“Imagine a church that is both evangelical – proclaiming the free forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ – and sacramental, centering its spiritual life in the regenerating waters of baptism and the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion. Imagine further a church that is strongly grounded on Scripture…, favoring a comprehensive, intellectually rigorous and imminently orthodox theological system. Imagine a worship service that features both strong preaching and the historic liturgy. Imagine that this is a historical church with a rich spiritual tradition, but without legalism. Imagine, in short, a church that has the best parts of Protestantism and of [Roman] Catholicism. Finally, imagine that this church body is not some little made-up sect, but one of the largest bodies of Christians in the world…” (Gene Veith)
Any thoughts?
Planet Augsburg 
March 26, 2008 at 3:10 am
Veith is writing as one who had the benefit to come to the Lutheran church from another place.
Too often, Lutherans who grew up Lutheran (myself included) are guilty in the extreme of taking their faith, their church, for granted.
No offense to my parents or pastors, but I do not think I truly knew what it meant to be Lutheran until I attended a Catholic University. There I studied Aristotelian philosophy and Catholic theology from excellent professors, many of them priests.
They took a liking to me because I was Lutheran. I think I was sort of exotic to them. They were not used to having Lutherans in their midst. One in particular used to tease me that Martin Luther would have been just another heretic if had not been for his German Princes. I would always respond that the Lord worked in mysterious ways! We had a very good relationship.
Learning Catholic theology and Thomistic philosophy was interesting, challenging, and ultimately offered me no comfort. It proved to me that no one could work their way to heaven and that scripture was the surest authority for God’s teachings.
It is a credit to my parents and pastors that I had the foundation to know what my church did teach and the peace that it could give my soul.
Accordingly, having been blessed with the opportunity to see my faith anew from the outside, my embrace became stronger
Since that time, I have only become more convinced that the Lutheran confessions offer the most consistent and faithful teachings of scripture.
March 26, 2008 at 2:37 pm
For me, I have found Lutheranism to be what I have unknowingly desired, even as a child. Strong intellectual chops, a rich and Biblically-oriented liturgy, proper respect for the word of God and its manifest meaning, unswerving focus on Christ. Coming from the outside, I can see all this. What joy is mine!
March 26, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I agree with both of you guys, and I share almost the same story with you OB1-K, but change Catholic to American Evangelicals. Sometimes you just don’t appreciate what you have until you see the other side. Like the old saying, “You need the clouds to appreciate the sun, and everyone has to crawl through the weeds to appreciate the sky…”
March 27, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I really appreciate the Lutheran acceptance of mystery. The problem with us presbies is that we are always trying to figure out the paradox of the visible (sacrament) and the invisible (faith). Sadly, this has landed most of us on the side of the invisible with the baptists.
God has always marked His promises with visible signs and seals. We should believe God’s faithfulness to join the sign with the thing signified.
March 28, 2008 at 4:34 am
Well Ron, there is always room for one more Augsburg Evangelical/Evangelical Sacramentalist over here 😉
March 30, 2008 at 6:44 am
I had a question though, are there not some sacramental Presbyterians in America? I was under the impression that Mike Horton from White Horse Inn was pretty Sacramental?
March 30, 2008 at 6:48 pm
There is a movement in presbyterian churches right now to become more sacramental. It has caused quite a stir, and sadly lines have been drawn.
Check it out:
http://www.federal-vision.com/
And here is a paper that a fellow wrote in response to Horton on the issue:
http://auburnavenue.org/articles/Blurring_the_Federal_Vision.htm