Questions about the Lutheran Church

[HopingForJesus]

Hello everyone,
I have been here for a short time and been struggling some but also learning many new things in trying to find a church home, and strengthen my relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus.

Even though I am not big on ritual (fighting OCD terribly) and was brought up in the Catholic Church, I will be attending a Lutheran Service tomorrow evening with my husband who was baptized Lutheran and works Sunday mornings. I did go to church today at a Wesleyan church. Basically I am planning on seeing where we belong and also it matters that we can make it too. I believe I am Protestant. I am not too liberal. So I am going to take some time making this choice. Also, if I was baptized Catholic as a baby and confirmed at 15, how does that work if I ended up Lutheran. And, my husband and I were married in a court setting. His former wife cheated on him and divorced him. Would this keep up from being able to marry in the Lutheran church?I really would like to someday remarry in the church.

Perhaps someone could point me in a direction of what the Missouri Synod church believes or basic ones for the church in general.

My understanding is that in the Missouri Synod women are not pastors. Are they allowed as music ministers? Are they allowed to teach? Do women have to wear only dresses to church? Being brought up Catholic, I am wondering how a service in the Lutheran church differs. I understand there is no praying to the saints or Mary.
Basically, I don't want to go there looking like an idiot tomorrow night either. So, any advice would be helpful.
Peace and God bless each of you here...

 

[LutheranHawkeye]

Hello Hoping and welcome to TCL!

You have great questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
Lutheran worship is very similar to the mass, but we call it the Divine Service. Also if your baptism was Catholic it's definitely valid. Marriage is usually a very accommodating rite within the Lutheran Church. The best resource for someone wanting to learn about the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is LCMS.org and you can also find a nice overview on Wikipedia about the LCMS. If you have been to a mass you should be quite comfortable in a Divine Service. I known I missed out on tons, and maybe some other regulars could help me out? Anyway welcome to the Lutheran Church, smack in the middle of Christendom with Christ at its center, always!

 

[HopingForJesus]

Thank you LutheranHawkeye. I will check out the website you have listed. I plan on calling the church tomorrow too, just to make sure of the dress code. I do not own any dresses and the one I have is pretty old lol. Peace and God bless you

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

Thank you LutheranHawkeye. I will check out the website you have listed. I plan on calling the church tomorrow too, just to make sure of the dress code. I do not own any dresses and the one I have is pretty old lol. Peace and God bless you

Don't worry about dress code. The fact that you are there will be considered a blessing in itself.

Also, be bold and talk to the Pastor, and ask him as many questions as you want. The don't bite!

Blessings to you and your husband!

Mark

 

[DaRev]

Hello everyone,
I have been here for a short time and been struggling some but also learning many new things in trying to find a church home, and strengthen my relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus.

Even though I am not big on ritual (fighting OCD terribly) and was brought up in the Catholic Church, I will be attending a Lutheran Service tomorrow evening with my husband who was baptized Lutheran and works Sunday mornings. I did go to church today at a Wesleyan church. Basically I am planning on seeing where we belong and also it matters that we can make it too. I believe I am Protestant. I am not too liberal. So I am going to take some time making this choice. Also, if I was baptized Catholic as a baby and confirmed at 15, how does that work if I ended up Lutheran. And, my husband and I were married in a court setting. His former wife cheated on him and divorced him. Would this keep up from being able to marry in the Lutheran church?I really would like to someday remarry in the church.

Perhaps someone could point me in a direction of what the Missouri Synod church believes or basic ones for the church in general.

Your Baptism is valid because it was done with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As far as your marriage is concerned, there are two Biblical grounds for divorce; adultery and dissertion. It sound as though your husband was the victim of one if not both. The best thing would be to discuss it with the pastor of the church.

My understanding is that in the Missouri Synod women are not pastors.

Correct. Scripture teaches that only men are called to be pastors.

Are they allowed as music ministers? Are they allowed to teach?

Absolutely!

Do women have to wear only dresses to church?

No.

Being brought up Catholic, I am wondering how a service in the Lutheran church differs. I understand there is no praying to the saints or Mary.
Basically, I don't want to go there looking like an idiot tomorrow night either. So, any advice would be helpful.
Peace and God bless each of you here...

The Lutheran Divine Service is similar to the RC Mass. But not all LCMS churches do the liturgical service. Some do a contemporary worship style. Many congregations have both types of services available at different times.

Also, most (unfortunately not all) LCMS churches practice close communion, so you would need to speak with the pastor prior to the service if they have the Lord's Supper.

FWIW, I was also raised Roman Catholic.

 

[HopingForJesus]

Thank you very much Mark and DaRev. Hopefully we will make it to the service this evening. I am looking forward to getting out of the house and seeing what it will be like. Wish me well and God bless you all...

 

[WildStrawberry]

Everyone's already answered so I just wanted to come in and say Hi and welcome to the forum!

Kae

 

[Studeclunker]

Everyone's already answered so I just wanted to come in and say Hi and welcome to the forum!

Kae

Me too! I also wanted to mention that there are often vast differences between LCMS congregations. For instance, the congregation I attended in Riverside would not have allowed "creative worship" in the early, traditional, service. Another I attended in Huntington Beach CA wouldn't even allow a 'contemporary' service at all. Whereas the church here in Redding is so liberal that the contemporary service is more liturgical than the 'traditional' due to "creative worship" techniques. Some congregations strictly adhere to their hymnals in the services, where others, like here in Redding and another in Perris CA, have completely abandoned them. The Ablaze programme has excrabated an existing problem of inconsistancy in the LCMS. I'm not trying to scare you off, just to let you in on what's currently going on with our Synod. I expect, before long, there will be some kind of readujustment or possibly a fight. Still, things are kinda weird right now.

 

[HopingForJesus]

Hi Studeclunker,
Well, we shall see tonight what this one congregation is like
I don't mind some creativity. I also love hymns. LOL...
Peace

 

[LilLamb219]

Hi HopingForJesus!

How did it go?

 

[ChiRho]

But not all LCMS churches do the liturgical service. Some do a contemporary worship style. Many congregations have both types of services available at different times.

Contemporary worship style?! Just go down the road to the local non-denom or Baptist or whatever and get the real deal. Flat screens, latte's, stadium seating, wifi, networking...

Just fill me with moralisms and jam for Jesus!

 

[DaRev]

Contemporary worship style?! Just go down the road to the local non-denom or Baptist or whatever and get the real deal. Flat screens, latte's, stadium seating, wifi, networking...

Just fill me with moralisms and jam for Jesus!

Sickening, ain't it?

 

[RadMan]

Contemporary worship style?! Just go down the road to the local non-denom or Baptist or whatever and get the real deal. Flat screens, latte's, stadium seating, wifi, networking...

Just fill me with moralisms and jam for Jesus!

All I hear from people is "But it makes me feel goooooood"

I don't have to go to church to feel good. DUH!

Good to see you posting again.

 

[WildStrawberry]

ChiRho! Hey welcome back! Missed seeing you post!

Kae

 

[Studeclunker]

Contemporary worship style?! Just go down the road to the local non-denom or Baptist or whatever and get the real deal. Flat screens, latte's, stadium seating, wifi, networking...

Just fill me with moralisms and jam for Jesus!

Ah yes, the popular quest for easy Christianity. The ELCA excells in this. Sadly, the LCMS appears to be headed in the same direction.

Chi, I love the quotation at the bottom of your post. It's so much like Rod:

"This doctrine is what makes Christianity Christianity. You've got to get across that the righteousness that saves isn't a change in the human heart, it's a declared sentence, "I declare you innocent." And we say, "But I'm not innocent, I'm guilty as sin!" But the judge says, "I know, but I didn't say that, I said I declared you innocent." That's what Christianity is. It's a declaration of innocence based on another's righteousness, and reckoned to you as if it were yours." Rod Rosenbladt

I really miss Rod. The last ten years have been like wandering in the desert, searching for the water of life.