And my first thought was, "Wow, kids today really do have it easy. When I was confirmed, I had to stand in front of the church and submit to a theological examination!"
Of course, this letter wasn't offering a sacrament; it was a solicitation to purchase insurance through the Lutheran fraternal organization Thrivent.
I left Wittenburg for Canterbury some time ago, but I still get some of Thrivent's mailings, having once held their insurance and mutual funds. Thrivent isn't affiliated with any church, but does serve Lutherans of all stripes, probably having grown out of a mutual-aid society for immigrants. In fact, it may be the most potent organ of unity in Lutheran Christianity. American Lutherans are a fractious lot, split into about twenty different demominations. The largest body is the moderate to liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Moving down in size, you next have the conservative Missouri Synod (in which I grew up), then the extremely conservative Wisconsin Synod, then numerous smaller churches that make the Missouri Synod look like the Unitarians. Some of these denominations regard the others as heretics or outright apostates and forbid their members from taking communion with any of the others. Yet any may insure their life, home, or auto with Thrivent. So while American Lutherans are wary of sharing bread with one another, they may freely share risk, or at least risk of things other than hellfire.
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