Our sermon today is not a sermon. I reviewed 5 sermons this week that were good, but didn’t seem to hit the notes I felt were most important for this week. Yesterday’s DiM post was a discerning look at the role of music and Worship in the Church, from pastors who come from various reformed traditions. I attend a reformed Baptist church now, but I wanted to find something that could present a bit of a juxtaposition of Lutheran and Reformed theology. I believe this discussion does a good job of that.

We’ve listened to lectures from this year’s Liberate conference, and today we’ll be looking at a discussion between a respected Reformed Pastor Steve Brown and Lutheran Dr. Rod Rosenbladt. They had not met previously, but knew of each other by common friends and associates. Here, we have a wonderful opportunity to see the subject of Absolution and the Forgiveness of Sins, the Gospel of Grace, discussed from both the Reformed and Lutheran perspectives. There are difference, yes, but there is also common ground that is worth highlighting, that being the Gospel of Grace.

Key Life Pastors’ Chat on Absolution and the Forgiveness of Sins

[youtube https://youtu.be/5VkNNeMgZcY]

*note: At one point in this discussion (16:15), Steve Brown reflects on his encounter with Nadia Bolz-Weber, an ELCA Lutheran pastrix. While I do appreciate Steve Brown’s intention of using this anecdote to highlight the diversity of believers and the power of Grace, I don’t want anyone to come away from this thinking she is doctrinally sound or that she rightfully holds a position of pastor. She is not, and does not, and I pray she repents. She is still loved and cared for by many in the LIBERATE community. She is to the Lutheran community what Rob Bell was to the Southern Baptists, deconstructing Doctrine and minimizing sin ala the Emergent/Liberal Church.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge