Help with answering a question

[NowIC]

Hi all -
I've been attending an LCMS church for the past month due to the biblical emphasis and reverance of the Divine Service. Raised Catholic, but most recently attended a non-denom. church where I still have friends. My issue is this - I am having a difficult time communicating to my non-denom. friends why I am now at a Lutheran church without offending them and their choice of church. Do you all have any advice for me in regards to a good way to answer them? Thanks!

 

[seajoy]

Hi all -
I've been attending an LCMS church for the past month due to the biblical emphasis and reverance of the Divine Service. Raised Catholic, but most recently attended a non-denom. church where I still have friends. My issue is this - I am having a difficult time communicating to my non-denom. friends why I am now at a Lutheran church without offending them and their choice of church. Do you all have any advice for me in regards to a good way to answer them? Thanks!

Good grief, what kind of friends are they anyway if they get offended at one's church choice?

Here is what I would say..."I feel God has led me to this church. The biblical emphasis there is wonderful."
How does one argue with God's leading, right?

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I agree with Seajoy.

You needn't approach this as a "your church is wrong" kinda thing. You need only say that it's where God led you to worship.

If they talk about the differences in doctrine, and you explain them, and they are offended, then I don't think they're very good friends to hang out with, but that is just my opinion.

 

[Aibrean]

^ what she said...I used to go to a non-denominational church and the easiest way to put it is that I "grew out of" the church. My maturity was above that of people my age, I was operating my own business while they were in college so we couldn't relate. I didn't have as much time to socialize either. The pastors fluctuated (some left or were forced to leave). I needed a place I could continue my spiritual growth. There were a LOT of people that left around the same time for the same reason.

 

[NowIC]

Thanks all. Great advice. Good points with them not being great friends in the first place if they are offended by what church I go to or differences in doctrine. I really like, "God has led me to this church and the biblical emphasis in wonderful" approach. Thanks again.

 

[Lupinus]

Are you friends with my now ex?

She about flipped when I told her I was attending a Lutheran church and not her big mega non-denom church.

 

[porterross]

Maybe it's because you're learning and studying Scripture instead of just being content to feel high on Jesus.

 

[latebloomer]

PR, I THINK YOU'VE GOT IT!!! I've always wondered a bit why I feel so not fulfilled, for lack of a better phrase, when I see some church services on TV, both the TV megachurches and the videotapes of local church services on our local cable system. Sort of like too much spiritual dessert and not enough Lutheran "meat and potatoes".

 

[synger]

PR, I THINK YOU'VE GOT IT!!! I've always wondered a bit why I feel so not fulfilled, for lack of a better phrase, when I see some church services on TV, both the TV megachurches and the videotapes of local church services on our local cable system. Sort of like too much spiritual dessert and not enough Lutheran "meat and potatoes".

That really hit home for me this summer. As most of you know, I'm a permanent Lutheran visitor, but havent' joined the denomination (but it will happen, now). So I've always felt like rather an outsider of sorts, when I look at how Lutherans preach and teach and worship.

This summer, a big tent went up for a week on the Mall a block from my workplace. It was a tent meeting... well, they touted it as a "patriotic concert" but it was obvious they were using it also as a vehicle for a religious message. The handout they gave to passersby on the street was a Gospel of St. John, after all.

So the first day of their event, I couldn't attend the concert at 1:00, but I was able to walk by earlier in the day and "pray the tent" (walking up and down the aisles praying that the Spirit would use this event to God's glory). I wasn't able to actually attend the meeting until Friday.

I was very disappointed. They were very gung-ho about the military, since that was their hook. And it was nice to pay tribute to our military personnel, both active and former.

But the message after the concert was so... well... wishy-washy. They mentioned Jesus almost in passing, as a way to make your life better.. and spoke of the cross as if everyone there would already understand the WHY of it (the Law).

I went away totally disappointed.

That is in contrast to a Catholic service I attended over Memorial Day weekend (I was up in Baltimore at a sci-fi convention, and there wasn't a Lutheran church around the area of my hotel.) I wasn't expecting Law and Gospel... and they had it, clear as day. I was SO pleased.

So it just goes to show, you never know where God is working when you go visiting non-Lutheran church services.

 

[Zecryphon]

Hi all -
I've been attending an LCMS church for the past month due to the biblical emphasis and reverance of the Divine Service. Raised Catholic, but most recently attended a non-denom. church where I still have friends. My issue is this - I am having a difficult time communicating to my non-denom. friends why I am now at a Lutheran church without offending them and their choice of church. Do you all have any advice for me in regards to a good way to answer them? Thanks!

Um, I think situations like these usually handle themselves but for a different reason. The people at your last church will, speaking from my own personal experience, shun you. Slowly but surely. Church friends tend to be just that, your friends at church. Now that you have left the non-denom, focus-on-me, let's network for the Lord, church sub-culture, your friends will not stay in touch with you. It's a sad reality of modern day church life. My advice to you would be to gently bring up what your new church teaches when they discuss theological issues, or church issues. See how they react. Alot of them might just dismiss everything you say because you now adhere to creeds, and everyone knows those are Catholic! LOL

 

[BigNorsk]

I think a good way to handle others is to actually state their beliefs about the Lutheran Church for them and then go on. Because even if they don't say it, they are thinking it, but often don't want to say it because people like to avoid conflict. So just bring it out and then deal with it.

Something like I know a lot of people think the Lutheran church is nothing more than a slightly modified Catholic church with different leaders but still teaching works salvation. I know because I thought that myself. I have found nothing could be further from the truth.

If they are open at all they will then ask what you mean or something. If they just roll their eyes and walk away, well at least you tried.

But if they do ask, you can talk about the distinction of law and gospel and how that really works. And how applicable that is to everything.

Or the theology of the cross versus the theology of glory.

And you shouldn't pretend like you know it all. If that only took a couple of services it's not much to know.

Tell them of the topics and a basic thing and say how much you are enjoying learning something important and how you can see how it actually fits, even if you don't perfectly understand it yet.

So bring out the objections, you don't need to use the one I used, you know them so you know what they think. And then give them a taste and leave them wondering a bit. Almost always better to shut up a little early than to beat the dead horse into the ground. We've all seen those people who leave one group for another and are so obnoxious because they just won't shut up or listen to anyone.

And that's important too. Listening. Ask them how it's going with them and their church and really listen. If they say something like Pastor John gave a wonderful sermon last week about how important it is to wax our cars every month. You can say something like. Yeah, he's really into that theology of glory thing where man is the center. Sure a good speaker though, too bad he wastes it on man.

Marv

 

[NowIC]

I'm already starting to see the "shunning". That's too bad... What I am really liking about Lutheranism is the objectivity, the emphasis on fact not feeling, and the Word of God trumping human reason. I also know that I have a lot to learn - and am looking forward to every minute of it. Thanks again for your replies. I had a brief discussion about the Trinity the other day with two women from the non denom. church - I was shocked when they both agreed that believing in all 3 members of the Trinity was not an essential Truth. One said that she could "pull Jesus out" and have Him as her Savior without necessarily believing in the Trinity. I tried to discuss it with them, but it was futile at that time. One thing that that conversation did for me though was to cement in my mind that I am moving on to a confession of faith that is right for me, and well, just right.

 

[Zecryphon]

I'm already starting to see the "shunning". That's too bad... What I am really liking about Lutheranism is the objectivity, the emphasis on fact not feeling, and the Word of God trumping human reason. I also know that I have a lot to learn - and am looking forward to every minute of it. Thanks again for your replies. I had a brief discussion about the Trinity the other day with two women from the non denom. church - I was shocked when they both agreed that believing in all 3 members of the Trinity was not an essential Truth. One said that she could "pull Jesus out" and have Him as her Savior without necessarily believing in the Trinity. I tried to discuss it with them, but it was futile at that time. One thing that that conversation did for me though was to cement in my mind that I am moving on to a confession of faith that is right for me, and well, just right.

This lady who said she could pull Jesus out without having to believe in the trinity, she sounds like she could be a modalist.

 

[QuiltAngel]

Welcome IC
I am sorry that people are giving you a hard time. It is hard for people to understand how one can have a faith that is not dependent on what I do.

Come here to ask questions and talk with the Pastor. Get into an Adult Catechism class.

 

[NowIC]

Thank you for the welcome and willingness to answer my questions. The Pastor at the church I have been attending has been awesome answering my questions as well - and I will be starting the Formation of Faith (adult catechism) class in the fall. He has already given me the materials for the class so that I can read through them this summer - I am eager to learn.