Jewish and Lutheran
The Question
As you all know, I am a pastor in the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod (hereafter the LCMS) and a Jewish believer in Jesus. What many may not know is that this dual reality often results in a lot of questions from people. Being a Jewish believer in Jesus is already a place of curiosity for people.
However, being a Lutheran Jewish believer adds an extra layer of curiosity. Whether I am at a conference with other Jewish believers, talking with Jewish people who do not believe in Jesus, or giving a presentation at a Church, the question often comes up “Why are you Lutheran?” Behind the question is the recognition that Martin Luther has written documents that contain antisemitic statements that have been used to promote gross acts of antisemitism.
While a lot can be said about Luther’s Works, some of his writings are profoundly pastoral and offer profound insight into faith and the promise of the Gospel, and other works are deeply troubling. I want to focus on what drew me to Lutheranism. I will, however, begin by noting that the LCMS has written a strong statement denouncing antisemitism:
Whereas it is widely but falsely assumed that Luther’s personal writings and opinions have some official status among us (thus, sometimes implying the responsibility of contemporary Lutheranism for those statements, if not complicity in them); but also whereas, it is plain from the Scripture that the Gospel must be proclaimed to all people — that is, to Jews also, no more and no less than to others (Matt 28:18-20); and whereas, this Scriptural mandate is sometimes confused with antisemitism; therefore be it resolved that we condemn any and all discrimination against others on account of race or religion or any coercion on that account and pledge ourselves to work and witness against such sins (LCMS Frequently Asked Questions).
We are Lutheran not because we worship Luther and everything he said but because of the Gospel. We are a Church that emphasizes God’s love in Jesus and the salvation achieved by grace alone. That emphasis on the Gospel which is the “power of God” (see Romans 1:16-17) is what drew me to Lutheranism.
The Journey
I was baptized and joined a non-denominational church when I was seventeen years old, and that began a deep and prayerful study of the Scriptures. At that church, I experienced a strong community, a church that highly valued the scriptures, that spent time together in prayer and around meals, and that was deeply committed to the power of God to transform lives. I am forever indebted to the people of that congregation. However, I also found that their explanations for faith often left me in doubt. “Have I done enough?” “Will God be angry with me?” And those questions and that experience led me to dive deeper into the faith, in what Christians believed throughout the ages.
As I prayerfully sought God’s guidance, I became friends with someone whose grandfather was a retired pastor who attended a small-town Lutheran church. She invited me to join her and her family at her grandfather’s church on Christmas Eve. And so, not knowing what to expect, and having never interacted with a “liturgical”[1] church — outside of going to a Catholic mass for a funeral — I did not know what to expect. And what I experienced drew me in and touched my heart.
As I was there, I was first greeted by friendly and welcoming congregation members. Then I saw the beautiful stained-glass windows, the candles, the candle that stood over the altar that reminded me of the eternal flame in a synagogue. And as I went with my friend and her family into the sanctuary and took my seat in the pew, I saw their hymnals, well-worn by the saints who faithfully gathered for worship. I heard the bell choir and the choir practicing their hymns and musical pieces, and I listened to the bell that called the saints to worship.
Then the service began with the confession— the public and communal recognition of our sin — and the absolution, the declaration of God’s free forgiveness in Jesus. It was like water for parched ground. God has truly forgiven us in Christ, not because of anything we have done or could do. And the service only proclaimed more Gospel, more good news. I heard good news in the Gloria which proclaims God’s peace and mercy in Jesus. And I heard good news in the sermon which proclaimed my sin and God’s surpassing grace in Jesus who became human for me. The service was God’s Word meeting me in a moment of spiritual uncertainty.
And not only did the beauty of the service and the message of the liturgy speak to me. But I also saw aspects of the liturgy that reminded me of growing up in the synagogue. In a way, it was like returning home. The Christian liturgy draws heavily from the synagogue service. As I sat in those pews, I saw a pastor wearing a shawl that reminded me of a Talit (a Jewish prayer shawl worn by men when they pray), I heard the call and response in worship inviting the congregation to join the minister in the reading of the Psalms, and in the prayers. The structure of the service was both different and familiar to a synagogue service. Then I heard the Sanctus “Holy, holy, holy,” drawn from Isaiah 6: “Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of Your glory…Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”[2] While the version we have in the Church is different than the one used in the synagogue, they both have the repetition of the word Holy and proclaim the Angelic and divine presence among us in our worship.
After that experience, I began to inquire about and study Lutheranism. I went to college at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and began attending Church at University Chapel in Minneapolis. The pastor and the congregation there were welcoming, deeply committed to the Gospel, and were instrumental in my journey into the Lutheran Church.
So, why am I Lutheran? I am Lutheran because of the focus on the good news of Jesus Christ. I am Lutheran because of the beauty of our worship. And I am Lutheran because it felt like coming home to a faithful expression of what it means for me to be a Jewish believer in Jesus. The Lutheran Church is NOT built on Martin Luther but on Jesus the Jewish Messiah. He died for us all to be restored to a living relationship with our Creator who loves us so very much.
[1] Liturgical means a church that uses a set pattern of worship and readings passed down through generations.
[2] In the Synagogue the Sanctus is a little different, but the overlap is obvious: Holy, Holy, Holy, The Lord of Hosts, The entire world is filled with His Glory. Blessed is the Glory of the Lord in Its Place. The Lord shall reign forever, Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation, Hallelujah.
Jordan Peiser
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Download Our Latest Newsletter