11421 Big Bend Rd.
Riverview, FL 33569
(813) 677-1332

Contact: Pastor Kevin Yoakum

Book Recommendation: Luther's Small Catechism, with Explanation, ISBN# 0758611218 Note: There are likely other translations, such as the free text only version at the Gutenberg Project

Religion: Christian

Denomination: Lutheran

Web Page: http://www.ctklcms.org/index.php

History

When I used to be a church going member of the LDS faith, church history went like this: Jesus established the church on Earth. Then came along the Catholics, then came Martin Luther, and everything else split off from there.

The story of Martin Luther is probably one of the most famous of the Protestant. He had a series of questions that he wanted to ask the Catholic church because he thought it had strayed. So he did what anyone else would do:

Nail them to the door of a church.

Turns out that Catholic church didn't like being told they might be wrong, so they excommunicated Luther (which was a death sentence those days) and told him to keep his piehole shut. Luther gained political allies in Germany, and that lead to the whole Protestant Reformation movement, and the first breakaway religions since the early Orthodox movement.

Christ the Kind Catholic church is about ten miles down the road from my house, right across the street from the Methodist church (and they're right on my radar too).

The Services

In many ways, the services reflected what I experienced at the Catholic church or the Orthodox church. There was an established liturgy - the priest, in this case Reverend Yoakum, would read, and the congregation would respond. Later there was the actual sermon, in this case a lesson about how the price that Jesus offered for forgiveness from sin was far cheaper than what the rabbi of the time offered, and a message for the children. Add in a blessing of the Eucharist with hosts (small cracker like wafers) and wine, and you might have been in a Catholic or Orthodox service.

So just what sets the Lutherans apart?

What I Found Beautiful

What sets the Lutheran church apart is one of the things I found beautiful about their faith. Take their Small Catechism, where the 10 commandments are laid out, and with every one, the explanation starts out with "We must fear and love God", then the explanation.

It starts from a basic concept - Love God, Love they Neighbor, then shows how everything else builds from there. More than just taking a reactionary approach, though, it uses the "Love and Fear God" to build in a positive message of action. Take the explanation of "Thou shalt not lie":

The Eighth Commandment

You must not tell lies about your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16 )

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will not deceive by lying, betraying, slandering or ruining our neighbor's reputation, but will defend him, say good things about him, and see the best side ofeverything he does.

Here, it's not enough just to "not lie", but instead encourages a positive line of action. I thought this was a wonderful idea, to encourage people do do the good thing, rather than merely avoiding the bad things.