I've been working now for just over two months and I have yet to settle on a church. Perhaps it would help if I stuck around on the weekends more often but that's a side topic. Although I have moved several times throughout my life, the churches that my family attended were rather obvious with a father as a pastor. Thus I have no idea how to evaluate churches once a list has been narrowed down to a handful.
How do you approach selecting a church?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
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4 comments:
You walk in the door and visit. If it feels like church, that's a point. If they use the liturgy, that's another point. If the pastor preaches instead of giving a pep talk that's a point. If there is Law and Gospel in the sermon, give a few points. If there is closed communion, give them a couple of points. If there is closed communion AND you get questioned by the pastor before you can commune -- give a basket of points.
I think you get the idea. Visit and find out if they are Lutheran -- put those years of catechesis to work.
I'm not Lutheran so anything I say will be summarily dismissed. I walk in, notice closed communion, I head for the door.
I try to sense the spirit of the people - both leading worship and in the pew. Very subjective but too many churches have all of their t's crossed and i's dotted but lack a certain intangible essence - the Presence of God.
Pastor K -
Those are pretty much the criteria I have been working with. But what about things that are more subtle to the outsider, but important? For example I have known pastors who have at one time of their lives served in churches with major problems of getting along with each other or apathy towards supporting the pastor. For one pastor it was bad enough that it nearly drove him to quit the ministry.
tom -
Welcome! Non-Lutherans are more than welcome on my blog. However, you are right that I will be more open to advice from people that are more in line with my beliefs when it comes to matters of the faith. That being said, thank you for taking the time to post.
While it is true that some churches simply go through the motions with little thought I tend to shy away from approaching worship from the perspective of feelings. Worship is a matter of truth and God bringing us his Word and his Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, not a matter of subjective feelings of what I think the truth might be. That's not to say that great and intense emotions aren't to be found in worship, but that they are a response to what God does for us in his Divine Service.
I thank God that his presence doesn't depend on the feelings or attitudes of those who attend worship!
If you would like to learn more about "How Lutherans Worship", Pastor K here has been writing an excellent series of articles on this very topic at his blog.
Once again, thanks for chiming in!
Ahhh, both spirit and truth were noted by Jesus to the woman at the well. So, I guess we're both right!!
Seriously, I went to a conservative Bible school, I am conservative theologically and Truth is at the top of my list as a pastor,
I also know after 17 years and 5 churches served, that the most theologically correct congregations can and often do ignore the Bible they claim to hold so dear.
Thanks for making me feel welcome.
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