I found out today we're having Christmas at my parents' house. This is sort of good because it's closer to where I'm living, so I don't have to drive as far, but traditionally we have Christmas at my grandparents' house. They have the BEST ELCA church. Aside from the few mishaps in the past few years due to a new pastor there (after a quick google search I found his entire Christmas sermon...and they don't sing Joy to the World last...they sing it in the middle of the service. My grandpa always says he knows when to put his coat on when that song is sung...so we jokingly put ours on in the middle of the service while we sung that song) it's a very good and open congregation.
The church my mom, sister, and I used to belong to is where we are possibly going. My mom's sister is a member there, so I'm sure she'll insist on going there. I already told my mom I would not be attending, and she understood. That church has an excellent pre school-6 Sunday school problem, but Confirmation was horrible. I nearly got kicked out for asking questions. I thought that was what Confirmation was all about. They are the biggest congregation in my hometown, and are the unofficial ELCA leaders in my town. They have taken a stanch stance against calling homosexual clergy, and that was the last straw (after my horrid confirmation experience and sitting through some other hateful sermons) and I haven't been back more than a handful of times since I was confirmed. (mainly to see my sister's church experiences, she's 11 years younger than I am and my mom didn't want to change churches until she was done). My mother is interested in joining a different congregation in town that is welcoming to all and has stood by the ELCA 100% but she hasn't done that yet. And my aunt is 100% with my old church. So I won't be attending Christmas service with everyone (my mother isn't either) because we are so disgusted with that church that we can't stomach going. My mom won't be going to church at all, which is fine with me, but I feel compelled to go, so I'll be attending Christmas Mass with my Catholic father.
I was half raised in the Catholic church. I was confirmed Lutheran, but attended mostly Catholic Mass. I don't agree with a lot of the Catholic dogma, but I find their services to be very beautiful and traditional, which is nice. But I still feel very much like an outsider in their church. No communion, which calls for staring, but aside from that I fully participate. Good music, generally a good homily, etc, but it's just not the same. So I'm a bit disappointed we won't be going to my grandparents' because I feel like I'm missing out on good church.
The church my mom, sister, and I used to belong to is where we are possibly going. My mom's sister is a member there, so I'm sure she'll insist on going there. I already told my mom I would not be attending, and she understood. That church has an excellent pre school-6 Sunday school problem, but Confirmation was horrible. I nearly got kicked out for asking questions. I thought that was what Confirmation was all about. They are the biggest congregation in my hometown, and are the unofficial ELCA leaders in my town. They have taken a stanch stance against calling homosexual clergy, and that was the last straw (after my horrid confirmation experience and sitting through some other hateful sermons) and I haven't been back more than a handful of times since I was confirmed. (mainly to see my sister's church experiences, she's 11 years younger than I am and my mom didn't want to change churches until she was done). My mother is interested in joining a different congregation in town that is welcoming to all and has stood by the ELCA 100% but she hasn't done that yet. And my aunt is 100% with my old church. So I won't be attending Christmas service with everyone (my mother isn't either) because we are so disgusted with that church that we can't stomach going. My mom won't be going to church at all, which is fine with me, but I feel compelled to go, so I'll be attending Christmas Mass with my Catholic father.
I was half raised in the Catholic church. I was confirmed Lutheran, but attended mostly Catholic Mass. I don't agree with a lot of the Catholic dogma, but I find their services to be very beautiful and traditional, which is nice. But I still feel very much like an outsider in their church. No communion, which calls for staring, but aside from that I fully participate. Good music, generally a good homily, etc, but it's just not the same. So I'm a bit disappointed we won't be going to my grandparents' because I feel like I'm missing out on good church.