It's been pulling at the back of my head. ELW Setting 10 Gospel Acclamation..

What is the original hymn the tune is pulled from? I swear a decade ago I'd have been able to recall it easily, but aging and stress have brought on the brain fog pretty hard.

In pre-worship Bible study this morning, we talked about distinguishing between love itself and the feeling of love, noting how emotions are not essential to actually loving someone or loving God. Then immediately following, a perfect Lenten trifecta happened, the Gospel reading for today, getting to help serve communion, and Amazing Grace as the closing hymn, and all the emotions were there, overflowing.

I bring this up to comment on the beautiful Lenten Liturgy we are using and especially to note how different my relationship to religions feeling is in Lutheranism compared to my Baptist/Evangelical past. Feeling is not unimportant in Lutheranism (as far as I can tell), but I can appreciate it and gain so much more from emotion when it is not the focal point or end goal of worship and personal devotion as it was in the Evangelical communities I once was a part of. Making cultivating particular emotions the goal cheapens the emotion and detracts from actual love, in my experience. So good job, Lutherans, on helping me come to a much healthier balance between religious feeling and living the gospel in love.

They've been told many, many times before that they should divest. And quite a while ago too, so they've had plenty of time to change their ways.

https://www.codepink.org/who_would_jesus_bomb_thrivent_financials_investments_in_war_and_migrant_prisons

Hi everyone,

I’m new to Lutheranism after spending my life as a Catholic. Right now, I’m following an LCMS pastor from a distance, but I’d like to better understand the differences between ELCA and LCMS, especially in terms of theology and practice.

I know there are some key differences, but I’d love to hear directly from you about how you live out your faith in the ELCA and what led you to choose this communion.

So I have been protestant non-denominational my whole life. I find myself to be a very symbolic person with more ceremonial likings. But I am a strong protestant and always will be. And that is how I got drawn to Evangelical Lutheranism (specifically Evangelical Lutheranism). I love the way the community represents itself and shows itself. I’m a major theology buff and I want to learn more about this community and possibly someday join it! Please share how the ranking system with members of clergy, what usually happens during sermons, and the main ideas of the denomination! Thank you!🙏 (didn’t really know what tag to put so I put Q&A)

I'm a pastor in another Lutheran denomination. I'm strongly considering moving to the ELCA roster (assuming I'm approved). I've had conversations within my current body about teaching at overseas seminaries as I had my PhD. I looked at the current positions posted on the global missions list in the ELCA website. I didn't see anything that specifically mentioned seminary teaching. Does the ELCA send profs overseas? Are all mission positions applied for or are any placements?

I'm sure I don't know what further questions to ask, so, if you have any other insights about global missions in ylca that would be great.

In context of salvation Luther said many times that salvation is through faith alone. I agreed with this outlook, that we can't work our way to God's Love, but from the tradition I used to belong to we always emphasized the concept of The Sinners Prayer. I'm post deconstruction now and I've just been trying to figure out what is "required" to begin a journey with the Holy Spirit. I'm more leaning towards the position that Christians first hear a "Call of The Spirit" and then they decide whether to follow it or not, but if they do follow The Call should they be required/encouraged to repent of their sins? Just some thoughts bouncing around my head.

Can I start my own community and minister the sacraments to people if there is no church that is going to fully welcome me because I'm LGBT? I know the Augsburg Confession states that a minister has to be regularly called, would an election process fulfill this? I have no formal theological training, but know a thing or two and can go through a lutheran denominational theological course online.

I'm not in the US BTW, I'm in Brazil in latin america and there are no mainline welcoming and affirming churches here, traditional protestantism isn't all that present, no denominational formation where I'm at either, closest university and seminary is hundreds of miles away, I'm sick and tired of depending on church hierarchies that don't accept me and really don't want to become a non-denominational kind of christian, left catholicism for good and won't go back to it, considered anglicanism but I'm iffy on it and want more freedom away from episcopal polity.

Hi. I'm reading the Large Catechism section on the first commandment and I'm curious about this sentence: v23 "What is this but reducing God to an idol - indeed, an apple-god -" I'm not asking about the point Luther is making, but about the use of the word "apple-god". Was that some kind of medieval phrase or folk idea? Is he just picking a random example of an object? Thanks.

Hello, I have been a Lutheran for almost 7 years. I used to attend a confessional-pietist Lutheran church here in Brazil, but I recently moved to a new house that is close to a more progressive Lutheran church (an ELCA sister church, Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana do Brasil-IECLB) that is much more aligned with what I believe today. However, I am a theology nerd (I left the Pentecostal church I attended for the first 23 years of my life because I fell in love with lutheran theology, liturgy and tradition), but this church does not produce much theological content for those who are not in seminary. I have access to several books and materials from the Thais church and ELCA as well, but I usually only have time to read them on the weekends. I would like to receive recommendations of YTchannel/podcast about Lutheran theology that is not conservative/fundamentalist, preferably from the ELCA or a sister church.

I've seen the megathread of church channels on this sub but I'm not looking for services or sermons, I want something focused on theology, to listen to while I work or exercise.

My pastor has been adding in mother whenever father is mentioned in the liturgy; for example in the name of the Father /mother, son, and Holy Spirit. I understand we don’t really understand the gender of God or if He has a gender but this has made me uncomfortable and I don’t think is supported by our scripture or creeds. What do you guys think? I am fairly conservative as an ELCA member and a former LCMS Lutheran Christian.

I'm a pretty new Lutheran, and a new Christian to boot. I've joined a church and I've been baptized and the like, but I find I'm pretty much on my own in terms of learning all things Lutheran and Christianity. Luckily I'm quite the bookworm and I love to study, so I'm learning as much as I can. But I find adult education is minimal at my church, with only one Bible study at a time I can attend. It ends up being more about community (which is great!!) than the Bible most of the time. I'm just wondering if this is how it is in most other churches.? I've discovered some great resources, both video and book, and I'm always open to suggestions. I just find myself wishing my church offered more in the way of education...and then I wonder if I'm just the odd duck and that it's just normal to not have much for adults in the way of education. Thanks!

Lifelong ELCA (well, ALC until 1988) Lutheran, and I'm going to be staying in O'Hare for a few days in the coming weeks. Since I'll be within walking distance of the churchwide office, is there anything at all to see there?

I mean, clearly the ELCA headquarters isn't Universal Studios. But is there any kind of little museum or library there? Or is it just cubicles and office staff?

I just want to ask now so I don't regret missing out on anything.

How long were the classes? Was there a textbook or other materials beside the Small Catechism? Was there some kind of test? Did you memorize the whole Small Catechism? Did you memorize the 66 books of the Bible in order? What do you remember most clearly? Is there anything from that curriculum that isn't common in the ELCA today that you'd like to see added back?

Just to be clear, this isn't a call for renewed rigor or nostalgia for the good ole days. It's mostly just a historical question. I'm partly curious to learn how the older members of my congregation were catechized. And I'm partly just interested in catechesis in general.

Edit: I'm so glad I asked this. There are some amazingly informative responses here. Keep them coming.

I'm curious about women ordination within the ELCA, because my pastor is a female and she has helped me through a lot indirectly and I can see the work of the Holy Spirit through here.

I have tried and looked for documents on the ELCAs stance of women's ordination and theology for it, is there anyone here who can point me into the right direction where it is or maybe some personal opinions on this matter that I can maybe reflect on in prayer and scripture?

Thank u, grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all this lent ✝️🙏

I'm a secretary at our church and read today that Publisher is disappearing. I use it for our bulletins. Does anybody else have something they use and love (or tolerate)? I tried Adobe In Design today, but that's too graphic oriented for my needs. I really need more of a word processing software. Thanks!

Hello, My family has been attending our local church here since June of last year.

We are planning to be baptized as a family in the spring, and have been praying and working with our church’s pastor, to that end.

We take the bread at communion as the Lutheran’s claim it is an “open table”. I think in the Catholic tradition the taking of the ashes is only for those baptized.

As an occasional attendee of the Catholic chuch with my parents as a child (holidays, Grandmas birthday, etc) it always seemed very harsh that my whole family could take communion but I could not. That “otherizing” made me feel unwelcome as a child.

The ELCA stance and being welcome to take part at the Lord’s table helped me heal those wounds, those insecurities…

Anyone else had difficulties with the Bishop in asserting power in your church? The Synod has become a political empire, so much that I hope we leave the Synod. The Bishop answers to no one.

I used to get print issues of Living Lutheran from my parish. Then they went digital, and I didn't read much of it. When they announced that they're bringing back the print issues, I subscribed to get my own copy delivered to my home. That was a few months ago, I guess. When can I expect to get the first one in the mail?

This isn't urgent of course. But I'm starting to wonder whether I need to call them to sort anything out.

I've been reflecting a lot on last sunday's gospel reading, and I think it's really timely. What does it look like to love our enemy in today's climate? What are some ways we can seek out this kind of radical, counterintuitive love?

I've also been chewing on this thought: Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek. Does God turn the other cheek? There's a strong theme throughout scripture of God promising justice for the oppressed. It seems like the end-all is that no, God does not turn the other cheek in the face of evil. God brings justice rolling down like waters. But maybe by teaching us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, to love radically ... Maybe that's the way true justice and peace will reign?

"Loving your enemy" puts out the fire of revenge. Will God take revenge for the sake of God's children,? Or does God turn the other cheek?

It's been a really fruitful exercise to think about loving my enemy and turning the other cheek this week. "My enemy" seems to have a lot of power and control right now. How can I love my enemy, and what would the impact of that kind of love be on a grand scale?

Peace be with you!

Hello family! Married gay Christian here who has been attending a local ELCA church for about a year now (and love it!!). I’m still unlearning a lot of toxic fundamentalism and evangelicalism from my upbringing and early young adult years. the area mentioned in the title is one that I haven’t fully reconstructed - but I’m curious to learn more about. I was just talking with a more conservative friend about it, and realized I don’t really have a solid opinion on it like I used to. Being married now it doesn’t affect me as much but Im still interested in forming more of an ethical opinion on it.

So, to those more seasoned in the mainline / gay affirming denominations, be it ELCA, episcopal, etc, what are your guys views on porn, sexual content, hookups, and sex outside of marriage? To be clear, I definitely believe that casual sex and hookups are basically always sinful (and regardless, not beneficial). As for sex outside of marriage in general, I think in a committed , serious relationship it’s fine as that’s kinda what marriages were back in the biblical authors days anyway. With porn, anything mass produced and associated with that industry is definitely immoral for a lot of reasons irrespective of the content (abuse of women, trafficking, etc); but when it comes to self made content and art, I honestly don’t really know what to think about it morally. I don’t really see an issue but I’m curious to see other views on it from folks that aren’t fundie and evangelical, lol.

I appreciate any insight and response, thank you!

So I’m new to Lutheranism, and am trying to understand several different things.

For one, I’m trying to learn the terminology in who governs the church and the like. I grew up on Pastors, but I’m not sure if that is the correct term for who is leading in the church/teaching the sermons. I have heard Reverend used before.

I also am trying to understand the Lutheran calendar. I haven’t really found a solid source for help on this.

Also, do I have to go through a process to convert to being a Lutheran? I would like to be baptized in a Lutheran church, but at the time it isn’t possible due to living circumstances.

So sorry for this post being all over the place.