When you have opportunities to do things you might not normally do, it might help to consider why you feel uninterested or uncomfortable doing them. Would you benefit from pushing your personal envelope by doing things you might not normally do?
I had an opportunity to put myself in unusual situations this week. Sunday I fulfilled my promise to attend church with my former neighbor and landlord, Joyce. She belongs to Messiah Lutheran Church off Cameron Road, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary. I had never been to a full Lutheran service before and it was an interesting experience. Since I was raised as a Southern Baptist there was ample opportunity for comparison.
Lutheran service:
- The service was very structured with several hymns and prayers and specific rituals like candle lighting and the recitation of the Nicene Creed.
- Messiah’s current pastor is a woman, and their pastors wear a robe and priest’s collar.
- Lutherans are known to drink alcohol, even the pastors.
- The Lutheran hymns are ornate and traditional in their language.
- There is no confession of sin, although the pastor does perform a statement of absolution for any sins you might have committed.
- Lutheran have Communion where the congregation rises and walks to the front to receive bread and real wine from the pastor and a few helpers similarly robed.
- There was not a long, prepared sermon. Only a few short lessons sandwiched between hymns. One lesson quoted verses from a story I can never recall hearing in Baptist church, that of Stephen, an early martyr of the church who was stoned to death. You will never hear about martyrs in the Baptist church.
Southern Baptist service:
- In a Southern Baptist church, there is structure, but it seems less formalized. The most important aspect is what’s called “The Invitation”, where the audience is led in singing a hymn like “Just as I am” while the preacher invites members of the audience to come forward and “accept Christ as your personal savior” and confess your sin. This can either be a very poignant, or painful experience. A public confession of sin seems like a big negative, but since Baptists emphasize that everyone is sinful, you can come out looking courageous if you come forward.
- Baptist hymns always seemed more home-spun in their use of language.
- Unlike Lutheran churches, Southern Baptist preachers have to be male.
- They also don’t have a uniform per se, unless you count a suit.
- You will never see most Baptists drink alcohol, and you would NEVER see a Baptist preacher drinking alcohol.
- The preacher usually sermonizes for 20-30 minutes.
All things considered, it was nice to meet everyone there, although I could have gone for a more meaty service. It seemed a little too ritualistic. Joyce seemed to really appreciate my showing up, and it was nice to hear her sing.
Lutheranism is very similar to Methodism, which was the church my parents took me to when I was a kid. I liked how formal and sedate it was in comparison to my grandparents’ Pentecostal holly-roller church, which had a full rock band and people singing in tongues. That sh*t used to scare me when I was little.