GENERAL:
    History (General)
     -All Lutheran churches can trace their roots to the Protestant Reformation  in Europe in the 16th century. Martin Luther
(b 1483, d 1546), became a German monk in 1505 and ordained a priest in 1507. While continuing his studies in theology he discovered significant differences between what he read in the Bible   and the theology and practice of the Catholic church.

     -On Oct. 31th, 1517, Luther posted a  challenge on the door of the Witenberg Chapel to debate 95 theological issues. Luther hoped that the church would  reform their practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible. What started as an academic debate turned into a religious war. The result was not a reformation within    the Catholic church but a separation from it. Luther's basic principals of theology and practice were Sola Gratia,
Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura.

     -Most Lutherans still believe they are a reforming movement within the Catholic church rather than a separatist movement.

     -Lutheran beliefs became widespread, especially in Germany and the Scandinavian countries (Norway,  Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland), later spreading throughout the world as early explorers took their faith with them on their voyages.

     -The reformation caused two branches of Protestantism
           -Lutheranism: Following Luther
           -Reformed Church: Following Calvin, Zwingli and Knox.

     -Lutheranism came to the Americas that way; some of the earliest settlers in the Americas were Scandinavians, Dutch and German Lutherans. The first permanent colony of them was in the West  Indies, and by the 1620s there were settlements of Lutherans along the Hudson River in what are now  the states of New York and New Jersey.

    History (Specific)
     -In 1960 the American Lutheran Church (German), United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Danish) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Norwegian), Lutheran Free Church (Norwegian), merged to form The American Lutheran Church (ALC).
In 1962 the ULCA (German, Slovak and Icelandic) joined with the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (Swedish), Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church and American Evangelical Lutheran Church (Danish) to form the Lutheran Church in America (LCA).

     -Meanwhile, the Lutheran World Federation's (LWF) 1957 resolve to study contemporary Roman Catholicism with the possibility of entering "interconfessional conversations," and the reforms proposed by the Second Vatican Council, led to a series of theological dialogues. Lutherans also accepted the invitation of Reformed churches (Presbyterian) in America to begin discussions of possible pulpit and altar fellowship. In 1977 the LCMS decision to place fellowship with ALC "in protest" along with the AELC's nudged the three church bodies, ALC, LCA and AELC, toward merger. , January 1, 1988, the ELCA became    the legal successor to its predecessors.

    Missions
     -Highly missions oriented and social activists
     -Missionaries: 391 adults in approximately 57 countries
     -Social Service Institutions: 256 parent corporations with many more subsidiaries

    Membership
     -To become a Lutheran, only Baptism and instructions in the Christian faith is required. If you are already   baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it will be necessary only to attend a membership    class in a Lutheran congregation and thus signify your desire to become a part of its community.

     -Baptized Members: 5,180,190.
     -Communing and Contributing Members: 2,560,427
     -Members of Color or Whose Primary Language is Other Than English: 113,839 (2.14%).
     -Included are African-Americans, 49,707; Hispanics, 29,424; Asians and Pacific Islanders, 22,898;
       American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, 7,005; other, 4,805.
     -Average Worship Attendance Each Week: 1,580,025 (30.32 percent). (about 144 per church  per week)
     -Congregations: 10,936
     -Synods: 65 in nine geographic regions.

    Education:
     -Theological Seminaries and Deaconess Community: 8 seminaries, 1 deaconess community.
     -Colleges and Universities: 28
     -Schools: 16 high schools, 136 elementary schools, 1,598 preschools and 354 child care centers.

    Finances:
     -ELCA Churchwide Budget: 1997, $76,875,000
     -ELCA World Hunger Fund: 1996 budget, $12,000,000;
     -$911,234 for domestic disaster relief and $364,000 for international disaster relief.
     -Total Income Of Congregations: $1,871,488,600 in 1996 -- 3.81 percent more than previous year.
     -Average Giving Per Confirmed Member: $401.33 ($7.71 per week per member)
                                                 Statistics as of December 31, 1996
    Associations
     -Ecumenical: World Council of Churches, National Council of Churches.
     -Full Communion
          -Lutheran World Federation , Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),  Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ

    Misc.
     -Camps and Retreat Centers: 145, serving 350,000 yearly
     -The oldest current congregation was formed in 1649 (347 years ago).
     -The largest congregation had 12,240 baptized members.
     -The fastest growing congregation grew 704 baptized members between 1993 and 1994.

DOCTRINE:
    General
         -Briefly stated Luther believed that the church and Papacy had no divine right in spiritual things, it was Scripture and scripture alone.
         -Whatever is not against Scripture is for Scripture.
         -Man is not saved by good works, by imposition of church rites or by the purchasing of indulgences.
         -Man is saved through faith alone by the grace of God. The just shall live by faith.

    Specific
 What is the Church?
      -The Christian church is made up of those who have been baptized and thus have received Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world. Lutherans believe that they are a part of a community of faith that began with the gift of the Holy Spirit, God's presence with his people, on the day of  Pentecost. To be called into fellowship with Christ is also to be called into community with other  believers.

    Does the ELCA believe infants are 'saved' have received Christ thru baptism? It seems so. What about justification by faith? Can infants have saving faith?

 Who is Jesus Christ?
      -Jesus is God's son, chosen by God to become human like us. In his life and being he broke through the prison of sinfulness and thus restored the relationship of love and trust that God intended to exist between himself and his children. Though he is eternal, with God at the beginning of time, he was born on earth of a virgin, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was at     once truly God and truly human.

      -He is God, yet with all the limitations of being human. His relationship to God, however, was not one of sin but rather of perfect obedience to the Father's will. For the sake of a sinful world, Jesus was condemned to death on the cross.

    -Unlimited Atonement: Salvation appropriated for all who will receive.

      -But death could not contain him. On the third day after his execution, the day Christians observe as Easter, Jesus appeared among his followers as the risen, living Lord. By this great victory God    has declared the Good News of reconciliation. The gap between all that separates us from our Judge has been bridged. Thus, Christ lives today wherever there are people who faithfully believe in him, and wherever the Good News of reconciliation is preached and the Sacraments administered.

    -Does this mean that Christ is ONLY where Christians are? Is He not omnipresent?

     How Do Lutherans Look upon the Bible?

      -To borrow a phrase from Luther, the Bible is "the manger in which the Word of God is laid."    -While Lutherans recognize differences in the way the Bible should be studied and interpreted, it     is accepted as the primary and authoritative witness to the church's faith.

      -The existence of variants in the manuscripts is one reason for not describing the text of the Bible as ``inerrant.''  Some seek to maintain the inerrancy of Scripture by attributing all inconsistencies to copy errors made by careless scribes. But this interesting theory is not a Biblical teaching, nor is it supported by historical study of available manuscripts. Little, if anything, can be gained by attempting to establish the original perfection of manuscripts that no longer exist.

        -Their argument against scribal copy error is weak and not substantiated. I am concerned that they are not interested in being as 'correct' as possible with the Word of God. We do need to get as close to the original as we can. It is a matter of our very lives.

      -Some of our congregational constitutions refer to Scripture as ``the inerrant word of God,'' as did the constitution of the ALC [a forerunner of the ELCA]. The ``inerrant word of God,''  described in its constitution ``does not apply to the text but to the truths revealed for our faith, doctrine, and life.

NOTE: This is dangerous. Who decides what is truth and what is not. What text is real or what text is made up?

 Literal vs. Figurative
      -When reading Scripture we must also ask if certain passages are to be interpreted literally or figuratively. Some references in Scripture are obviously figurative. When Jesus described Herod  as ``that fox,'' it is obvious that he was speaking figuratively. Similarly, we understand Jesus' figurative references to himself as ``the door'' or ``the vine.'' Few Christians have trouble     believing that Jesus may have created the stories told in his parables and that they are not necessarily descriptions of historic events. Many, however, have trouble when they encounter  Biblical scholars who teach that the books of Job and Jonah may be Old Testament ``parables'' rather than accounts of historic happenings.

        -The difference is Jesus'  parables were obvious or were declared as a parable. That is not true of the OT. No where are they even referred to as a 'parable'.

      -To acknowledge that some parts of the Old Testament as well as the New may be parables and not history is certainly not to deny the historicity of most of Scripture. If all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16) how can they say MOST?

      -Instead of arguing about the Bible, let's read it! You will discover that there is more than one Biblical view of human suffering, of sex and marriage, of war, of the status of women, of piety  and prosperity, of God and godliness, and of many other subjects. You will note differing  interpretations of the same event. You will discover minor inconsistencies. You will discover that    just as Jesus did not bless every teaching and practice he encountered in New Testament times,  he probably would not have blessed every event and teaching reported in the Old Testament.        ---Lowell O. Erdahl

NOTE: This in my opinion is heresy.

        -This leaves the Bible, God's Word open to any and all interpretations depending on the whim of the reader. God never changes. His Word stands forever. True, all of it.

         -Born again? It can be unsettling to have your faith called into question by someone who claims to have   had an intense religious experience and desires you to have it, too. Interesting definition of being 'born again'. For some it is not an 'intense religious experience' at all. Typically, the experience is described as a feeling of being loved by God and, at the same time, of    being called to commit oneself totally to Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Often people who have had the feeling seek Baptism as a sign of being born again and urge others who were baptized as infants to be rebaptized.

        -Here is the first time they mention Jesus as PERSONAL Savior and Lord. And it is used in a negative sense. Interesting enough we are told to repent and be baptized. (Acts 2:38) Again, can an infant do this? Was Peter speaking to infants or to adults? Adults, of course.

      -But aren't these people dedicated and sincere? Of course they are. We both have Christ in  common. They are not the ``enemy.'' We are Christian sisters and brothers who differ in our  understanding of Baptism. All of us want to honor Christ and follow scripture. There is a fuss because people are being invited to feel as if they were spiritually second-rate,  incomplete without a ``born-again'' experience and a ``second baptism.''

      -Do we point people to what God has already done for them (the catholic option) or do we urge  them to do something, such as being rebaptized (the ``born-again'' option)?  I use the word catholic to refer to the tradition that embraces infant Baptism and does not  practice rebaptism. In this tradition Baptism is complete in itself. I believe it is more faithful to the Gospel and to the Bible. It emphasizes grace, the love of God in Christ that doesn't depend on our virtue or lack thereof. In Baptism, a baby is made a member of the Body of Christ without doing anything.

        -In Ephesians 4 and Rom. 12, Paul is writing to Christians. He says that they are all members of the Body of Christ. He gives them direction on how to live before God and with each other. How can infants who are baptized be 'a member of the Body of Christ' if they have not repented of their sin and been justified by faith?

      -Baptism is the church's act which God makes God's act, to give new life, to create us as one with Christ's people, to grant us a share in the destiny of our Lord, which is to live with God forever. Through the water connected with God's promise, we participate in Christ's death. What's more, we participate in Christ's rising. (all this happens as an infant?)

        -These are all salvation terms...used in reference to infants. Surely, they don't believe infants by the rite of baptism are saved? Didn't Luther say that  man is not saved by good works,  by imposition of church rites or by the purchasing of indulgences? The ``born-again'' option emphasizes Baptism as human response rather than as God's gift. It is viewed as an ordinance, a divine command that must be obeyed. It is a symbolic act on the part of a person, rather than a sacramental act on the part of God.

        -It is not a sacramental act on the part of God. God does not impart grace through physical acts. He imparts His grace through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Believer. The catholic option stresses a Gift, promise, forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation, none of which are contingent upon the fervency of my faith or the intensity of my feelings.

      -Infants have  nothing to do with their Baptism. They can only receive it. The same is true of  grace. We can  only receive it, with great joy, ``as a little child.'' You don't need a one-time spiritual splurge of emotion. What you need is to claim what is     already yours. The important thing is not how you feel about God. It's how God feels about you,  and the grace God has given you. So people don't need to be baptized again? No. They need to remember when they were born again ``by water and the Spirit'' and ``marked with the cross of Christ forever.'' This baptizes them into service to the world in Christ's name.

        -Lutheran's seem to believe that one can be 'saved' brought into the kingdom of God, forgiven of your sins made a part of the body of Christ simply by accepting it as a baby through baptism.  That truly is the 'catholic option' and I do not see it as having a scriptural basis.  Luther was out of the Catholic church because he said salvation was by faith in JC alone.  Has the ELCA strayed from Luther's rediscovery of justification by faith?

    What Do Lutherans Believe About Creation?

      -Lutherans believe that God is Creator of the universe. Its dimensions of space and time are not something God made once and then left alone. God is, rather, continually creating, calling into being each moment of each day. Human beings have a unique position in the order of creation. As males and females created in God's image, we are given the capacity and freedom to know and respond to our creator. Freedom implies that we can choose either positively or negatively to respond to God.

Free will: Arminian

 Where Do Lutherans Stand on the Question of Sin?

      -Lutherans believe that all people live in a condition which is the result of misused freedom. "Sin"  describes not so much individual acts of wrongdoing as fractured relationships between the  people of creation and God. What about open, deliberate rebellion? This sounds too soft.

      -Our every attempt to please God falls short of the mark. By the standard of the Law, of which the Ten Commandments are a classic summary, God expresses his just and loving expectations for creation, and our failure to live up to those expectations reveals only our need for God's mercy and forgiveness.

 Do Lutherans Believe in Life After Death?

      -While there is much we do not and cannot know about life beyond the grave, Lutherans do believe that life with God persists even after death. Judgment is both a present and future reality, and history moves steadily towards God's ultimate fulfillment.

 Confession of Faith of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  Here follows the official text as it appears in the Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

1. This church confesses the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Where is the word eternal?

2. This church confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
 •Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation.
 •The proclamation of God's message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing judgment and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
 •The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by God's Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God's revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them God's Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship  for service in the world.

Inspired? And yet capable of mistakes?

3. This church accepts the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of  God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.

Not inerrant or infalliable?

4. This church accepts the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of this church.

5. This church accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.
6 .This church accepts the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and  the Formula of Concord, as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
7. This church confesses the Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and  Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God's mission in the world.

WORSHIP:
       Sacraments

         -Lutherans accept two Sacraments as God-given means for penetrating the lives of people with his grace. Although they are not the only means of God's self-revelation, Baptism and Holy Communions are visible acts of God's love.

This means the sacraments are a means of Grace

         -In Baptism, and it can be seen more clearly in infant Baptism, God freely offers his grace and lovingly  establishes a new community. Infants  are baptized for the covenant of grace and then make a confirmation in 9th grade of their own proclamation of faith if Jesus.

I attended this confirmation class. It tells you what to believe and you give an intellectual nod to it and become 'confirmed' .
Not the plan of salvation as I read it in Rom. 10:9-11

     -In Holy Communion - often called the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist -- those who come to the table    receive in bread and wine the body and blood of their Lord. This gift is itself the real presence of God's    forgiveness and mercy, nourishing believers in union with their Lord and with each other. Christ is    believed to be in, on and under the elements of communion (Consubstantiation)

     -In the meal, God nourishes us so we can be what we already are. This is Catholicism hidden in new jargon.

    Style
  -Liturgical in style and follows the church year.
  -Vestments worn by clergy and alter persons.
  -Luther put the singing back in the mouths of everyday people and out of the skilled and trained only.
  -Luther was a highly prolific hymn writer often used contemporary melodies to put Christian word to them.
  -Most North American Lutherans use the Lutheran Book of Worship as their liturgical guide.

    Order of Worship
 The Preparation: In most churches, an organ prelude begins the worship. The music is often related to   the liturgical theme of the day or season. During this time, worshippers may listen, offer personal prayers in silence, or meditate on appropriate literature, including the psalms and lessons for the day.

 Confession and Forgiveness: A brief order of spiritual preparation frequently precedes the Service   proper so that with ``clean hands and a pure heart'' we may ``stand in the holy place'' of the Lord (Psalm   24). We remember our Baptism by invoking the Name of the Triune God, and perhaps by making the sign  of the cross which was first given us in the baptismal rite. In response to a scriptural invitation, we   confess our sin and ask for pardon. The presiding minister reminds us of divine mercy and declares us   forgiven in the name of God who made us children in Holy Baptism.

 The Entrance Rite: We begin the Service with a Hymn or Psalm while the leaders of worship (and often   the choir) go to their places. Then the presiding minister greets the assembled congregation in words   similar to those used by the apostles in addressing early Christian churches (see Romans 1:7). The   congregation responds to the greeting.

 The Kyrie: we greet our Lord as people of old greeted a king when he came to their city. In a series of   petitions, a minister asks for peace and salvation for ourselves and the world, the people joining in the   response, ``Lord, have mercy'' (in Greek, Kyrie eleison).

 The Hymn of Praise which follows expresses our joy for the gifts which our Lord brings.

 The Prayer of the Day: marks the conclusion of the entrance rite. It is brief, focusing on a central theme for a particular Sunday or holy day.

 The Scripture Readings: Three Scripture lessons are usually read at each service, interspersed with other biblical passages.
  -The First Lesson is usually a selection from the Old Testament.
  -The Second Lesson is usually a portion of one of the New Testament epistles or letters.
  -The Gospel is the climax of the readings.  We stand to hear the Gospel, for our Lord's own words are spoken. An acclamation of praise to Christ precedes and follows it.

 The Sermon: usually based on one or more of the lessons, is a living witness of the Gospel, expounding the Word and applying it to our own times and conditions.

 The Hymn of the Day: may be sung before/after the Sermon, fits the theme of the lessons and sermon.

 The Creed: embodies the Church's ancient and universal confession of faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Nicene Creed or the Apostles' Creed may be used, depending upon the season of the   church year.

 The Prayers: Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession for the needs of the Church, of society, and a wide  variety of individuals form a fitting conclusion to the Ministry of the Word.  The people enter into the petitions through the frequent response: ``Hear our prayer,'' or ``Lord, have mercy.''

 Peace: As we begin the communion rite, ministers and people share the Peace with one another through words and gestures.

 The Offering: of the people is gathered as the altar table is made ready for the Lord's Supper. Offerings   of money are given as an expression of love and gratitude for God's blessings. Along with these gifts,   bread and wine for Holy Communion are frequently brought forward and presented. An Offertory   canticle, hymn, or psalm is sung by congregation or choir. Ministers and people join in a brief prayer of   offering.

 The Great Thanksgiving: Just as Jesus at table with his disciples offered thanks in accordance with   Jewish practice, so we embody in our celebration of Christ's Supper a great prayer of thanksgiving.  This   leads to a climax in which we join in the canticle ``Holy, holy, holy.'' The scriptural words: which tell of   Jesus' institution of the Sacrament are recited, in order to consecrate the Bread and the Cup. We pray for   the coming of the Holy Spirit that we might be prepared rightly to receive the Body and Blood of Christ   which, according to his promise, are now truly present in Holy Communion. Then we say our distinctive   prayer of fellowship in Christ, the Lord's Prayer, which is here also our table prayer.

 The Communion: All is now ready for our Holy Communion with Christ and the members of Christ's   Body the Church. As the consecrated elements are distributed to the communicants, we sing a hymn,   ``Lamb of God'' as a confession of who it is we are receiving and as a prayer for the blessings of   forgiveness, life, and salvation which Christ has promised to give us. Other hymns may also mark our   communion devotion. ``The Body of Christ, given for you; the Blood of Christ, shed for you,'' the   ministers say as they give the Sacrament to the people.

 The Post Communion: As the Lord's table is cleared, we sing a song of rejoicing. This may be  ``Lord, now you let your servant go in peace''  A final Prayer asks that we may carry out in our lives the   implications of Holy Communion.

 Blessing: The presiding minister pronounces a Blessing using either a formula similar to the one that   began the Service or the Aaronic benediction from the Old Testament. A minister speaks words of   Dismissal, telling us to ``Go in peace. Serve the Lord.'' in daily life, which is also a worship of God. We   respond with a shout: ``Thanks be to God.''

GOVERNMENT:
    Pastors
         -Luthern ministers can marry.
         -Clergy: 17,402 (1,966 female; 400 people of color).
         -Associates in Ministry: 1,219 (953 female, 266 male; 11 people of color).
         -Campus Pastors and Ministries:
          -155 ordained and 18 lay professionals serving at over 200 state, private colleges and universities.
         -Chaplains: Approximately 900

    Style
         -Episcopal
         -Local pastors and lay leaders
         -Local, regional and national synods/conferences. (representative lay and clergy government)
         -Legislative, Support, Education, Worship, Missions, Social Service
         -Local church business meeting usually only once per year.