Welcome Home

[Zecryphon]

I don't know, but some churches have their new members stand before the congregation and recite the 119th Psalm... from memory.


JK!!

Okay! I see how it is! Mess with the new guy. I'll remember this. In Stewie Griffin voice (from Family Guy):

When I rule the world, I will remember this!! Oh yes, I will! This will not be forgotten!!! LOL

 

[Zecryphon]

I read the Epistle and Gospel readings for the service. You won't have to do this not unless the church your planning on going to has different people read. Ours does and you have to sign up for it and its not mandatory for you to do.

Whew! ;-)

 

[Zecryphon]

Our church just has new members come up before the congregration during service and shoot I done forgot, I had to do it with the new members that went through the class and I just had my membership transfered, LOL. You usually have your back to the congregation. Actually we're bringing in new members this sunday.

Okay so the new members are up there before the congregation and.... according to your post they shoot people? I'll be stayin away from you and your church! Buncha whack jobs! ROFL

 

[ctay]

Naw they don't shoot people. They might hug you to death.

 

[DaSeminarian]

Good luck.

What's this "Good Luck" stuff.

Christians should be sending God's Blessings.

 

[Zecryphon]

What's this "Good Luck" stuff.

Christians should be sending God's Blessings.

It seems to me that Christians only send God's blessings when somebody sneezes. LOL In lieu of that, a wishing of good luck is fine with me.

 

[Zecryphon]

Well I didn't go to class this week, I had to work this weekend. I did do the homework that was assigned. We had to read the first two chapters of the notebook and answer the review questions at the end of each chapter.

Chapter 1 was about the Bible but the review questions were just so vague or phrased as something similiar to a trick question, so it was hard to know which answer they were looking for. Chapter 2 was worse. At least for the questions for Chapter 1 you could find two or three appropriate answers, but for chapter 2 there were questions in the review section about topics that had never been discussed in the lesson's text.

Chapter 2 is about the Apostle's Creed yet there's a question in there about what evolution teaches and states. That was never covered in the text. After I join this church, I'm gonna have to sit down with someone and go through this with them. This book may need some revision, because it doesn't make sense to ask about evolution if it hasn't been addressed in thet text. That's just one error. There's also minor things like typos. Maybe I'll get an answer next week as to why this is the way it is. I understand it's a small church with limited resources but I'd rework this book for free.

 

[synger]

I'm still around. I've been posting mostly in the non-denom folder, because I don't have a denomination yet. Working on becoming LCMS, but it would be presumptuous of me to post here as a Lutheran when I am not one, just yet.

I'm still "officially" Presbyterian, but have been attending LCMS for the past five (almost six) years. So I took the Lutheran icon when I signed up, and make sure when I'm speaking on doctrine that people know my background. I doubt it's a problem, as long as you're not being deceptive about it.

 

[Zecryphon]

I'm still "officially" Presbyterian, but have been attending LCMS for the past five (almost six) years. So I took the Lutheran icon when I signed up, and make sure when I'm speaking on doctrine that people know my background. I doubt it's a problem, as long as you're not being deceptive about it.

If I may, why did you leave the Presbyterian church for the LCMS? Were you not happy with the teaching or was the church going in a direction away from the Bible and sound teaching?

 

[synger]

If I may, why did you leave the Presbyterian church for the LCMS? Were you not happy with the teaching or was the church going in a direction away from the Bible and sound teaching?

Well, we first visited the LCMS church primarily because my husband was unhappy in the Presbyterian church we were attending. It was too.. analytical... for him. He is Baptist, and he wasn't at all interested in theological discussions from the pulpit. He wanted the Gospel, pure and simple. The Presbyterian church preaches the Gospel, of course, but sometimes scholarship in a sermon is emphasized over clarity and simplicity of presentation. I loved it, because I get excited by Christian history, theology, doctrine, and Bible studies. He, however, felt like there was a great divide between what the Pastor said and his own life. In truth, sometimes I sensed it too, in that I was so busy studying ABOUT Christian thought and belief that it was removed from the realm of not-Sunday-morning.

Also, for me, I felt like there was something else missing. Some... mystery... that I'd encountered once or twice while visiting other churches but couldn't put my finger on.

So we visited the LCMS church when we moved. We chose it for no other reason than it was the closest church to our new home. I looked at the bulletin and thought "we won't be coming back here again!" I know the basics of liturgy, for I've sung church music most of my life. I know my husband, too, and knew that he had no interest in Catholic or pseudo-Catholic liturgy styles.

But then, Pastor began his sermon.

Down to earth. Rubber hits the road. Gospel centered. Grace proclaimed. Scholarly, and yet practical. Loving and yet strong.

Come to find out, Pastor used to be an Army chaplain. His style is JUST what my husband needed to hear. Not highfalutin'. Not dumbed down. Not fire-and-brimstone. Just Christ and Him crucified.

Hunter was impressed. I was amazed. The liturgy, which had seemed like such a hurdle in my mind, was as nothing to him. (though he did have a hard time with the use of the term "Israel" throughout the liturgy at first)

We both liked the strong conservative nature of the congregation, compared to the much more liberal PCUSA (and our particular Presbyterian church had actually been one of the most conservative in our local Presbytery -- when they had dicussions/debates about the "marriage of a man and woman or chastity in singleness" issue, our Pastor was often the one asked to debate for the marriage/chastity side).

So we started attending regularly (which at that time was about twice a month, due to his work schedule) and I joined the choir. I started looking at Lutheran doctrine and the FAQs on lcms.org to learn more about the church. I had some reservations, of course, but it sure sparked some interesting discussions!

When Gem got out of the nursery and was old enough for Sunday School, we started attending every Sunday, and began going to adult Sunday School. We went through the Book of Concord, and got a better understanding of Lutheran doctrine.

And I found that the mystery that I had been looking for... and had only encountered once or twice before...? was the real Presence of Christ in the sacraments. The more I studied it, the more I realized that the Reformed church had thrown out the baby with the bathwater on this point.

Now we do still have some difficulties, doctrinally. My husband still has mild Baptist ideas about "making a decision" for Jesus, although he's slowly coming around to a more Reformed/Lutheran view on that. And I still have serious troubles giving up the LIP of the Reformed TULIP.I believe both Lutherans and Reformed pretty much agree on Total Depravity and Unconditional Election, but there are strong differences on Limited Atonement, Irresistable Grace, and the Perseverance of the Saints. In addition, I was ordained an elder in the PCUSA, and while I am willing to give up that authority, and I accept the reasons, it does still sting at times.

But the Gospel is central, as it should be. Christ is celebrated. We are taught the Word. THe means of Grace are offered regularly.

Strangely, it's been... like coming home.

 

[Zecryphon]

"Strangely, it's been... like coming home."

Yeah that's how I felt too, when I started attending the LCMS church I go to. I started out in an Evangelical Free church, got "saved" and attended there for a few years before moving to AZ. When I got to AZ I looked around for a church but it wasn't the all-out intense church search it should have been. I stayed in the second church I had visited... for 5 years! LOL It was a mini-mega non-denom, half caffe with whipped cream type church LOL.

I really got involved in the non-denom church. I took the membership class, became a member, and went back two more times to be a table leader in that class. I would help new members with the material and the beliefs of the church. Then I went on to being a volunteer in the youth program. It was during that time that our senior pastor retired. Well everything went downhill from there. The church took on a direction of going nowhere. I started seeing things and hearing things that I didn't agree with as a Christian. I'd ask questions and get a variety of answers depending on who I'd ask.

I remember one question I had about the creeds. I asked if the church confessed the creeds and if so, where I could go to learn more about them. I mean they had a class for everything else, like how to stay pure while dating and build a marriage that will last, yet the also offered a course on how to know that God will now bless your second marriage and still loves you. How does that work? I'm sure in the engaged and newlyweds class they tell you that God abhors divorce except for adultery. I wonder what they teach in the Divorced and Remarried class. LOL

Anyway, back to the creeds the answer I got was and I quote "well sorta". Well sorta? What am I supposed to do with that one? They said we confess parts of the creeds but we teach the scriptures not the creeds. Now, I'm thinking 'but the Apostle's Creed is a short summation of basic Christian belief, if this church doesn't at least hold to what's written in there, this church can not be where God wants me to be anymore'. I thought it obvious from their response that they didn't hold fully to the creed and I wasn't going to nitpick over which parts they agreed with. It was then that I started thinking about finding another church.

I also ran into another issue when I did finally visit a WELS church. As part of my youth volunteering I also wrote articles for the youth ministry for the church bulletin. Well I wrote one about my visit to a WELS church and about using a hymnal again and how refreshing it was! I hadn't picked up one of those things in well over 20 years! I'm 34 now. I think the last time I used one was at my grandfather's church, God rest his soul. The youth leader loved the article and it ran. However soon after this, he came to me and asked me where I was attending church, he knew I had not been attending THAT church in months. I told him I was now looking for a new church home. It was then that he told me that I could not serve in the youth program if I didn't attend the church.

I immediately fired this question off to one of the top people at the church and I was told this was not true. You did not have to attend that church to serve in it. So what was going on? I actually didn't care. I just wanted the contradiction explained. It never really was, but the youth minister did suggest I attend service downstairs on Sunday morning and leave when the kids were dismissed, that would be fine. Well, no it wouldn't be fine, because all I'd get to do is sing some songs and listen to announcements about the church. I would never hear the sermon, which actually was fine with me, because their sermons were all focused on me anyways and I hate that. LOL I told him I wouldn't feel comfortable with that, because one I'd never hear a sermon and I'd be attending church only in order to get something. I'd be there with false motives. I wouldn't be there to worship and praise God. So soon after, I left.

I have now been attending an LCMS church that I love except for one thing. This was the second church I visited in my new search and I loved it so much I never wanted to go anywhere else. When I would visit other churches I'd feel guilty that I was cheating on the LCMS church! LOL Stupid church. Really screwed up my new search. LOL And when I finish the new member class, I'm really gonna let them have it for being so nice to me and making me feel so at home and delivering sound Bible-based Christ-centered and cross-focused sermons! How dare they! LOL

 

[DaRev]

Yeah! Make sure that you give it to 'em good by telling everyone you know about the love and grace of God through Jesus Christ! That'll show 'em!!

 

[synger]

... It was a mini-mega non-denom, half caffe with whipped cream type church LOL.

Oh, my! That's the best description I've seen for one of "those" churches!! Thank you. YOu made my whole afternoon brighter!

 

[Zecryphon]

Oh, my! That's the best description I've seen for one of "those" churches!! Thank you. YOu made my whole afternoon brighter!

I do what I can.

 

[Zecryphon]

We are on a break now until January. I will be back with updates as to how it's all going then. Merry Christmas everybody! Yeah that's right I said MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! LOL

 

[Zecryphon]

We are on a break now until January. I will be back with updates as to how it's all going then. Merry Christmas everybody! Yeah that's right I said MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! LOL

Wow, the last post I made in this thread was around Christmas time? I gotta keep up on these things! LOL Anyway, it is indeed time for an update. It's official, I'm now an official Lutheran. My church had a new members ceremony, which was nothing mroe than going to the Communion Rail and standing and facing the church, affirming the Apostle's Creed and agreeing with the statement of faith for my church. After all was said and done we (23 other new members) were presented to the congregation as members. This ceremony was followed by a luncheon that I did not attend, so I don't know what happened there. I had heard that it was going to be lunch and fellowship. It's official, I'm one of you now! LOL Does this mean I have to start wearing "You Might Be A Lutheran If..." t-shirts? LOL

 

[dinkime]

welcome welcome welcome!!!

i am glad you feel at home with a Lutheran church -- and i am VERY happy that there were 23 new members! wow!

 

[LilLamb219]

Awesome!

 

[QuiltAngel]

Welcome!!

 

[Zecryphon]

welcome welcome welcome!!!

i am glad you feel at home with a Lutheran church -- and i am VERY happy that there were 23 new members! wow!

Yeah I was surprised by that too. Because there were only seven people in the new member class. The orientation classes after that, saw like eight more people in there. I don't know where the rest came from! LOL

Yeah this church really screwed up my church search and I let the pastor know that when he met with us during orientation. I told him that I didn't want to go to any other church after visiting St. Mark, and when I did go to another church I felt like I was cheating on this one! LOL Two churches into my search I found my new home and I'm really happy.