gifts for lutheran baby baptism image
My Shepher
I am not religious , I'm not sure if i believe in god and i haven't been to a Lutheran place my entire life. I am just curious if i am still a lutheran or an apostate ?
Wait a second lol, How can I make a personal commitment to god if I am a baby ? Sorry, for the sarcasm but I'm naturally gifted in being sarcastic.
Answer
Baptism makes you a child of God. Confirmation makes you a Lutheran.
God made a commitment to you and chose you. Now, as an adult, you can turn away from God and deny His gift of grace. But, man with his sinful nature would not willingly choose God.
Baptism makes you a child of God. Confirmation makes you a Lutheran.
God made a commitment to you and chose you. Now, as an adult, you can turn away from God and deny His gift of grace. But, man with his sinful nature would not willingly choose God.
What are the main differences in all the different denominations of churches?
Fallen
I was baptized Lutheran but really only went as a child. I want to get control of my life and I think through church, I can do that. I also don't know anything about the bible or churches.
Answer
The biggest differences between churches in Christianity are that some are ecclesiastical (which means they have bishops, deacons, priests and regular folks) or congregational (which means that the people control the church and the pastor is probably just a regular guy elected to head the church).
As far as the ecclesiastical churches go, you have Catholics who are headed by the Pope in Rome. Roman Catholics accept the Bible, as interpreted by the Magisterium (the Pope, the tradition of the church, the bishops, etc.). Catholics are different from other Christians because they often have statues of saints, crucifixes and rosaries and beautiful, stained-glass cathedrals. Catholics also pray to saints, confess to priests and have the Eucharist as their main rite.
Other Ecclesiastical churches include Anglicans/Episcopalians (same church, different countries) and Lutherans. These churches are Protestant, meaning that they were created in protest to practices of Catholic Church. The Anglican Church is headed by the Queen of England, while the Episcopal and Lutheran Church are governed by bodies of bishops. The Lutheran Church was created by Martin Luther. Both Episcopalians and Lutherans have sacraments (baptism for babies, confirmation for young adults, marriage for adults, and anointing of the sick, etc.). They also still organize their church around the liturgy, or the receiving of the Eucharist. Though, both churches deny the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation - in other words that the communion is the literal blood and body of Christ.
Congregational churches are far more numerous and hard to name!
Some of the major denominations in the US include:
Methodists: Principle founder, John Wesley. Methodism was created as a missionary Christian religion intended to spark revival amongst the poor. Methodist services focus around a sermon rather than the Eucharist. Methodists focus on Bible study and personal revelation.
Baptists: Baptists are called Baptists because they reject infant baptism. They broke from the Roman Church because they believed that only adults should be baptised and that children are covered by a special dispensation of grace. Baptists believe in Bible study and prayer. They do not allow alcohol consumption, some ban dancing. Baptist services are organized around a sermon and communion is held very infrequently. Baptists don't believe in a sacramental view of Christian life. They think that baptism and communion are symbols rather than ceremonies that infuse Christians with power.
Pentecostals/Charismatics: Pentecostals believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the most obvious of which is Speaking in Tongues. But they also believe in healings, the casting out of demons, and all of the other colorful things you can imagine the apostles having done. Baptism and communion are just symbols, but they are beloved symbols and practiced frequently.
___
Trying to guess which kind of Christian you'll be without knowing much about the Bible or churches is a daunting process!
I suggest talking to your friends, to see if any of them go to church. They'll probably be glad to bring you along to one of their services. Start reading the Bible and praying to ask God to show you the right church. If you can't find anyone to take you to church, just read your local paper and try to find a church that looks friendly and try a visit. It won't be long until you find the right church for you!
The biggest differences between churches in Christianity are that some are ecclesiastical (which means they have bishops, deacons, priests and regular folks) or congregational (which means that the people control the church and the pastor is probably just a regular guy elected to head the church).
As far as the ecclesiastical churches go, you have Catholics who are headed by the Pope in Rome. Roman Catholics accept the Bible, as interpreted by the Magisterium (the Pope, the tradition of the church, the bishops, etc.). Catholics are different from other Christians because they often have statues of saints, crucifixes and rosaries and beautiful, stained-glass cathedrals. Catholics also pray to saints, confess to priests and have the Eucharist as their main rite.
Other Ecclesiastical churches include Anglicans/Episcopalians (same church, different countries) and Lutherans. These churches are Protestant, meaning that they were created in protest to practices of Catholic Church. The Anglican Church is headed by the Queen of England, while the Episcopal and Lutheran Church are governed by bodies of bishops. The Lutheran Church was created by Martin Luther. Both Episcopalians and Lutherans have sacraments (baptism for babies, confirmation for young adults, marriage for adults, and anointing of the sick, etc.). They also still organize their church around the liturgy, or the receiving of the Eucharist. Though, both churches deny the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation - in other words that the communion is the literal blood and body of Christ.
Congregational churches are far more numerous and hard to name!
Some of the major denominations in the US include:
Methodists: Principle founder, John Wesley. Methodism was created as a missionary Christian religion intended to spark revival amongst the poor. Methodist services focus around a sermon rather than the Eucharist. Methodists focus on Bible study and personal revelation.
Baptists: Baptists are called Baptists because they reject infant baptism. They broke from the Roman Church because they believed that only adults should be baptised and that children are covered by a special dispensation of grace. Baptists believe in Bible study and prayer. They do not allow alcohol consumption, some ban dancing. Baptist services are organized around a sermon and communion is held very infrequently. Baptists don't believe in a sacramental view of Christian life. They think that baptism and communion are symbols rather than ceremonies that infuse Christians with power.
Pentecostals/Charismatics: Pentecostals believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the most obvious of which is Speaking in Tongues. But they also believe in healings, the casting out of demons, and all of the other colorful things you can imagine the apostles having done. Baptism and communion are just symbols, but they are beloved symbols and practiced frequently.
___
Trying to guess which kind of Christian you'll be without knowing much about the Bible or churches is a daunting process!
I suggest talking to your friends, to see if any of them go to church. They'll probably be glad to bring you along to one of their services. Start reading the Bible and praying to ask God to show you the right church. If you can't find anyone to take you to church, just read your local paper and try to find a church that looks friendly and try a visit. It won't be long until you find the right church for you!
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