Making the Transition

Having recently gone from being staunchly Reformed to Confessional Lutheran, I wanted to share some of my initial impressions - and some advice - for those making the same transition.

1 - Visit a Lutheran church as soon as possible. - Let's face it, Facebook and blogs are not the same as a real church. Connect with a good, confessional Lutheran church. You can employ some online friends to assist you with this, as I did. I just so happened to settle in with the first one I visited, after checking numerous websites and viewing sermon videos. Your mileage will likely vary, depending on your location (rural vs urban) and what part of the country you live in.

2 - Change your reading as soon as possible - Now, we're all different, but for me, I sold off nearly all of my Reformed books (except my church history) on online book-buyers websites. They gave me a pre-paid label to print, with a price for each one they would accept, and off they went. A week or two later, I got paid. I took all of the money earned and purchased some of the best Lutheran books that were recommended by online friends and Amazon reviews. This way, I did not have to spend hard-earned dollars that I didn't have to begin reading up on Lutheranism.

3 - Avoid mud-wrestling online with the Reformed - My knee-jerk reaction was to argue with the Reformed on why they should be Lutheran. I was even warned about this, but I didn't listen. This impulse was a mistake. It just fueled anger, and kept my focus off of the cross - which is why I went Lutheran to begin with. You don't want to be a cage-stage Lutheran, do you? So tread carefully with this. Seek wisdom. There's plenty of time for debating, but now isn't the time. Talk to solid Lutheran Pastors on and offline, whenever possible.

I was also the host of a pretty popular Reformed podcast, so I had to deal with ending that beloved part of my life for the time being. After all, I could no longer promote, with a clear conscience, what I had previously believed. I stopped adding new podcasts, posted an audio and text message on the podcasts's website that I was ending operations, and gave a deadline for anyone who wanted to download the MP3s.

Be prepared for varied reactions. Personally, at least so far, I received very few direct attacks. What I got was a vague cold-shoulder, as if I just joined the Masons or something. Which, of course, is normal. Don't be shocked. Your experience may look completely different from my experience. In any event, perhaps these tips will help you going forward. If you've made (or are making) the journey to Lutheranism, you're in for quite a ride. Just keep in mind, that most people "read" their way into being Reformed. My experience was that Lutheranism's pure Gospel found me. As I posted once recently online, "Lutheranism is the crown jewel of all of the denominations." And I believe that with all of my being.