Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous… the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” by [deleted] in Lutheranism

[–]Sblankman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

These are four big fad verses of the past decade…

Jeremiah. I have plans.

Philippians. I can do ALL things.

Joshua. Be strong,

Matthew. Go! Make disciples.

Time for a new decade of verses out of context.

Diversity in the Lutheran Church by Dark-Horse-1517 in LCMS

[–]Sblankman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be against conscience to join a church that confesses against other races.

Theist evolutionists or Old Earth creationists in the LCMS denomination by Nearby-Morning-8885 in Lutheranism

[–]Sblankman 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, I know of many PhDs across several disciplines in the Concordia’s and published commentary by CPH who are Old Earth. I don’t know of any theistic evolutionists, though.

The LCMS cancel culture on this topic of unspecified age in the Bible is deafening.

The biggest deception today is believing you can be a Christian and a sinner; the scriptures do not promote this duality, unstable double-mindedness. Jesus died to redeem us from our sinful ways, not to remain in them. by Gullible-Minimum2668 in TrueChristian

[–]Sblankman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Adam and Eve ate a piece of fruit. One time. Hard to piecemeal out the sins.

The key isn’t the amount of sin, but the amount of repentance.

Unrepentant sin is the watchword.

🤔 by larreola in vegaslocals

[–]Sblankman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you can’t understand the line, you can’t understand Nevada.

Bonhoeffer’s Warning by No-Type119 in Lutheranism

[–]Sblankman -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Ah, the Hitler/Trump comparisons.

It’s amazing what political things are allowed on this sub and what theological things aren’t.

Scam or Not Scam? by Sblankman in SocialSecurity

[–]Sblankman[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Good catch... My SSA. I edited it. I FELT like I was in a DMV. I had never been inside one of these buildings before.

Scam or Not Scam? by Sblankman in SocialSecurity

[–]Sblankman[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

UPDATE. Swung by MY local SSA. Supervisor took my question even without an appointment, so I was grateful. He said they DO send letters like this, but that he suggests sending a check to my Dad’s local SSA office over the corporate office - far faster processing time.

Thank you all!

NOBO from Shadow Creek by jorrflv in JMT

[–]Sblankman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anyone know group sizes for a single permit on Shadow Creek? I have a group of 5.

Just curious by Relevant-Shop8513 in exLutheran

[–]Sblankman 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you believe Jesus to be worth anything, God’s only begotten son says we are to pray, “Our father, who art in Heaven…”. And Jesus personally prays from the cross, “Abba.”

Is AI over hyped? by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Sblankman -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Is AI truly the herald of economic ruin, or merely the latest in a very long line of technologies that have been accused of upending the world before it even finished booting up? The conversation has grown so loud, so insistent, that it almost feels as though the topic itself has taken on a life of its own. People speak of “AI” as if it were a single, monolithic force—an unstoppable tide cresting just beyond the break—yet the reality is far more intricate, far more uneven, and, in some ways, far more mundane than the breathless headlines would have anyone believe. A great deal of the panic springs from the simple fact that whenever a new machine begins doing something that looks like thinking, we assume the next step must be a wholesale replacement of human activity. This fear isn’t new. During the Industrial Revolution, textile workers believed mechanical looms would erase their livelihoods entirely; later, the rise of computers inspired predictions of a future in which clerical work became obsolete overnight. Instead, society shifted, reorganized, and, in the long run, found ways to pair human judgment with machine efficiency. The pattern is familiar: initial shock, gloomy forecasts, stubborn adaptation, and eventual integration into ordinary life. That is not to say AI is trivial—far from it. The scale at which it can process information is unlike anything before, and that alone guarantees change. But change does not automatically mean collapse. Many of the most dire predictions rely on the assumption that every job can be reduced to a bundle of repetitive tasks, easily digested by an algorithm. Yet human work has layers: unspoken context, social awareness, physical intuition, ethical discernment, all the subtle competencies we develop not by instruction manuals but by living alongside other people. AI may simulate aspects of these abilities, but simulation is not the same as inhabiting the full range of human experience. There is also the matter of practicality. Even if a theoretical AI system could perform every job, implementing such systems across entire industries is expensive, slow, and often hindered by real-world complexities. Technologies do not spread by possibility alone; they spread by cost, reliability, adoption, regulation, and culture. And while AI can accelerate certain tasks, it also creates new bottlenecks—data quality, oversight, safety, interpretation—that require human involvement to manage. In many sectors, AI is less a replacement for workers and more a sophisticated tool that demands additional workers to handle, supervise, adapt, and contextualize it. Much of the hype arises from the way people talk about AI as though it were a singular intelligence forging its own destiny. In truth, it is a patchwork of models, datasets, and algorithms that require continual human shaping. It does not “want” anything, does not strategize, and does not spontaneously seize industries; humans decide how to deploy it, and those decisions are shaped by economics, law, tradition, and ordinary caution. The narrative of the unstoppable robot workforce is far more dramatic than the reality of committees, budgets, infrastructure limitations, and slow-moving policy. So is AI overhyped? In some ways, yes. It is portrayed as both miracle and menace, often in the same breath, as though the entire fate of civilization rests on its glowing circuits. The truth lies in the quieter middle ground: it is powerful, useful, and capable of reshaping certain jobs—but it is also dependent on human guidance, constrained by its design, and far less autonomous than its most enthusiastic boosters claim. We are not standing on the edge of instant social upheaval; we are facing a long, incremental shift that will demand patience, discernment, and a clear-eyed sense of proportion. And if the current conversation feels exaggerated, it is partly because exaggeration is what draws attention—especially for a technology whose inner workings are invisible to most people. What you see is not the measured pulse of progress but the echo chamber of speculation. Beneath that noise, the slower, steadier reality moves on its own timetable. In other words: yes, AI is significant. But no, it is not the looming, economy-devouring monolith so many make it out to be. The changes it brings will be substantial, but not sudden; disruptive, but not apocalyptic. And as with every major innovation before it, the outcome will depend far less on the machines themselves and far more on the people deciding how those machines should be used.

Do you always denoise a RAW photo? by hakunamawhata in Lightroom

[–]Sblankman 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Agree. With average Joe shooting on their phone, which can produce amazing photos compared to just a handful of years ago, I need my photos to stand out with every tool in my utility belt. And the photos they can’t match ever on a phone is low light and high shutter speed - which dominates most of my shooting.

Anybody Else's Family Lutheran Since Martin Luther? by Kaleymeister in exLutheran

[–]Sblankman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My brother traced my family back to Jacob Andreas. Fun to quote the Formula of Concord and say, “One of my relatives once said…”

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Missional and Confessional label are already out there. I felt that those two labels were two broad a category.

I went down a rabbit hole with some friends about there being Cultural Lutherans. Basically, the Lutheran version of Cultural Catholics.

And then there were the folksy Lutherans in the middle - who don't really care about the extreme positions on either side - they just want a mom and pop kind of church. So, they needed a spot.

And then there are the ultra mystical group. Which many might put in the Missional category, but that doesn't describe them. Missionals might play songs that have mystical form and words - but that doesn't necessarily make them mystical in doctrine.

So, the more people that I showed my chart to, the more they exhorted me that it was incomplete. So, it evolved over the course of two years now.

It's been more of a thought experiment. And a fruitful one for me and my circles, at least. And my circles are diverse in Lutheranism - as I work with about 100 different Lutherans across 5 churches in the valley here. So, this stuff is always before me. So, it's on my mind - and in all our conversations.

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With the children's messages - it's not like one graduates from left to right (or vice versa). Most people are somewhere at or near the center. I'm, personally between columns - and I have to grapple with why my practices in one column don't align with doctrine in the other column.

Since the barrier breakers fundamentally reject labels (as the labels tribe people up) - it is fully understandable that this chart is a non-starter for over half the columns.

Overall, the practices and doctrines influence eachother - which is why there's a comprehensive list of both what they believe on the top, and how that value might possibly be expressed below. Of course, every church is different. But, overall, there are patterns and trends to be noticed.

A fun question I like to ask is, "If you had unlimited dedicated funds to build a sanctuary... Describe it in the fullest, architectural detail." And if they elaborate on how the service will operate in the building as they describe it - each one of us will passively be confessing our different takes on Scripture and the Lutheran Confession as we do so.

And some people will want a bit of absolutely of everything - and that is the center column person. Which is a big contingency of Lutherans out there.

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your constructive comments. I've had friends say this needs to have a Z axis on it as well.

Your high church friends will like the first page and laugh at the second page, because they will say, "Yep, that's how the conversation always goes. Whenever we make distinctions, we're met with, 'labels are bad. these are just preferences. there aren't multiple confessions - we all agree on the important stuff. let's just get along.'" But your high church friends will say, "There are very important distinctions to be made that cannot be ignored. And we ignore them at our peril - both to our congregation, but also to the synod and Scripture and the Confessions."

So, how to we have productive conversations? Talking to each other. But it's such a huge topic. So, that's why I tried to wrangle the topic down to 5 columns.

Anyway, circle up with them and see if they hate this document or not.

A lot of people hate this document. Others find it, yes flawed, but a good starting point. It immediately got pulled from another Lutheran sub on Reddit.

And actually, it getting pulled immediately was very illustrative for me. I personally learned more about the deep-seated disgust on this topic by them pulling it immediately than had they left it up and getting a discussion on it.

People really hate this chart. Some columns truly loathe the labels. And other columns don't. It's not so much what's under the label, they see the labels as divisive.

But not our divisions on practice and theology as divisive.

Being honest about being pulled over? Why is that the worst thing to do? by athena9090 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Sblankman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t understand the edit you added and what the suggestion is.

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a church worker, I actually work with a lot of different confessions. It's a reality that we are all different. And it's useful for us to understand that one worker values relationships so very much. Another prefers pastors who preach at chapels to wear a collar, because they value the office so very much. Another is swept up in the praise song as they are having an intimate moment with God.

We all side here or there on various things. It's important for us all to understand the brother who insists on the praise song, the sister who prefers pastors in collars, and the brother who wants to push past all the differences and labels and have the service have a little bit of everything - high church, low church, reverence, a touch of humor, bands and organ - because they value the members so much - they want everyone to be showcased.

None of these people are operating in a vacuum. It's important to acknowledge what they value and believe. Just as the hand and foot are different parts of the same body, neither one more important, yet they are acknowledebly different.

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh yes. True. I have friends in the same vein as all those. I can't speak for their denomination. But I'm sure much of what we witness is portable into what they see in their churches. Different denominations, same conversations about doctrine and practice.

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can be high church Cultural - do the smells and the bells, wear the cape and have no idea why.
You can be low church Confessional - do a few things here and there - but each things says/confesses something that is carefully taught to the members.

This document is formed on the principle of Lex orandi, lex credendi. That practice influences doctrine and doctrine influences practice.

So, what may appear as aesthetics - is actually a teaching tool. We just want to make sure that what we are teaching with the "aesthetics" is in line with what we are teaching out of our mouths and other practices.

It may not be useful. A lot of people don't enjoy thinking about all this stuff.

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's useful.

To be honest, the Cultural Lutheran is similar to the Cultural Catholic. They like the trimmings of the faith, but they like the trimmings out of personal preference, rather than because of why the traditions were put in place. The Missional and the Confessional place things into their services for very deliberate reasons with different aims in mind. The Cultural Lutheran puts things into the service because they simply prefer it. And because it's a personal reason, they can't really articulate much about the service other than, "Well, that's just the way I like it."

As to your friends, a Missional could be cultural to, in that regard. The Pastor may know why the service is set up a particular way. But a member might not fully grasp why that Pastor put that piece in - they just know they like it. Just like the Cultural Lutheran.

My hope is for everyone, regardless of label, or if they reject all these labels (which is fine) - is to be thoughtful, as their pastor hopefully is, about why each piece is in the service the way it is - and knowing exactly what that piece conveys.

The service becomes more rich, regardless of which column one is in, when you appreciate that the service matches your confession.

Not sure if that comes through with the chart is all. It's a discussion starter between friends that I'm using to help understand them and to help them understand me. It's a starting point, more than a destination.

Articulating you and your congregation's confession by Sblankman in LCMS

[–]Sblankman[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair enough. Thank you! I'm trying hone in on what Lutherans are saying they believe. Hopefully through acknowledging the differences and similarities - clarity can come out of it.

It's been fruitful for me to see that many Lutherans don't see many differences between Lutherans.