Reclaiming the "L" Word by Kelly Fryer

Finally, we have a “reader friendly” book that reminds us of what it means to be Lutheran. Ms. Fryer is a lady Lutheran minister who has been in the middle of some heated membership fluctuations. She refers often to Martin Luther’s vision for this church that is named in his honor. And, although the roadblocks Luther worked to destroy are different from those facing Lutherans today, he challenged many of the same taboos that we hear so much about now.

Luther reminded us constantly that this is the “Welcoming” church – open to all – non-judgmental – loving and all embracing. Pastor Fryer lays out five strategic behaviors that she believes could unite Lutherans and give them the courage to stand at the foot of the cross to meet Jesus whose love accepts us all. She points us to Luther’s words, “while God could have come to us in all kinds of ways, God chose to come down here to meet us in the most unlikely place of all: On the cross, in the face of an outcast and a stranger, who suffered there and died.” The author believes God had to do all this because we had made such a mess of things. She fears we may be doing it again. reviewed by Shirley Cunningham