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A Bundle of Myrrh

"My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh." Song of Solomon 1:13

Archive for the ‘Being Lutheran’ Category

Listening To Luther

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

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So you have pain now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. Luke 16:22

“The one thing needful is that we trust in our Lord Jesus Christ and believe in his Word, which means that when we are cast down under sorrow and temptation, it is but for a little while, so that we may find comfort in our suffering. For it is impossible for us to attain to happiness unless we have previously suffered pain and sorrow.

But what comfort! The Lord informs his disciples what joy awaits them. He says, “I will see you again.” This happened on holy Easter Day when they saw him again in a new and everlasting life. Similarly Christ also sees us, and our hearts see that for our sake he has overcome sin, death and the devil, that we too through him should live eternally. That is everlasting and eternal joy, which overcomes all sorrow and shall never be taken from us. Therefore we must not lose patience nor be fainthearted under the cross. For Christ is risen and is seated at the right hand of the Father, that he may shield us from the devil and from all misery, and make us blessed forevermore. May our faithful God and Father grant us this through his Son, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.” Martin Luther

My Reformation Story – Part II

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

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Read Part I of My Reformation Story HERE.

My small circle of close friends were beginning to scatter a bit. Some exploring the Catholic church, some attending an Episcopal church others going to a different Presbyterian church. I was left alone to sort all this out.

I just never could step out far enough to go Episcopal and being Catholic had never been an option for me. I was weary with no answers just more questions.

There had to be one truth, one way to interpret God’s Word, everyone couldn’t be right and that was maddening! For every verse, every denomination had it’s interpretation, all different. Who was teaching me the right way to understand God’s Word? I had to be convinced from Scripture.

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More on the Pastoral Office

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

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I was pleased to see that last week Issues, Etc highlighted an issue we need to hear about, the suffering our pastors’ experience. You can listen to this timely interview on Issues, Etc, Suffering in the Pastoral Office .

And here’s another great post on supporting the pastor, That’s My Pastor.

 

 

 

My Reformation Story – Part I

Tuesday, October 28th, 2014

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Since it’s October and all, I thought this a good time to sit down and write a bit on being Lutheran. Well, not on being Lutheran but on how I became one and why. I just want to tell my story, my journey. I feel strange doing this, but I am writing it down for my own memory and for my children who might be curious someday. It’s hard to write something like this and it’s hard to keep it short! I’ve broken it into 3 parts, just 3 don’t worry.

I write this not to “bash” any other Christian denominations. Also you need to know I don’t believe that Christians in other denominations are not saved. A lot of what we believe is very different but God’s Grace is still manifest despite this. His Word is powerful and life giving. Where His Gospel is preached and believed in Faith there is Salvation.

First some history:

I was raised as a Baptist. But as I learned more about other Baptist churches I realized my church was of a different sort of Baptist. My pastor was a Baptist who dabbled in Calvinism. I think because of that we had a Calvinism with altar calls, Grace mixed with decisions for Jesus. I’ve recently learned that he was early to a party that is just starting to get bigger in the Baptist church.

A wave called “New Calvinism” is beginning. You can learn more about that HERE. As I listened to that interview I realized that it was pretty much my own story out of the Baptist church.

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