

As someone who used to jump between dozens of sources trying to piece things together, this book has been a huge relief, so I wanted to recommend it for anyone that's wanting to understand the flow of Christian history without getting lost.

Peace and blessings!

I am a American Lutheran. Im trying to find some German Lutheran who are interested in chatting. Im trying to learn German, and maybe play a few video games like helldivers if possible.​

Thanks.

Hello,

My fiancée and I are interested in moving down south, specifically North Carolina. This would be in a couple years after we finish schooling and get married.

We were raised in the Midwest with a strong Lutheran presence. I’m worried if we were to move down south it would be hard to fit in and find those of the same belief due to the strong Baptist presence and most of Lutherans being up North. I’m also worried about finding a church due to there being significantly less Lutheran churches.

We are both very devout Lutherans and are involved in the community/culture at our current church. We would hate to leave it behind.

Does anyone have experience with this adaption?
We are both LCMS.

As the title suggests, I'm not trying to get in an argument here. I'd welcome theological debates, but I'm not aiming for an argument. 

So for my background, I was raised in the Lutheran Church (ELCA). Baptized, first communion, and confirmed. My parents separated us from the Lutheran church shortly after my confirmation due to stances liberal social stances the Lutheran church began to take that they didn't agree with. I have different political and personal views regarding these topics than I do religiously - I have the belief that we should follow the Bible as it relates to these things, but politically and personally, so long as another person isn't hurting me or pushing something, hey, whatever makes you happy. 

I was introduced to catholisism in 2013 during a trip to Italy, which included a trip to the Vatican. I was taken aback by the beauty and grandeur of the cathedrals. I attended an Easter mass and was likewise taken aback by the reverence. I dated a catholic girl in college and we frequently attended mass. 

I've not been a member of any church since my parents separated us in the 20-teens, but I've felt myself wanting to grow my faith more than ever in the last several years, and I've felt a particular draw to the catholic church. 

Fast forward to today, I've initiated the OCIA conversion process three or so months back. Courses don't begin until September, but I've attended mass weekly, and have had sit downs with deacons and other church clergy members. I still am struggling with certain aspects that I don't personally see eye to eye on. 

Has anyone else converted from Lutheran/Protestant? I'm wondering what your experiences were for those who have converted, and how you worked through the beliefs of Protestant teachings as you converted. And where your beliefs on Protestantism stands now. Would you ever go back? The catholic church is seeing conversions in droves recently, so I think that speaks to something...

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Even this cry rose from the cross. The Holy Bible

Beloved soul, you look upon the earth and see wounds everywhere: nations sharpening swords, the poor forgotten, hearts becoming cold, forests burned, seas poisoned, brother against brother. And you ask the ancient question that many prophets asked before you: “Lord, where are You?”

Listen carefully.

When God created the world, He looked upon it and said, “It is very good.” The rivers, the trees, the beasts of the field, and humanity itself were born from love, not from violence. But love without freedom is not love at all. So mankind was given freedom: the freedom to bless… and the freedom to wound.

A father may plant a vineyard with care, but if the workers become greedy, shall the father destroy the vineyard at once? No. He sends messengers. He calls them back. He waits. He warns. He weeps.

So too does God.

You ask why He allows evil. Yet every war begins first in a human heart. Every corruption begins when silver is loved more than truth. Every act of racism begins when a person forgets that the stranger also bears the image of God.

The poison spreading through the world is not proof that God is absent. It is proof that humanity keeps trying to live without Him.

But do not think Heaven is indifferent.

Christ entered this suffering world not as a distant king wrapped in comfort, but as a poor man, betrayed, mocked, tortured, and killed by political power, religious hypocrisy, and a violent crowd. He stood inside the very darkness you describe. And from the cross He said: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

This is the mystery: God does not answer evil merely with force. He answers it first with mercy, truth, and a call to repentance.

Yet judgment also exists. The Gospel says that whatever is hidden will one day be revealed. The mighty who crush others and believe themselves untouchable are like houses built upon sand. Storms come. Kingdoms fall. Empires become dust.

And still, amidst the darkness, light shines.

For every corrupt ruler, there is a hidden saint feeding the hungry.
For every voice preaching hatred, there is someone risking their life to protect another.
For every forest destroyed, there is a hand planting seeds whose shade it may never enjoy.

Do not let the noise of evil convince you that goodness is weak. A single candle can be seen from far away in the night.

You ask God why He allows this suffering. But perhaps Heaven also asks humanity:

“Why do you wound what I entrusted to you? Why do you hate your brother? Why do you destroy the garden I placed in your care?”

The answer to the world’s darkness is not despair. Despair is another chain. The answer is to become light.

As it is written: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”

So feed the hungry. Defend the weak. Speak truth without hatred. Care for the earth as a sacred gift. Refuse the temptation to become cynical. Even in a wounded world, love remains a rebellion against darkness.

And remember this: the resurrection came after the crucifixion.

For those who were once reformed (and I am referring to reformed presbyterian) and attended a reformed church and are now Lutheran, what would you say are some of the differences you noticed culturally within the church? What was day to day or sunday chuch life like then vs now? As an example, I am a member of a reformed presbyterian church and smoking cigars during church fellowship times is common, is there something similar that Lutherans do that is common?

Just curious. thank you.

I’m a lurking Catholic. I have a question. If Pope Leo XIV were to hypothetically lift his excommunication, what would be your reaction?

I have heard that up until the 1960s children were required to memorize it in order to be confirmed. I dont know how much of this story is true, but I am genuinely as to how you got 12 and 13 year olds to memorize almost 10,000 words worth of doctrine.

For full context, I’m looking for a church home. I’m currently choosing between the ELCA and the LCMS. I’m a celibate homosexual man who does not necessarily believe that monogamous same-sex relationships are sinful, but I am absolutely convinced that celibacy is what God wants for me personally.

That said, I’m often encouraged to attend the ELCA, even though my theology likely leans a few notches to the right of both the pastor and much of the general congregation. While my personal political philosophy strongly supports religious liberty, I don’t feel comfortable joining a church where a pastor could deny the Creed, or belonging to a denomination that would permit that.

This past little bit I have not been able to attend church on Sundays due to my new job scheduling me on those days. My local church caters to the local retirement community as I live in the south and not the younger people in the workforce. This makes it difficult for me as due to this they only have service Sunday mornings while I'm working. Is there any advice that y'all would have for me to do until I can get Sundays off?