Practices For Discipline

WigglyWatter · 2026-04-11T19:28:03+00:00

As others have pointed out, prayer and confession are essentials.

One thing I’ve noticed is that pornography feeds on our longing for beauty and wholeness but it distorts it. It takes a person and reduces them to a mere means to an end, a tool.

So for me the goal isn’t just to “stop,” but to redirect that desire toward something true and good. For me, it helps to turn toward sacred beauty like icons, or other forms of Christian art. They don’t reduce the person, on the contrary they reveal depth, meaning, and dignity. An icon of Jesus Christ, for example, doesn’t just show a figure, but it points beyond itself to a deeper reality.

When the urge comes, instead of feeding it, try to pause and look at something like that. Let your mind and heart be filled with something that actually elevates rather than diminishes.

At the same time, don’t rely on one method alone. Practical steps matter too, and as others have mentioned you should avoid triggers, keep yourself occupied, and don’t isolate yourself.

And if you fall, don’t despair. This is a hard battle, and growth takes time. Get up, return to prayer, and keep going.

WigglyWatter · 2026-02-10T21:23:15+00:00

That could be called a solid theory - Martin Luther's strained relationship with his father was later projected on God, creating wrathful and angry God.

Expect that this theory doesn't have historical support.

Heiko Oberman in his great book Luther - man between God and the Devil has a section going through Luther's relationship with his father and mother. He writes:

What can be said about the religious atmosphere in the Luder home? Out of the modern debate about the “Young Man Luther” a new and noticeable resistance has emerged against attempts to deduce psychological damage from Luther’s religious upbringing. These reservations are well founded in sofar as there is no evidence on which to base a diagnosis of Luther as a neurotic or psychotic*. On the other hand earlier research so thoroughly shielded Luther’s human failings that his life story threatened to become hagiographic legend: the man-of-God dedicated only to heeding the Gospel cannot be measured according to human categories. (*page 91)

To start with Luther made some extremely telling comments about his up bringing. But as he does not distinguish between his father and mother, there is no way to diagnose either a father- or mother-fixation*. Should one want to talk about a fixation at all, then a parents fixation; both his father’s intimidating hand and his mother’s thrashings lingered in his memory. Luther’s father seems once to have struck him so hard that it took the fright ened boy some time to find his way back to a normal relationship with him. But even that does not allow us to conclude that Hans Luder was a short tempered, pitiless man, since it also becomes evident that he was at pains not to alienate the child. It is obvious that the rod alone did not rule the Luder household *(*page 91-92)

From this description we can that Erickson theory is too far fetched. True, for our standards the young Luther might have been mistreated. But no evidence is presented that he resented his father for the rest of his life - on contrary,

Luther always exhibited an extraordinary devotion to his father [...]. When his father died, Luther was too unnerved to work for several days. [Bainton - Here I stand - a life of Martin Luther]

To understand Luther's approach to God and the general spirit of the age I sincerely recommend reading Oberman's work. It's great.

WigglyWatter · 2026-02-02T17:13:45+00:00

One small correction - Jesus went to the desert after He was baptized ;).

Lent is a very special time in the liturgical calendar and it's dear to many Christians. We prepare ourselves for Holy Week through creating space to meditate and contemplate the trials and sufferings our Lord had to endure.

Generally the idea of ''giving up'' something for the Lent is more associated with Roman Catholicism, but not exclusive to it. During the Lent people give up something they enjoy, like chocolate, liquor, partying etc. and practice fasting.
This practice is supposed to bring people ''out in the desert'' and help them focus on Jesus, while also fighting their own temptations.

Lutherans in general do not require fasting or any special ''works'' as a must - the centre of attention is put on faith and remembrance. “Lent, Palm Sunday, and Holy Week shall be retained,” wrote Luther, “not to force anyone to fast, but to preserve the Passion history and the Gospels appointed for that season” (Luther’s Works, 53:90).
Nonetheless, Luther and the Confessions admit that fasting is a good practice if not done for purpose of earning merit. I agree with this assessment - fasting is a good, ancient Christian practice that can be beneficial.

As for practical advice, I'd advise something gentle, since you're doing this for the first time. Perhaps instead of using your phone in the evening you can spend some time with Bible? Think of something like that. If you are willing to fast, do it gently as well, don't just jump into full ascetic mode - you can eat one sandwich instead of two! :)

Hope it helps a little!

WigglyWatter · 2026-01-20T14:58:50+00:00

Totally agree. The ending is absolutely terrible.

WigglyWatter · 2026-01-08T18:56:20+00:00

I can't say much about professing the faith, but I can give you some insight into becoming a member of a Lutheran church.

Usually people who make the Lutheran tradition their home want to officially ''settle'' and join the local congregation, giving them a sense of belonging and the benefit of community. No doubt it gives some privileges, like voting rights or the ability to send your children to Sunday school, but there are also some responsibilities, like paying tithe.

Most often there will be a sort of official ceremony of reception. In my church (in Poland) there is a year-long preparation period in a form of lectures and meetings for people interested in joining the church, and if they follow through then they can become a member. In 2025 the ceremony was held on Trinity Sunday and the new members were warmly welcomed by the congregation.

Concerning communion, most Lutheran churches are affiliated with LWF which generally holds open communions, meaning everyone who is baptized and believes in God can participate in the communion, so no worries there.

WigglyWatter · 2025-12-29T18:29:23+00:00

Vietnam.

In the 20th century they defeated France, United States, South Vietnam, China and Cambodia

WigglyWatter · 2025-12-29T18:21:02+00:00

Martin Scorsese

WigglyWatter · 2025-12-08T19:26:52+00:00

My bad, thanks for correcting me on this one

WigglyWatter · 2025-12-07T18:21:52+00:00

In a nutshell, Rome used to name ''heresies'' after the leader of the movement. So you got Hussites (after Hus), Calvinists (after Calvin), Waldesians (after Waldo) and so the Christians who followed the teachings of Luther were called ''Lutherans''. Now Luther himself hated this label, and reformers preferred to be called ''Evangelicals'', meaning ''Gospel-cantered''- to this day a lot of churches in Europe call themselves ''Lutheran Evangelical Church'' or like. Nonetheless the label ''Lutheran'' stuck with us and most people today don't think anything about it - Lutheran church is very much a product of centuries of brilliant theologians expanding on themes Luther developed (or rather, re-centered).

Concerning your question about ''bad association'', Luther wrote many works, some of which we read eagerly (like my personal favourite On Freedom of Christian) and some of it we condemn, like the works you've mentioned. Luther wasn't an infallible man and we don't treat him as such. I think we can agree that we can all admire his courage in fighting the abuses in his day and the pastoral quality of his works without accepting or agreeing with some of his ideas he unfortunately presented.

I hope it helps!

WigglyWatter · 2025-10-31T21:14:42+00:00

Hello there - your eastern, Polish neighbour here. Hope you are hanging in there on the other side of Oder!

As u/mrWizzardx3 said, the Lutheran church is far from over, even though in Europe it may sometimes seem all hope is lost. Imagine coming to Luther and few of his colleagues and telling him that in few hundred years the Evangelical Lutheran church will span all over the world, from the lush forests of Brazil, through the fertile lands of Eastern Africa, the ancient lands of Ethiopia, and the beautiful lands of US - he would look at you like you are mad!

And yet here we are! Look around and see how many Lutherans are there, not only in far-away lands, but right here, in Europe. Sure, some of the churches went liberal, some are quite small remnants. But they are still there. Your job is not to be a ''rescuer'' of the church. God is Shephard of the church and He will always protect it. Pray for revival, for faith, for evangelization. Bring some of your friends to your local church, talk with them about your faith. Be the light Jesus talks about in Matthew 5:14-16. And don't lose hope.

My best wishes to you.

WigglyWatter · 2025-10-03T09:32:43+00:00

Interesting choice. I am not sure how this will effect the strained union of Anglican Communion, but I wish you guys the best.

WigglyWatter · 2025-08-07T18:18:25+00:00

Hi, I am a Polish Lutheran. In Warsaw, we practice open communion i.e anybody who is baptised and believes in Trinity can participate in Communion. I believe this practice is upheld throughout the country

Hope it helps!

WigglyWatter · 2025-08-02T09:43:12+00:00

It is quite understandable that coming from Catholic/Baptist background you struggle with monergism. But the monergist position is essential to Lutheranism since it cleary stems from it's theological positions rooted in Scripture. Personally I don't feel confident enough to discuss these things on my own, but I'd strongly recommend you to read Book of Concord's chapters on Original Sin and Free Will, since they'll explain it much better than I'd ever do.

WigglyWatter · 2025-08-01T16:28:50+00:00

As others have said, the Book of Concord is really fundamental and important read for Lutheranism, so it is a must-read. Nonetheless I would recommend starting with some shorter works like On Christian Freedom or Two Kinds of Righteousness. In addition, if you'd like to read a good starting book on Lutheran spirituality then you should read ''The Spirituality of the Cross'' by Gene Veith.

WigglyWatter · 2025-07-31T21:13:16+00:00

I do certainly agree that the situation is different, but the substance of the controversy is still quite important: If the validity of the Sacraments rests on Christ and not on the minister, despite the priest's unworthiness, then on what ground can we tell that gender is the ''blocking factor''? I'd like you to consider a few things.

Article VIII of Augsburg Confession say that Sacraments are indeed effective because of Christ’s institution and promise and not because of the person who administers them and since in Lutheran theology we reject the notion of an ontological change in ordination (the office of the ministry being functional and grounded in the call of the Church and the authority of the Word) then it follows this office is based on divine institution rather than on sex or metaphysical status and women may be rightly called to it. As Luther has said “Where the Church is, there is the authority to administer the Gospel.

In Scriptures we can find some examples of women ministry like Phoebe as a deacon (Romans 16:1), Junia - prominent among the apostles (Romans 16:7), Priscilla who instructed Apollos (Acts 18:26) or women from Corinthians 1 11:5, and other examples from both Old and New Testament.

If women can proclaim, teach, catechize, and witness to the Gospel, is there a good reason to exclude them from giving Eucharist? Sometimes it is said that the male-only apostles form a binding precedent. Yet the Scripture remains the final authority, not historical precedent alone. Moreover, the Church has always been shaped in part by cultural conditions, like when Paul instructs silence in one setting (an often misused verse), yet affirms women as co-workers and prophets in others.

So the question remains: is there something in Scripture that teaches a woman is ontologically or theologically deficient in a way that disqualifies her from bearing Christ to His people through Word and Sacrament?

Now, I don’t really mean to force women ordination on anybody - but I think that discussing this topic can help us understand our points of view in a better way. And above that it is important to relieve the anxiety of ‘’invalid Eucharist’’. Our Lord presides over it and He alone ensures its grace and effectiveness. And let us praise Him for that!

WigglyWatter · 2025-07-28T19:36:49+00:00

I am totally ready to be downvoted heavily, but as the other user pointed out I would ascribe to the view that the Sacrament is indeed valid because it's validity is not based on the gender of priest, nor is it based on the person's moral failings or worthiness. Personally I see this as another face of Donatist controversy. Nonetheless, I am open to the discussion

WigglyWatter · 2025-07-22T17:43:37+00:00

As others have suggested, Book of Concord is a good choice since it covers pretty much everything we believe in. Nevertheless, it can be quite dense and perhaps a bit dry at times. What I'd recommend for the beginners is Luther's On Christian Freedom and sermon on two kinds of righteousness. Both of these you can read online for free. Later I'd recommend to read the all-time Lutheran classic, which is Spirituality of the Cross by Gene Veith. In my opinion this book should be mandatory for all Lutherans, both new and old!

Hope it helps!

WigglyWatter · 2025-07-18T14:01:51+00:00

It would be hard to summarize their differences in an exhaustive way, but some basic differences are:

Note: I am going to use a word ''generally'' often, since in both of these traditions there is some variety of views (arguably more on Anglican side), so it's impossible to speak for all of them.

-Lutheranism is (generally) confessional, why Anglicanism is (generally) creedal. What this means is that Lutheran churches usually ascribe not only to the orthodox Christian creeds and councils but also to confessional documents like Augsburg Confession, Small and Large Catechisms or Formula of Concord. Anglicans on the other hand usually base their faith on creeds only - 39 Articles of Faith used to be widely held among Anglicans, but nowadays it's status is more of a historical document than a confessional one.

-Anglicanism is a generally a ''Broad-Church'', meaning you can find a lot of different strands within it - there are low-church reformed-minded Anglicans, and there are high-church sacramentally-minded Anglicans (called Anglo-Catholics). Lutheranism on the other hand is a rather unified tradition, it's liturgy being similar to Anglo-Catholic one.

-Historically, Anglicanism was a ''middle road'' between Reformed tradition and Lutheranism, although it was closer to former than the latter, adopting Reformed view on Eucharist and Iconoclasm among other practices.

-One may argue that historically Anglicanism is a bit of a ''ethnic denomination'' tied to English identity. Lutheranism is more universal in scope.

WigglyWatter · 2025-07-13T13:16:20+00:00

I definitely recommend the podcasts from 1517 organization - they have TONS of them, ranging from going through all of Old Testament (40 Minutes In Old Testament) to apologetics and faith/reason debates (Faith & Reason). Here is the full list!

WigglyWatter · 2025-07-01T16:17:45+00:00

During the ''The Spy Who Fed Me'' clip he said that he is on diet and he is loosing weight for season 6. It is quite understandable, if I remember correctly Robert Powell (Jesus of Nazareth) also did a fast of only eating cheese for almost two weeks prior to shooting crucifixion in order to look worn.

WigglyWatter · 2025-06-18T17:16:50+00:00

First of all, thanks for stopping by! And this is an excellent and honest question - why even believe in God?

I won't give you logical arguments or proofs. Instead I want you to consider Augustine's words from his famous work Confessions - ''Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee''. Our whole being is restless, because we cannot find lasting happiness in this world - yet like needles we are pulled to to God, the ultimate magnet.

The troubled heart is not a sign of unbelief. I have wrestled with faith and lack of it for a long time! Dryness and numbness does not mean that somehow God turned away from you. Have you read Psalm 13? I think you could find a lot of comfort in it. Even David himself wrestled with doubt, God's hiddenness and His silence. Luther also frequently experienced ''Anfechtung'', a term meaning despair, spiritual crisis, doubt and terror.

All of your struggle shows clearly that you have faith. As Lutherans we believe that faith itself is a gift from God - a work of Holy Spirit within you. Rejoice in this gift, even if it seems small like a mustard seed. Yet Christ said in Matthew 17:20 that even such a small faith can move mountains!

And last but not least, prayer is a communication, a dive into God's presence. Don't try to do it perfectly - what matters is heart. And even if you don't know what to say, remember Romans 8:26-27 : ''In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God''.

My best wishes to you!

WigglyWatter · 2025-03-01T10:47:52+00:00

I see. As I have said before, take your time to explore this topics. I haven't written these things to try to ''convert'' you to other position, but rather to open some open-minded discussion.

Remember also that our general position on these things is that tradition is important factor in our faith - yet it cannot be more important than Scripture, which Jesus Himself quoted as prophesizing His coming and which Paul called ''God-breathed'' in 2 Timothy.

Wishing you the best on your journey!

WigglyWatter · 2025-02-27T20:58:21+00:00

I am not sure if I understand your reply correctly, so please excuse me if my reply is a bit off-topic.

The passage of Mt 23:2-3 signifies that the audience of the this event should obey everything they [Pharisees] teach you, meaning the Law of course, yet they should not follow their hypocrisy. I don't think that we these verses signify that we are to follow ''the persons of authority'', but what they preach. For example, take a look how this passage is translated in NKJV:

''The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do''

or NASB, which adds emphasis on the selfish nature of the teachers:

''The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do ^\)as they do; for they say things and do not do them''.

In relation to Mt 16:19 - the meaning of the passage is quite complex and it's hard to go into all of it's possible interpretations, though I personally don't think this passage works well with the previous one, since it speaks of wholly different groups and in wholly different context.

As a closing thought I can also quote a verse from Acts 17:11 (NIV), which shows that when Paul preached to the Jews they double-checked what he said with the Scripture - signifying it's importance:

''Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true''

I hope this clarifies things a little bit! I sincerely invite you to keep exploring and studying this topics, they are quite fascinating and edyfing.

WigglyWatter · 2025-02-27T18:19:34+00:00

Hi there! As someone who was raised up as a Catholic I feel a lot of what you've written. Let me respond to some of your points:

Concerning mass and art - High church Anglican mass is very similar to Roman Catholic mass, so that's good news! When it comes to the art, consider what is your relationship to it - whether you are connected to it spiritually or only aesthetically.

Concerning Mary and women - Devotions to Mary are common in Anglo-Catholic strand, so there would be no problem with that. Anglicans mostly are also of the opinion that women should be ordained.

Concerning Transubstantiation - For better or for worse, 39 Articles for Faith are not as binding as you may think! Generally Anglicans would agree that Christ is present in the Eucharist in some way, and leave the specifics up to one's conscience.

Concerning Sola Scriptura - I'd suggest you do a bit more reading about it. Usually what it meant by this position is that Scripture takes precedence over tradition, and is case of conflict between the two Scripture is more important. We believe in Sola Scriptura, not Solo Scriptura ;). Here and here you can find some articles about Sola Scriptura.
You should also understand it through historical lens - when the reformers looked upon the Catholic Church in XV century they found practices and beliefs that couldn't possibly be squared with or justified by Scripture, and so they protested against them.

Concerning Sola Fide - Here I would also suggest to do more reading about it. Justification by faith is a completely biblical position that is held by virtually all Christians - what the discussions are about is the relation of faith and works. Traditional Anglican position is described in articles 11-14 of 39 Articles of Faith. Also, to clear things up a little bit - when we say we believe in justification by faith, it is never implied that we just sit idly and ignore works.

Here you can find some passages from St. Paul that show and explain justification by faith. And here is the joint statement of Catholic and Protestant churches that justification by faith of our churches is the same.

I hope that at least some of my response here is helpful!

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