Thanks so much Kelsi and Dr Paulson. Really good questions for Dr Paulson. Yes and Amen about the signs for a church this is very informative. I have found this hard however, as you mentioned Kelsi. I know of a lot of people are listening to you but I'm just not sure about Pastors and Priests? Thank you for the resource of "Luther for Armchair Theologians". I had not come across that one by Paulson. Regarding the 5th sign. (giving absolution and consolation to my family and friends and even the Pastors who are such "nice" people but I'm not hearing anything like what I hear at 1517). I think I'm too pushy sometimes about 1517. I'm turning them off. I would really like to know if there is a resource for doing this with my own children and grand children. How does all this play out as I go about my vocation as wife, parent, friend, sister in Christ, grandmother etc, from a Lutheran perspective? I see clearly how I do not do this at times? :0(
Thank you for your thoughts and for listening! Giving absolution to family and friends can feel awkward for sure. Personally, I've found the following helpful: -Listen first and listen patiently. People open up when they trust you are listening. This can be so hard when we have the good news of the gospel and want nothing more than to shower them with it! But sometimes this doesn't need to come in the first conversation or even the second. I think when you are first excited about the gospel (for the first time or anew) it's easy to firehose people unintentionally...I know I've done that so many times! Remember that the holy spirit is the one who changes hearts and that God works in his own time and ways. -Practice, practice, practice. In instances where forgiveness is personal (I forgive you) this is obviously a lot easier, but there are ways you can also learn how a specific person will hear forgiveness based on their background with the church, personality, etc. I think sometimes this looks like giving them a blanket statement of "You are forgiven for that" sometimes it's more important to give them something specific like "Jesus forgives you for that." -Encourage friends and family to seek out absolution as a sign of the church - from their pastors and from Sunday service. We can and should give absolution freely, but what a comfort it is to know this is the primary role of the pastor and church. Encourage them to find a good and faithful pastor to confess to when they need it. And remember you are forgiven when you don't do things perfectly! We are imperfect messengers of the gospel. Thank goodness this gospel still applies to us.
You cannot get things from secondhand revelation from other people. You must quiet yourself before the Lord until you hear his voice directly. This takes away any confusion on any level. When we practice what we do not understand, we live a lie and then the truth is not in us, only a pretender.
You cannot get things from secondhand revelation from other people. You must quiet yourself before the Lord until you hear his voice directly. This takes away any confusion on any level.
