I thought I would share a few letters from Lutheran pastors encouraging Rachel and her family. These were gathered by Rachel’s aunt from members of the Society of the Holy Trinity. A few of the authors are very well-known, like Frank Senn. The comments about the authors are hers.

I’ve made this an extended entry because of the length so click below to see the comments.

About the author of Letter 1: This pastor serves the only all-German speaking congregation in the ELCA. He is noted for his grasp of historical documents and confessional theology, as you can see by his message.

I assume that the PCA shares with the PCUSA some of their basic confessions: i.e. the Nicene Creed, the Apostles’ Creed, the Scots Confession (1560), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), the Second Helvetic Confession (1562-66), the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647-1958), and possibly the Shorter and Larger Catechisms [I couldn’t find the dates].

The Scots Confession says very little about Baptism (Chapter XXI): “… we assuredly believe that by Baptism we are engrafted into Christ Jesus, to be made partakers of his righteousness, by which our sins are covered and remitted,…”

The Heidelberg Catechism (official Presbyt. transl.), Q. 71 Where has Christ promised…? A. [Mt. 28, Mk 16] … This promise is also repeated where the Scriptures call baptism ‘the water of rebirth’ and the washing away of sins.”
Q. 73 “Then why does the Holy Spirit call baptism the water of rebirth [regeneration-grm] and the washing away of sins? A. God does not speak in this way except for a very strong reason. Not only does he teach us by Baptism that just as the dirt of the body is taken away by water, so our sins are removed by the blood and Spirit of Christ; but more important still, by the divine pledge and sign he wishes to assure us that we are just as truly washed from our sins spiritually as our bodies are washed with water.”
The Second Helvetic Confession, Chapter XX: “WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BAPTIZED. … For we are all born in the pollution of sin and are the children of wrath. But God, who is rich in mercy, freely cleanses us from our sins by the blood of his Son, and in him adopts us to be his sons, and by a holy covenant joins us to himself and enriches us with various gifts, that we might live a new life. All these things are assured by baptism. For inwardly we are regenerated, purified and renewed by God through the Holy Spirit;…”

The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XXX (UPCUSA=XXVIII):
“Of Baptism 1. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life: …”
Similarly also the Larger Catechism, Q. 165 “Baptism … a sign and seal of … regeneration by his Spirit;…”

While these Reformed Confessions are not as explicit as we Lutherans would like, they do seem to teach something very akin to baptismal regeneration, as I tried to cite above. I hope this helps, but it would be nice if the Reformed would accept our FC SD II, 15: “…through his Son and that he has given us new birth and enlightened us through baptism and the Holy Spirit.”, or even CA II (On Original Sin) Latin, 2: “… brings eternal death to those who are not born again through baptism and the Holy Spirit.” [similarly German].

Of course S.S. Schmucker tried to delete the idea of Baptismal Regeneration from his American Recension of the Augsburg Confession (1856), so our own vests are not perfectly clean on this issue.
Hope your sister 1) wins; and 2) shakes the dust off her sandals against this renegade (dare I say heretical) offshoot of Presbyterianism. But ’nuff for now. Certainly more than you or you sister needs. <

George

pax et gaudia, Friede und Freude,
Rev. Dr. George R. Muenich, Dr.theol., STS
Pastor, Zion German Evangelical Lutheran Church
Pastor der Deutschen Evangelisch-Lutherischen Zionkirche
Brooklyn, NY

Letter 2

Dear Rachel,
I Hope and pray that everything goes well at your inquisitio … oops, “trial”. <
You may use anything I sent, if you find it useful and/or helpful, and feel free to put my name on it, even though it is largely quotations from Presbyterian Sources. (I don't know why I ever picked up the Prezzy "Book of Confessions. Maybe I wanted to see for myself exactly what their official teachings were before totally rejecting the Formula of Agreement which put the ELCA into "full communion" with the PCUSA, UCC, RCA.
I must say this to the Presbyterians' credit: At least they have and still pay (lip) service to a doctrinal standard, much as the ELCA is supposed to do. Some of the provisions may be more honored in the breach, but in theory at least there is a standard. Which is more than can be said of the ECUSA, which insisted that we (ELCA) adopt their notion (mythology) of historic episcopacy, and in return promised to "consult" with us on matters of faith and policy. Of course there was no consultation prior to their radical decisions vis-a-vis V. Gene Robinson (sorry, I can't bring myself to refer to such an apostate reprobate as "bishop").
But again, 'nuff for now.
(Pastor Dr.) George R. Muenich, STS

Letter 3

“We believe one baptism for the forgiveness of sins…”

It seems so strange to read of your niece’s problems with the Presbyterian Church in America. Standing firmly on the truth is sometimes scarey and isolating. She has taken a stand for truth and for that we should give thanks. She and her family are in our prayers. Remind her to check out 1Peter 3 and Romans 6 for encouragement.

Pastsor James F. Peters,STS
Racine, WI 53404

Letter 4

Author: Our Senior, Pastor Frank Senn, had this to say about your trials. I don’t know if you know Frank (Rick will) but he is famous throughout the Lutheran Church worldwide as a liturgical scholar.

The clear orthodox consensus of Christianity, as expressed in the Nicene Creed, is that “we acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.” Baptism confers forgiveness of orginal and actual sin. This makes baptism a means of grace. According to our Lord’s words to Nicodemus in John 3, one must be “born again by water and the Spirit” to enter the kingdom of God. Baptism is God’s act of regeneration. Martin Luther taught that baptism is water to which God’s word is joined. God’s word is both command and promise. The word of command is: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18). The word of promise is: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:15). The church is to do what is commanded and trust what is promised. No Christian who is baptized and believes what is promised through this sacrament need be uncertain of salvation. Baptism is the ritual sign of God’s act of justification by grace through faith.

Frank C. Senn

Letter 5

My comments and encouragement to you are solidly supported by theological reflection, though they may sound more subjective and “of the heart” than some comments you may receive. They come out of my childhood and youth in the Reformed Church in America which has some connections in theology and church structure with the various Presbyterian bodies in the country. The particular congregation in which I was raised was, as we would say, very conservative, and I do dislike to label people or congregations with either “conservative” or “liberal”. The particular congregation also later–much later after I left home–changed its affiliation to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (of America). In this case, “orthodox” has nothing to do with Churches of the East as in Russian or Greek “Orthodox” but more officially with “right praise” and unofficially with “we are right and you are wrong, which we know because we have some peculiarly strong connection straight to the Lord Almighty.”

I was baptized as an infant as was the custom in the Reformed Church (the old “Dutch” Reformed) and then spent the next 27 years trying to make a good enough “decision for Jesus” in my life. To my knowledge, baptism was never mentioned to me other than as some cute and sentimental thing that one did to babies, and it would be better off if it were done when youth were somehow within the age of reason and knew what they were doing. Indeed, at youth rallies, at summer trips to college campuses which were transformed into evangelistic meeting meccas, and at Billy Graham Crusades we were encouraged, prayed over, shamed into–you name it–making a decision for Jesus to insure our eternal salvation. We were baptized but apparently it must have done no good. Ah, the prospects of burning in hell loomed large as we in our teen age years with hormones raging contemplated our faulty and questionable repeated decisions for Jesus.

When the Christian Church goes awry and abandons the efficacy of baptism and replaces it with some required human decision for God (Imagine my puny self calling down the Almighty with my disgusting little emotion-packed and worthless “decisions”!), it throws away the promises of our Lord and puts our egos in its place. The very camp of people who decry the ever-encroaching threat of secular humanism, jettison God’s Word and put human wobbly will power in its place! How ironic! How tragic! How untrusting of us!

Take heart, dear friends, God has claimed you as his when you were yet sinners. He did not wait for your little decision to think you trusted him. God be praised!

I do not know why you persist in going through with the trial, but perhaps God calls you to do this. If this is God’s will, I pray for strength as you continue this path. There is nothing worse than a religious battle.

Love your accusers and wish them no harm.

Infant baptism is one of the most outrageous things we are called to do as Christians. It is threatening to many because it hits head-on our delusional idea of self dependence in matters of faith and casts us thoroughly upon the mercy of our Lord.

May our Lord’s outrageous and totally unconditional love surround and support you.

Anonymous Author.

Letter 6

About Author: A noted Luther scholar

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

The blessed Apostle Peter speaks very directly about the blessings and benefits of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism in I Peter chapter 3. He compares the waters of the Flood to the water of Holy Baptism and declares that Baptism does now save you. The water that deluged the world and drowned all the people who were outside the ark is the same water that made the ark float. Just as Noah and his family were saved in the Flood, so you are saved in the waters of Holy Baptism.

Furthermore, in this same context, the Apostle Peter tells us that Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. The connection between Good Friday and your Baptism is intimate and powerful. It is the death of Christ that purchased new life for you. But Christ did not stay dead. By the power of the Holy Spirit He came back to life and went to preach to the souls in prison. As we say in the baptismal creed: He descended into hell. He proclaimed His victory over death and the devil.

I like to think of it this way: Christ is the only One who ever went to hell and then got out. The point is that the devil could not keep Him out of hell when He chose to enter, and the devil could not keep Him in hell when He was ready to leave. This is the total victory that He has won for you. This is the victory that He has given to you in your Baptism.

Perhaps it seems as though the heresy trial that you are enduring is your own descent into hell. Your battle is not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, and all the forces of evil in this dark world. But just as Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison, so you are testifying to the people who are doing the devil’s work. And the Word is not bound. The Word does not return void. The Word accomplishes what God pleases and prospers in the purpose for which He sent it.

So take heart, my dear brothers and sisters. If God be for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but freely gave Him up for us all, will certainly also along with Him give us all things. To Him be the glory, now and forever.

The Lord watch over your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Michael J Albrecht
Saint James Lutheran Church
West St Paul, Minnesota

Letter 7

About Author:More from the Canadians… a very well-known scholar and teacher is Pr. Gagnon.

I will certainly keep you in my prayers, that God will be your strength and hope. May God grant you peace and wisdom as you strive to be faithful to your Lord. My heart goes out to you as I have had experience (teaching/counselling in the area of cults for some years now) with various groups that disfellowship or shun people, often it seems for irrational and as Frank Senn put it, bizarre reasons. Though I realize it must be painful to go through such a time with those who were/are part of your life, stand fast upon the Word of Life and his promises for yourself and for them. May your faithfulness to God’s promises in baptism be a witness that speaks to their hearts and minds in love. You stand, indeed, with the martyrs of every age who boldly resist falsehood and persecution.

In Christ Jesus,

your brother in baptism and faith,
Rev. Phillip Gagnon
St. Albert Evangelical Lutheran Church
St. Albert, Alberta
Canada

Letter 8

Dear friends in Christ,

It is with grief that I read of your current tribulations, but it is also with holy joy that I observe the depth of your faith, and your willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ. From the beginning of the Church, there have been those who could and would not accept that God by his Word would deign to act through the simple physical forms of water, bread, and wine. But this is just what he has promised to do. Just as he did not shrink from taking on flesh, even to the point of death, and all for our sake, so also does he not shrink from being truly present in Holy Communion, and being truly active in the waters of Baptism. Those who can and will not see this reality are to be pitied, for their ears are stopped, and their eyes blind to the mysteries of God. It is my prayer that through your faithful witness, they may gain eyes to see, and ears to hear. And may God strengthen you for your trial.

Pastor Karl Johnsen STS
Sharon Lutheran Church
Calgary, Alberta