Smalcald Articles: Part 2, Article 3: Chapters & Cloisters

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The Church is entrusted with forming servants for faithful service in God’s kingdom. Monasteries were established to provide men and women with a way to live out their baptismal identity through service in the Church and their daily vocations. However, over time, they came to be seen as a means of earning forgiveness and attaining a holier life. At the heart of the issue was the Gospel—if we seek assurance of salvation outside of Christ, we lose the essence of the Christian faith. As members of His Church, we are called to live in community with fellow believers, bearing with one another in love and serving others as Christ first served us. Rev. Ben Meyer, pastor at Hope Lutheran Church,…