First Lutheran Service

[Kranke Krokodil]

Christmas Eve I will be attending my first-ever Lutheran church service.

It is a candlelight service in the Lutheran Church - Canada.

Any advice before I attend this service? I am currently a member of a Fellowship Baptist church in Toronto.

 

[BigNorsk]

Christmas Eve I will be attending my first-ever Lutheran church service.

It is a candlelight service in the Lutheran Church - Canada.

Any advice before I attend this service? I am currently a member of a Fellowship Baptist church in Toronto.

Hold the lit candle upright and tip the unlit candle into the flame to light.

If they hold Communion, they practice a close Communion, meaning that the pastor shouldn't commune someone he doesn't know. The basis for this is the fact that those who commune unworthily are subject to judgement. A pastor would not want to put you in that situation, it's not very pastoral.

Now maybe with it being Christmas Eve and with all the people visiting relatives and such that if you just show up at the rail, maybe he would commune you, but he really isn't supposed to.

So it would be nice of you to respect their practices and not commune, if they have it that night.

Realize that the liturgy may look very much like the Catholic Mass if you are familiar, but the theology is quit different.

A good Lutheran sermon should have both law and gospel. Listen and see if it does. I would admit that Christmas sermons do tend to be very heavy on gospel in my experience.

The service order is printed in their hymnal, the bulletin the usher gives you should have the page numbers, or they may print it all in the bulletin.

When the service is over, don't bolt for the door, many Lutheran congregations have the ushers usher the people out in an orderly manner. Take a look and you can tell pretty quickly, if they are used to being ushered out they will sit back down after the pastor walks to the back.

I'd avoid sitting in the very back, many congregations use them for families with small children even though often not marked that way.

Most Lutheran congregations don't shout "Amens" during the sermon, they communicate by subtle movements of the eyebrows and almost imperceptible nods of the head, not to be confused with falling asleep.

 

[Harry Juech]

Check outside the church to see what language they are using, some LCMS-Canada congregations are using French. Other than that just go in listen to the Word and be edified. You will be welcomed with open arms. May you have a Blessed experience, and return often.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

whatever you do, don't clap!!

Our school's Christmas Program was last week (during a regular church service), and before the service was even fully done some people started clapping.

 

[Tangible]

My LCMS church is a clapping church. We clap whenever people's activities are recognized and when there is special music.

 

[LutheranHawkeye]

My LCMS church is a clapping church. We clap whenever people's activities are recognized and when there is special music.

We clap too, but always outside of the Divine Service. It's not biblically mandated but it sure feels like it lol.

 

[DaRev]

Applauding special music (or any music) in the Divine Service is technically inappropriate. We must remember who the Audience is when music is performed in the church service. The music is part of our sacrificial worship, even if it's a choir, a soloist, children's group, instrumentalist, etc. To applaud would be like applauding ourselves. The performance is intended for God. If He wants to applaud, He will.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Often in Canada, the Christmas Eve service is one of "Lessons and Carols" which is not as liturgical as the more Formal Divine service on Christmas Day.

You will find much of the carols and hymns very familiar, and some not so; as we have a very diverse musical tradition.

May this Christmas be a blessing to you!

Mark.

 

[Kranke Krokodil]

Applauding special music (or any music) in the Divine Service is technically inappropriate. We must remember who the Audience is when music is performed in the church service. The music is part of our sacrificial worship, even if it's a choir, a soloist, children's group, instrumentalist, etc. To applaud would be like applauding ourselves. The performance is intended for God. If He wants to applaud, He will.

Could our applause instead not be thought of as a way of agreeing with the music presented? As such, it is part of making a joyful noise to the Lord.

 

[Kranke Krokodil]

Thank you to everyone for the advice.

So... I guess it all comes down to a case of when in Rome... etc.

Except in the case of taking communion (or in my case, not).

Thanks again.

 

[Kranke Krokodil]

Often in Canada, the Christmas Eve service is one of "Lessons and Carols" which is not as liturgical as the more Formal Divine service on Christmas Day.

You will find much of the carols and hymns very familiar, and some not so; as we have a very diverse musical tradition.

May this Christmas be a blessing to you!

Mark.

It's the carols and candlelight that we're really looking forward to taking part in. Joyful Christmas to all!

 

[porterross]

Clapping?

Clapping!


CLAPPING.............in church?!?!?!





Disrespectful whipper snappers


.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I actually was rather embarrassed. And ya know what's sad? My home church has started putting notes in wedding bulletins for people to hold their applause until they're at the reception, because many people weren't very respectful that it was a worship service. At my first wedding, people clapped (he came from an Assembly of God family) and it always made me cringe when I watched the video tape of it.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

I actually was rather embarrassed. And ya know what's sad? My home church has started putting notes in wedding bulletins for people to hold their applause until they're at the reception, because many people weren't very respectful that it was a worship service. At my first wedding, people clapped (he came from an Assembly of God family) and it always made me cringe when I watched the video tape of it.

Clapping in Church makes me squirm.

However, on occasion when Pastor makes an exceptionally poinient remark in his sermon, I have given him a rather subtle "thumbs up"

signal from the pew! One such remark was the result of an issue that was discussed at one of our elder's meetings. When Pastor saw the thumb, he almost broke out laughing in the pulpit; thank God he possesses a great deal of self control. After that service, with a big grin, he called me a not very edifying name.

I love my Pastor!

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Matt once told me that if he's delivering his sermon and he sees heads nodding, he assumes they're nodding off to sleep, and he's made himself smile more than once in the pulpit with that line of thought.

 

[filosofer]

I think clapping can be appropriate, but often is triggered by a secular reaction rather than a Biblical appreciation.

Psalm 47:1

O clap your hands, all peoples;
Shout to God with the voice of joy.​

Isaiah 55:12

“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.​

 

[Tangible]

I'm generally OK with clapping, what with my Evangelical background and all, but one thing that bothers me in particular is that the congregation claps after the special music for the offertory, and the associate pastor rises, crosses in front of the altar, bows, and comes to meet the ushers - all while still clapping. Seeing him bow in front of the altar while still clapping for the special music just seems especially egregious.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I'm generally OK with clapping, what with my Evangelical background and all, but one thing that bothers me in particular is that the congregation claps after the special music for the offertory, and the associate pastor rises, crosses in front of the altar, bows, and comes to meet the ushers - all while still clapping. Seeing him bow in front of the altar while still clapping for the special music just seems especially egregious.

that's just a little too choreographed for my liking!

 

[Harry Juech]

I am 81 years old. Was Catholic for 4 years, LCMS for 77. Have been Baptized, had my First Communion and Confirmed both Catholic and Lutheran, also because of my Blood Donor Status am and Honorary Jew. Personally I prefer the Lutheran Hymnal 1941, 5 and 15 for the Service. I do not need to go to church to be entertained. I happen to like "My Grandfather's Church".

 

[PreachersWife2004]

TLH Pg 15 Common Service FTW.

I'm an old-school Lutheran in a young woman's body!!