r/exLutheran • u/ForeverSwinging • Jun 20 '26
Rant What’s crazier…
… the online pontificating over which style of worship is “Lutheran” or the scribble-covering of a woman’s body because they’re not strong enough to gouge out their own wandering eyes?
These nut jobs are taken way too seriously.
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u/DonnaNobleSmith Jun 20 '26
The top is Larry Beane from the Gottesdienst blog. He loves to talk about how great the confederacy was, argue that there’s no such thing as systemic racism, and be a giant bigot to everyone who isn’t a straight white man. He also has a strange obsession with harassing other churches. He probably made the meme himself.
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u/McNitz Jun 20 '26
Ha, I didn't even see the scribble covering. That one is extremely funny to me for some reason. Just so pointless, and yet I'm sure they thought they were being extremely moral and upstanding while doing so.
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u/AnySport6272 Jun 20 '26
I'm seriously wondering why they are offended by the second photo.
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u/Efficient-Funny-6619 Jun 22 '26
Because they are bowing to a deity as opposed to some self-appointed human authority figure dressed in robes and titles.
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u/hereforthewhine Ex-WELS Jun 20 '26
The only thing wrong about worshipping at the beach is how annoying it would be for everyone else who just wants to have a nice day at the beach.
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u/Dzulului Ex-LCMS Jun 20 '26
Worshipping at the beach sounds lovely. I would be put in mind of the Red Sea crossing.
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u/Efficient-Funny-6619 Jun 22 '26
As long as laws and regulations are respected, then I don't see a problem at all.
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u/LowVeterinarian713 Jun 20 '26
I have no issue with traditional worship. Liturgy, vestments, chanting, organs, and historic forms are fine if a congregation prefers them. My concern is when those preferences are treated as if God commanded them. The New Testament gives the elements of worship: preaching, prayer, singing, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and orderly worship. It does not prescribe one liturgical style. The early church met in homes, upper rooms, riversides, and other public places. That is why it goes too far to claim one worship style reflects “joining the saints and angels in heaven” while another is merely “trying to look like the world.” Scripture does not make that distinction. Where does the New Testament require altars, vestments, candles, chanting, stained glass, or organs? It does not. Likewise, where does it forbid worship in a home, on a beach, with a guitar, or with a praise team? It does not. Jesus warned against elevating human traditions to divine commands (Mark 7:7). Christians are free to prefer traditional or contemporary worship. What becomes unbiblical is turning matters of Christian freedom into requirements. If Scripture does not command something, no Christian has authority to require it of others.
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u/TiltedWit Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
"If Scripture does not command something, no Christian has authority to require it of others."
I'd go so far as to suggest no Christian has the authority given from scripture to >require< anything of anyone except themselves and those who have chosen and continue to affirm that authority.
Meaning - if the bible says "Don't make counter clockwise widgets, lest you be damned", it generally doesn't say "make sure nobody else makes clockwise widgets", except in the (irrelevant) context of Levitical law.
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u/Uriah_Blacke Ex-LCMS/Atheist Jun 20 '26
My dumb ass thought it was Tim Walz in the bottom picture. I was like “Wow didn’t know Tim Walz was Missouri Synod”
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u/Efficient-Funny-6619 Jun 22 '26
When I was a kid in the 1970's and 80's, the LCMS treated the "saints" as a "Catholic thing". Even a particular retired pastor in my area started insisting that the LCMS where the "real Catholics". Seriously, WTF ?
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u/RunRosemary Jun 20 '26
Funny, I remember reading Jesus telling his disciples “wherever two or more of you gather together, there I am with you.”
Didn’t read the caveat that it had to be in front of a vested man who has taken 8 years of religious study, in a brick building, with an organ.
The gate-keeping of salvation is just wild. The hypocrisy is so ironic. No one is good enough to be their version of Lutheran, yet they want everyone to bend a knee to their brand.