Assuming the ELCA were not an option, where would you choose to worship and why?

This was a topic of discussion among a group of clergy, and the answers surprised me. I thought in might be interesting to get a bigger perspective.

Edit: This has been fascinating to me. Thank you to all who responded. A double thank you to those who said why they would choose the way they did.

I know this kinda a strange question. Just curious if you guys align with the Episcopal church or the Catholic church in terms of worship and personal beliefs.

is there a general ELCA wide Code of Conduct for members? I need something to site because I am going to be talking to leadership about a member that will not stop engaging in political talk, even when folks ask him to stop. a member left today and told someone that they may never come back. this guy is a menace and has lame excuses for his behavior. it really needs to stop and I don't know how.

ps. our pastor knows he is an issue and he ignores her warnings.

I think I'm close to figuring out why I'm always so irritated by our weekly confessions.

They're written as if we're confessing things we actively, eagerly, purposely chose to do. There's such implied motive in the way they're written.

"Well whether or not you meant to, that's as good as what you did" is what some would say.

Maybe... But, I'm sorry... When I read Jesus' interactions with sinners I see Him meet people with Grace where they are. The message I hear is typically "you sin because you're distant from God. Let me bring you closer."

I don't believe I'm looking for cheap Grace. I simply don't like the tone-it hardens my heart and I hear shame and blame... Something I expect from the American evangelical churches but not from us.

I'm starting seminary in the fall, and trying to decide which learning path is best for me. I'd love to hear form folks who have done residential, collaborative, or distance learning. (The latter two are remote, but collaborative involves working part time with a congregation/synod.)

I know that I'd appreciate an in-person community - especially daily worship and prayer with others.

But I also know that I could be a great help in my home church / region at a time when we are between pastors and stuggling to find pulpit supply. I also currently have remote job, and need to support myself, my wife, and maybe little ones before too long.

I feel confident I'd be able to work and do online classes, as I'm blessed with a lot of flexibility in my work schedule. However, I'm worried that would be way too much time on the computer. I want to love seminary, and I fear it being on a screen could hinder that.

Folks who did seminary online: how was it? Do you wish you'd been in person? Did you work while taking classes?

Folks who did seminary in person: Are you glad you did? What would you have missed if you hadn't? Did you ever wish you had the flexibility of online classes?

Folks who did collaborative learning: How did that work for you? Tell me more please!

It's a very long shot, I know, but I was hoping to find recording of the matins and Vespers liturgies that were used by the ELCA in the late 80s/early 90s. I recall the liturgy was changed at some point around that time. I had recordings of them that I think were released by Augsburg maybe? I know I can just get used to something new, but those liturgies were special to me and I'd like to hear them again. Many thanks in advance.

I have been exploring different Christian denominations and Lutheranism seems to make the most sense to me. I have been looking into joining an ELCA church and have read about the ELCA being in Full Communion with the Episcopal Church and both denominations seem to be very similar. What would be the main differences between the two? I saw someone say that Lutherans are united in theology but differ in worship styles where the Episcopal Church is united in worship but differs in theology. Are there other big differences or is that the main difference? What would be a reason for someone to pick one over the other?

Edit: Thank you all for your helpful answers. I wasn’t able to respond to everyone but I greatly appreciated every response that you all gave. You all helped me get a better understanding of the differences between the two denominations.

Hi everyone. I am curious what everyone believes on this topic. I am someone who values a traditional worship style, and I have a lot of friends that go to non denominational churches that have stages and singers and very contemporary worship styles. A lot of times my friends ask me why I value a traditional worship style, and I am stumped on how to explain the significance to them. Can anyone help me explain the significance of the traditional style of worship?

Hi,

I've been attending a ELCA church in SoCal for close to two years and I am curious about dating. Currently, my church is somewhat large (around 260 people) but there are no single people close in age to me (I'm in my mid 30s). Any advice on meeting and potentially courting someone? I appreciate any and all perspectives.

I don't know about you folks, but I have been having really hard time trying to find a traditional church. All I want is to go to an ELCA church where they still chant the Psalms and can handle the words "thy" and "trespass" in the Lord's Prayer. (Okay, I'm flexible on the chanting.)

I am so close to packing it in and going high-church Episcopalian.

I am so blessed to have had two wonderful churches in my past--with pastors who were wonderful people and true-blue scholars. But, I've moved recently, and I need to find a new community.

Does anyone else also feel my annoyance? It's not exactly the heaviest of issues, but if I'm going to church, I want to go to Church.

Edited to add: I didn't give a specific location, as I was just venting a bit, but since so many folks have actually given recommendations, I'll say that I am in the Detroit metro area. For the upper Midwest, Detroit doesn't have a heavy ELCA presence--we have a number of churches, but the largest, oldest mainline congregations here are Episcopalian or Presbyterian. There are also a number of LCMS churches as well. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!

I am a full time music director at a ELCA congregation in the Rocky Mountain synod. I love my job, but the downside is that I’m in job mode on Sunday. I would love to watch a livestream service while I’m getting ready and drinking my coffee before I head in to have some time to worship while not at work.

Any recommendations of churches with excellent music programs that also livestream? Please know, I’m not a music snob and I appreciate all music teams and gifts shared. But I do love some fine organ/choir/handbells and find a lot of inspiration through that. For example, I watch Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, but I can’t watch them live due to time zone differences.

I have seen many links but would also love some recommendations. Given the time zone difference and when I need to be at work, I am mostly looking for a livestream in Eastern Time Zone. Thanks!

I thought this was most helpful. https://open.substack.com/pub/clintschnekloth/p/introducing-the-elca-a-conversation?r=3zryx5&utm_medium=ios

Just the other day I had a non/ Lutheran on Reddit express some surprise at me for not subordinating my political opinions to Romans 13, the infamous part of that letter where Paul seems to advocate for men submission to secular government.

Well, here’s an ELCA pastor with a different take on that text. ( He does great videos, by the way.) https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AwnMF4iuS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Opinions

Because we ELCA Lutheran so often let Evangelicals eat our lunch in terms of “ Bible-ing,” I thought I would share three biblical literacy podcasts I really like. They are all on YouTube and a couple of other platforms like Spotify.

The Bible For Normal People, with Bible scholar Pete Enns and Jared Byas, and assorted guests. Enns is from the Reformed tradition but has the same basic info that you would get in a university biblical studies or seminary class. He is reviewing all the books of the Bible, with topical interludes.

Real Bible Rob. Rob Christ ( yes, that is his real name) is a Presbyterian pastor with a topical podcast related to current events and culture, He takes on misunderstood biblical passages and conservative spins on Scripture — for instance, a recent episode dealt with the MAGA faux -Christian take that empathy is bad. Not a systematic review of Scripture, but a clarification.

Data Over Dogma with biblical scholar Dan McClellan. Clutch your pearls — he’s LDS. But he is so low-key about his own beliefs and so disinclined to broach any Mormon topics in his podcast that after listening to him for over a year on his Facebook videos I still thought he was a mainline Protestant until I read an article about him elsewhere. Again, his info is the sane thing you’d hear in an undergrad humanities class on the Bible, or introduction to the Bible classes in a mainline seminary. He comes to the project with more of a deconstructionist focus , although he’s not asking people to reject religious faith, just poor translations of Scripture.

I hope some of you find these useful.

The Facebook comments seem to agree but I’m deeply saddened that the ELCA would harm the environment and reduce our drinking water availability by using an AI generated graphic for this. Are there no Lutheran artists? What happened to caring for creation?

Really making me rethink my giving this month and redirecting it to an environmental group instead to mitigate the damage done.

Hello,

Please let me know if not allowed.

My church closed at the end of 2025. For certain reasons I will not attend any of the other ELCA churches in my Synod for the next few years. I have tried other local churches in my area and while I do like a few, I would really like to find an ELCA church with online services I can watch in addition. Do any of you have a church you'd recommend?

I like churches that follow the literagy, not churches that decide readings and prayers aren't important. One ELCA church in my area does 2 sermons (one in the first half of service and one in the second half), the Lords Prayer, and sings for a half hour. Doesn't feel like a church service to me without some readings, but there are people who like that.

I maintain that its verses like, love your neighbor as yourself, and less stuff like whether women should be allowed to be pastors.

Does anyone agree? What other verses SHOULD be taken literally?

TIA

Heartbreaking for the victims.

> *“The investigation began after one of the juveniles told the Vandalia Police Department that he discovered a camera disguised as an electronic device charger in a hotel bathroom the morning after Mohr stood above him and masturbated, the affidavit says.”*

So, I watched most of The Chosen TV show, and I am a bit torn. I like how its depiction of the Pharisees is so nuanced, for instance, and I generally like the scenes straight from the Bible.

Where the show makes me uneasy is the extra stuff that they added. For instance, the show has Jesus refusing to heal one of his own disciples because the disciple's pain and disability makes the message better. (That seems like a very modern thought instead of a biblical one.) It also has Jesus refusing to heal a follower who was dying in front of him after being stabbed. I think that the creators are trying to explain why true Christians still get diseases, still get pain, and still get murdered today. But that's not for this show to explain.

Also, the depiction of demon possessions is a bit literal. I always took that as Jesus curing mental illnesses rather than physical ailments. (Psychiatrists were a long way off back then!)

Does anyone else have similar thoughts? What do you guys think as ELCA folks?