Thoughts on Lutheranism

I read an article recently (http://strangeherring.com/2014/01/21/lutherans-to-be-or-not-to-be/) for those of you who may want to go read it yourself, about how it's difficult for "millenials" to become Lutheran and why.

I thought it was fascinating and a good article concerning what it means to be Lutheran. It also got me thinking about cases in the past where I've gotten into discussions or debates or even arguments with friends about my faith and theirs. To be completely honest most of these have been with Catholics but 1 with a Methodist and 1 with a Nondenominational both stand out. However his bit about Catholics having all the "mystery and magic" stood out nevertheless. Speaking as a "millennial" and being into shows like "Supernatural" or "Sleepy Hollow" or even movies like "Priest" I can understand what he means. In these, possibly obscure, portions of popular culture and media, Catholicism is portrayed as this all powerful organization with all kinds of mystical and mysterious super powers. To be a Catholic, and more specifically in many cases a Catholic Priest, is to have access to this great surplus of knowledge and power. However, I think that this kind of thinking spills over into other denominations and faiths.

I remember getting into a very passionate debate with a Methodist once shortly after I had attended Higher Things. The thing that was driving them nuts about Lutheranism, on the surface at least, was that we do nothing and can do nothing to save ourselves. They didn't understand how we could be saved without doing anything. The conversation with the nondenominational person went much the same way. How can we be saved without doing anything? While both of their arguments centered around the idea of "accepting Christ into your heart" or "inviting faith and the Holy Spirit in", I think that it stands to the above fascination with the idea of mystical or mysterious knowledge or power.

The connection, at least in my mind, goes something like this. I recently got into a rather heated argument with a Catholic (former) friend. They said some things, called me some names, that they clearly regretted later. They followed an apology with the following, "See the great thing about being Catholic is I know I just have to go to Confession and it all be forgiven". My response was "See the great thing about being Lutheran is I know it doesn't matter if I do anything or not, what I do is still forgiven". The response I got back was, and it was meant very negatively and seriously, "No you're just lazy, you don't want to earn your forgiveness". I'll cut off the conversation there because that's all that's important. The implication is that belief in Salvation by Faith alone, through Grace and the Word alone is lazy. What they were literally saying is that I only believe what I believe because it means I don't have to do anything to save myself. Now think about what millenials have been told for the last 15 or so years, that we can change the world. That we have to do it all ourselves. That we can't and shouldn't rely on anyone else to fight our battles for us. That we have to be independent. Now think about that in connection with the mystical and mysterious knowledge and power. What better way to earn salvation than by having to earn access to some form of this? Not only do you not rely on anyone but yourself to come to the means of Salvation, those means of Salvation are special and mysterious.

So what then is the problem with Lutheranism to millenials? I'd argue it is the simplicity of Lutheranism. Lutheranism says, belief and you're saved, and the Holy Spirit instills that faith in you. Christ saved everyone. Period end of story. What is there to do? How can we rely on ourselves if Christ has already done it all for us? There's nothing for us to do, to discover, we're already saved and all the work has been done for us. Lutheranism, in short, doesn't fit the idea that the media and popular culture has ingrained in us as to how we are supposed to be saved.