Thanks Robert!
You said it much more tactfully than I would have.
As a former Lutheran I was not much impressed.
Stephanos I

Slava Isusu Christu!

Stephanos I,

The Lord is leading Lutherans, their heart knows Rome is home. These movements back to the orthodoxy of Luther's teaching will lead back to Rome--he never wanted to leave Rome, he thought Rome left him--She has listened, Vatican II was the answer, time to come back.

Robert

You will find this section of the Rule of the Society of the Holy Trinity most interesting:

Chapter VIII
Ecumenical Commitments

1. This Society, from its beginning, is committed to Lutheran unity. Our membership is drawn from any and all Lutheran church bodies, particularly in the United States and Canada.

2. We are aware that Western Christianity as a whole is in a crisis of faith and that there are movements and orders in other ecclesial traditions organized for the confessional and spiritual renewal of their churches (i.e. the churches of the Reformation as well as the church of Rome). We will make contact with these movements and orders and invite them to chapter retreats and special meetings.

3. At the same time, the Lutheran ecumenical vocation is the unfinished business of the sixteenth century Reformation. Together with our forebears at Augsburg in 1530, we long for that reunion of Christians in which the Gospel might have free course and for that unity for which Jesus prayed. (cf. John 17).

4. Therefore, this ministerium is dedicated to the Lutheran vocation of reform of the Church and the Lutheran ecumenical destiny of reconciliation with the bishop and church of Rome.

5. We support the pursuit of conversations with the Eastern Orthodox churches.

6. Prayers for Christian unity shall be a regular part of Society and Chapter retreats.

Prayers!

Prayers indeed for these lofty commitments by our Lutheran brethren.

The Society of the Holy Trinity is a wonderful work of God, having begun just 13 years ago with 27 clergy signing the Rule.

There are now over 250 subscribers--around 30 who just professes subscription at the last General Retreat.

Your prayers are GREATLY appreciated.

May the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity bless and gather these Lutheran Christians into unity with each other toward the Divine Unity which Thou O Lord hast established. Amin!

Newton's Third Law of Motion seems to apply to ecclesiastical politics. The "equal and opposite reaction" is getting under way.

An ALPB Forum participant named Norm Salucia, Jr., has just shared this information:

" The dean of the conference just returned from a bishop's meeting with the deans. The following informations was pass on to the churches in our conference.

First, NALC pastors are not to be invited to national, synodical, conference, and/or deanery functions in the ELCA. Second, NALC pastors cannot lead worship in an ELCA congregation. I believe this will include participating in wedding and funerals as clergy. Third, I believe it was shared that NALC pastors cannot lead or participate in ELCA congregations during ecumenical functions in ELCA congregations. (I am not to sure of this one - the cell phone was filled with static.) Finally, ELCA pastors finding members discussing with others the idea of leaving the congregation or talking about the congregation leaving the ELCA is to be dealt with immediately. It sounds like this could mean a stern talking to by the pastor or council, or the person is to be disciplined by the measures defined by the constitution."

My guess is that it is first and foremost about survival: they want to keep "defections" to a minimum!

Then, of course, there's also ideology: you've got to take a stand for what you believe in, just like the members of "The Religious Institute." Religious leaders urge repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell today To listen to them, you would think it were downright un-christian to oppose gay rights.


Peace,
Deacon Richard

What is most ironic is that (assuming that this third hand information is correct) ELCA Lutherans had prided themselves on practicing "open Communion" as opposed to the "close(d) Communion" practiced by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). LCMS and WELS practice was vitually identical to Orthodox and Catholic practice.

Pastor Thomas,

You bring up an interesting point here. I had always understood Luther's teaching to be that the presence of Christ in the Eucharist was due to the faith of the one receiving, rather than being intrinsic to the sacrament. From that perspective it seems somewhat incongruous that protecting the chalice would be seen as so important.


Peace,
Deacon Richard

Actually Luther's teaching is that the true Body and Blood of Christ are given and received to all who partake; the wicked along with the faithful all receive Our Lord, the former, of course, to their condemnation.

It was Calvin who stressed the "spiritual" presence of Christ in the Sacrament being dependant upon the faith or lack therof in the recipient.

There is an unfortunate--and, in my view, unfaithful--trend among Worship professors in the ELCA Seminaries to teach "Receptionism"; meaning that Christ's presence is not obective, but dependant on the faith of the recipient AND that Christ's Eucharistic presence exists only for the moment of Communing. Such professors are teaching that it is fine to let the consecrated loaf sit out for anyone to take (a bit like antidoron) or even to feed it to the birds!

As I have said and written many times concerning the drift of the ELCA, "It is NOT all about sex!".

This is the 480th Anniversary of the Confession of Ausburg (presented to the Emporer Charles on June 25, 1530)

Article X: Of the Lord's Supper.

1] Of the Supper of the Lord they teach that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present, and are distributed 2] to those who eat the Supper of the Lord; and they reject those that teach otherwise.