tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post8021410155440388496..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: A crossless Christ for sinfree people. . . Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-79925956385278446192017-05-29T15:10:58.125-05:002017-05-29T15:10:58.125-05:00Open communion in the Lutheran Church spread when ...Open communion in the Lutheran Church spread when the Creed and doctrine fell out of favor in Western Protestantism. Many Lutherans became infatuated with John Wesley and Charles Finney and began to downplay the art and architecture of the church along with the liturgy. These were considered baggage from a forgotten era.<br /><br />We have high-gravity beer. Now we need a "high-gravity" church. Christianity lite just doesn't cut it, nor is it Biblical.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-7459779643071681662017-05-28T17:50:15.986-05:002017-05-28T17:50:15.986-05:00Among Protestants, a Lutheran distinctive is the p...Among Protestants, a Lutheran distinctive is the presence of a crucifix on the altar. In Württemberg in southwest Germany, the altarpieces seem to have disappeared. Today, they are replaced by very large crucifixes directly behind the altar. These crucifixes are most often from the late Gothic period which were conserved by the Lutheran congregations during the Reformation. In American Lutheran churches built at or before 1900, that now have a bare cross on their altar, you may ask them when did they remove their original crucifix, and then, do they still have it (perhaps in the back of a closet or in an attic somewhere). The American removal of the crucifixes might be correlated to the spread of open communion, if any researcher would care to count it.Joannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09777514643611989502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-73815188289004637272017-05-26T11:30:56.009-05:002017-05-26T11:30:56.009-05:00The so called "Christus Rex" crucifix is...The so called "Christus Rex" crucifix is an attempt to have a crucifix that is not ugly and frightening. Among other things, it never shows the wounded side and the blood streaming from it. Yet, if we read the OT, it is said repeatedly that the shedding of blood is required to take away sin. <br /><br />Perhaps it is revealing that we find the very act that takes away our sin to be offensive and frightening. Perhaps we really don't want to be made clean; it would impose a new standard on our lives. Too many of us are entirely too happy with our present lives, and we see heaven as no improvement.<br /><br />Fr.D+Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-46903295638132533462017-05-26T09:17:42.154-05:002017-05-26T09:17:42.154-05:00No one is allowed to offend anyone anymore. We ar...No one is allowed to offend anyone anymore. We are even competing over who is the most offended! Of all the silly things by which we are offended, the Cross, on the other hand is truly offensive. How do we get people past the imaginary and petty offenses to see the real offense of the Cross? To understand this offense was necessary? Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes to see we are the offenders, the perpetrators who caused this ugly killing of the Christ. Lord, have mercy on we sinners who can't see past our frivolous self-centerdness. Mea culpa. <br /><br />Thanks be, He is risen indeed!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com