Do you have any response to the contrasting beliefs between Lutheranism and Calvinism that I outlined?

You, sirs, are not Lutheran.

Let’s start with “what is a Christian?” any takers.

Starting with the “authority” of Scripture, the ELCA has no credibility. They are Zwinglians and Calvinists, nondenominationalists, unionists, confused conformists on Justification, and, rightly, should remove the name “Lutheran” from their church body.

If the ELCA was to stand in a court of law and defend their beliefs as Lutheran, they would lose the case.

Truth will have nothing to do with error. The ELCA is so saturated with doctrinal error, they, sadly, do not even know “who” they are.

Sad, indeed!!

For clarification, I am a happy white male slightly older than the ELCA average of 62.

I am not a pastor but am a lifelong Lutheran and have held some leadership positions at the synodical and at the parish level.

I read what your team publishes and am convinced that you are Calvinists. Below is an outline of a Sunday School class I taught making that case. I compare and contrast Lutheranism and Calvinism on the subjects of morality, God/human relationship, freedom, and sense of humor.

I will have to say that on the last subject, y’all are really not a barrel of laughs. I go to many church wide meetings to get my batteries charged by the good humor and gentleness of my ELCA brothers and sisters. When I am around people on your team, I get very depressed.

Do you visit the holocaust museum or something to get in the mood before one of your meetings?

Your team frequently says you are going to build a God pleasing church. A Lutheran could never claim to know the mind of God. I suspect that God might be pleased when we love and serve the poor. Beyond that, I can only imagine that God would be irritated by creeds and doctrines. But like I said, who knows??

Morality
LUTHERAN.
- Not moralistic.
- Right behavior does NOT determine value before god.
- Recognizes a profound sense of moral ambiguity.
CALVINIST
- Moralistic
- Godly behavior is expected of believers
- Little attention is given to moral ambiguity
GOD – Human Relationship
LUTHERAN
- Faith = trust
- Faith is NOT the acceptance of a set of teachings
- Consequence of faith is service to neighbor
CALVINIST
- Faith is active choice
- Faith is aimed at pleasing God
- Other directed acts are transformed into self enhancing behavior looking over shoulder to see if God is pleased
Freedom
LUTHERAN
- God’s radical adoption of a sinner by grace leads to a radical freedom.
- Freedom from coercive requirements
- Freedom to serve neighbor
CALVINIST
- If there is no hell why would I choose not to steal, kill, etc?
- Believers are expected to please God
- To do this they need a set of rules
Sense of humor
LUTHERAN
- The Bible is not literal – it is a collection of diverse voices that witness in various ways to the ONE GOD.
- Sin boldly
CALVINIST
- Divine origin and divinely inspired unity of the Bible
- Fosters serious self examination

For what it’s worth.

“I had heard that some of the bigger Lutheran churches in the Midwest and west would need to come in to help prop up the finances of the new synod. Is this the case?

Also, do you think the LCMC and NALC might come together at some point? I know some Lutheran ministers who had planned to roster with both.”

I reply:

Roughly half of the ELCA’s largest ten congregations (1,500+ membership) have or likely will change affiliation. If they have not already joined LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, an “association” not a “synod”) NALC expects they will find a home with them.

As for LCMC and NALC together, personally I expect some LCMC congregations will seek the greater churchly density (oversight, structure, and the like) that NALC promises to offer and will come over individually. There may develop a more formal sharing arrangement, but that is far, far beyond immediate concerns.

To Pr. Jim Shields:

It is exactly this kind of hostility experienced by many traditionalists, such as myself, that has made us give up on dialogue, concession, and even I regret to say, charity. Two years ago I was on the ELCA HQ elevator caught alone with one fellow I thought I knew well. First thing he said: “If you’re so unhappy with the ELCA, why don’t you just get out?” I was at mission school, for pete’s sake, on an ELCA grant. I was trying to stay, for real. I finally just told him I didn’t think my departure would help the ELCA at all, but were he to leave I could see some improvement coming. (Some day I shall repent.)

Pr. Shields, there comes a point when all the posturing is over and done, we must simply offer our ministries up to God. We are responsible for the offering; God is responsible for the consequences; and His judgment – not ours – is always bound by His reckless love. I am content to leave it there.

To write such an article without even considering the “first century church for the twenty first century” that is on the ground active, alive, growing in Christ Jesus with the Word of God as its foundation ie. LCMC–Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ is to ignore that which witnesses to the gospel truth that we are called to preach, teach and confess Jesus not “church.” Kept in proper perspective any church worth its salt (pun intended) will be from the bottom up about “doing” not “being.” God is the great “I AM” and specifically realized in the I Am’s of Jesus—Bread, Water, Way, Truth, Life, Shepherd–our only Shepherd and a great one.

Perhaps the unbelievers would have ears to hear if what they heard wasn’t about the being of church and church unity and church building but about the being of Jesus, what He has done for them and the doing of His great commission and not just talking about it or once again planning to do it.

God. . . once again save us from ourselves and let’s just get on with your business and not our own. . . .