Study guide
Grace: That’s what it’s about E
ver look around on a Sunday and wonder what brought everybody to your church—and what keeps them coming back? As the cover article tells, everybody has
a story, and although there are similarities, no two are the same. Why people first came and why they keep coming back reveals some of the biggest strengths of our ELCA.
Exercise 1: What’s your story? • Which story in the article can you relate to most? • Which inspired you the most? • Share your own stories: How did you come to the Lutheran faith? What do you like most about it? Why do you remain a Lutheran? How did you come to your particular congre- gation? Why do you keep coming back? How would you explain or extol your faith and your church to a friend?
Exercise 2: ELCA’s welcome mat Over the years the ELCA has adopted policies that open our congregational life and leadership more widely than many other Christian denominations, as well as other Lutheran denominations in the U.S. Many people are drawn to ELCA churches for this openness. For each of the following items, discuss the impact it has had on you, on visitors to your con- gregation, and to the life and well-being of our church. What does the policy say about the ELCA as a house of worship for all people? • Open table: We invite any baptized Christian to partici- pate in the eucharist. Visitors, guests and non-members are welcome to participate. Some churches restrict communion to their membership. • Female clergy: The ELCA’s predecessors were among the first Christian denominations to ordain women as pas- tors back in 1970. About a quarter of our pastors are now women. That number will rise because women account for half of today’s seminarians. • Gays and lesbians: As outlined in the 2009 social state- ment on human sexuality, our denomination understands sexuality as a gift from God that has proper expression between two people—whether same-sex or opposite sex— in a loving, committed, monogamous and publicly account-
By Robert C. Blezard
able relationship. Our congregations are encouraged to provide everyone welcome and invitation into the full life of the church. In states where same-sex marriage is legal, many Lutheran congregations provide wedding hospitality. • Divorced people: While celebrating lifelong marriage is God’s best intention for a loving couple, our church recog- nizes divorce in the context of the brokenness of our world, and the ELCA promises to give divorced people support and prayer for healing. The ELCA does not bar divorced people from communion, remarriage or from any other aspect of church life. • Married gay and lesbian pastors: Although our church has always allowed gays and lesbians to serve as pastors, in 2009 the ELCA changed its policy to allow pastors to enter into same-sex marriages or partnerships. Before that, gay and lesbian pastors were expected to be single and celibate their whole lives.
Exercise 3: Saved by grace When you die, will you go to heaven or hell? And how do you know for sure? These are questions that street evange- lists (and many groups of Christians) still ask. Have you been asked? Have you ever wondered? These are not Lutheran questions because for us the answer is clear: We are saved by God’s grace, not because we are good enough to deserve it. Moreover, we gain this through our living, trusting belief in Jesus—faith! “Justification by grace through faith” is the shorthand for
Martin Luther’s insight that quite literally began the Protes- tant Reformation and which today still proclaims freedom from oppressive religious practices. Discuss: • Has this idea been important to your faith life? To your congregation? • Have you encountered other Christians who believe we have to earn our salvation through good works? • How would you share the gospel of grace with them?
This study guide is offered as one example of the more than 400 that are currently available on The Lutheran’s website. Download guides (includ- ing a longer version of this one)—free to print and Web subscribers—at
www.thelutheran.org (click “study guides”).
Author bio: Blezard is an assistant to the bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Synod. He has a master of divinity degree from Boston University and did
subsequent study at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.) and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
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