My rural Louisiana SBC experience

[Lutherrunner]

I'm gonna try to just make neutral observations here, so I hope ya'll don't think I'm being critical.

I went to church with my GF and her elderly parents who we were visiting outside of Bossier City, near Taylortown, just down from Goat Hill Road (hey I said rural didn't I?)

Well, first off the people were quite gracious and I didn't hear anything about Lutherans going to heck, so that went well.....

It started with just talking about how many people were in attendence in Sunday School and Church and challenging to see if they could get over a hundred, then some amens. Sounded a bit like a pep rally?

Then the projector kicked up some lyrics of praise songs on the wall and the choir came out. The lyrics seemed quite simple and repetitive and that went on for a while. Then the pastor came out and got us to say amen a few times, trying to get us to be louder. He gave a pretty good sermon about morals and Christianity, and Acts and Paul, and just being a nice person and good works not being enough, that we need to accept Jesus as our personal savior and so on.....he said that a few times in different ways and even had a little film clip shown on the screen.....then he had an altar call and a woman came down....hugs, crying, emotional.....

Well, it was different to me, since I grew up Lutheran, and I know when my GF visits my Lutheran church it really feels different to her.....anyway, I missed the reverance, the liturgy, readings, communion and so on. I understood the purpose of the praise music, but it didn't seem to say much, just raise the emotional level. The whole thing just seemed more at an emotional level than at a thinking, pensive level. Well, I know there is a lot more differences as far as doctorines, but that was just my gut reaction.

Bottom line is that it wasn't as scary as I thought it was gonna be, but I know that I'm not gonna be switching over from Lutheranism any time soon......;)

(now I just need to get a booklet explaining Lutherans for my GF to read)

[pastel]

Oh yes, the altar calls! When I was a teenager, my mother dragged me to a Church of God, and we joined the church. The altar calls seemed like such a joke to me. It was the same people every week, and just about the same amount of crying from each one. There was only ONE time in our membership there that someone different went down, and she had just recently lost her husband. That one seemed genuine. There was a definite difference in the emotion, etc. But I was just a kid at the time. What did I know?

[Zoomer]

I had a similiar experience when I attended my friend's AOG church from time to time. Emotionally, it was very uplifting being around so many with such an outward love for the Lord but still I felt empty. I just sat there longing for a Law/Gospel sermon, the Lord's Supper, and a good ole hymn.

[Lutherrunner]

I just sat there longing for a Law/Gospel sermon

My GF has previously remarked about liking a "Bible Teaching Sermon"......and I really am not sure what that means, but I feel like I learn more and think more about a Lutheran sermon than what I heard yesterday.....it just seemed like the coach trying to give you a pep talk at halftime....

[pastel]

My GF has previously remarked about liking a "Bible Teaching Sermon"......and I really am not sure what that means, but I feel like I learn more and think more about a Lutheran sermon than what I heard yesterday.....it just seemed like the coach trying to give you a pep talk at halftime....

That Church of God I mentioned earlier....my mother had the complaint shortly before we left it .... the Pastor always had a great reason why we should all be there NEXT Sunday, but never a good reason for THIS Sunday. It became such empty sermons, and a feeling of dissatisfaction everytime we walked out of the church building.

[SPALATIN]

I'm gonna try to just make neutral observations here, so I hope ya'll don't think I'm being critical.

I went to church with my GF and her elderly parents who we were visiting outside of Bossier City, near Taylortown, just down from Goat Hill Road (hey I said rural didn't I?)

Well, first off the people were quite gracious and I didn't hear anything about Lutherans going to heck, so that went well.....

It started with just talking about how many people were in attendence in Sunday School and Church and challenging to see if they could get over a hundred, then some amens. Sounded a bit like a pep rally?

Then the projector kicked up some lyrics of praise songs on the wall and the choir came out. The lyrics seemed quite simple and repetitive and that went on for a while. Then the pastor came out and got us to say amen a few times, trying to get us to be louder. He gave a pretty good sermon about morals and Christianity, and Acts and Paul, and just being a nice person and good works not being enough, that we need to accept Jesus as our personal savior and so on.....he said that a few times in different ways and even had a little film clip shown on the screen.....then he had an altar call and a woman came down....hugs, crying, emotional.....

Well, it was different to me, since I grew up Lutheran, and I know when my GF visits my Lutheran church it really feels different to her.....anyway, I missed the reverance, the liturgy, readings, communion and so on. I understood the purpose of the praise music, but it didn't seem to say much, just raise the emotional level. The whole thing just seemed more at an emotional level than at a thinking, pensive level. Well, I know there is a lot more differences as far as doctorines, but that was just my gut reaction.

Bottom line is that it wasn't as scary as I thought it was gonna be, but I know that I'm not gonna be switching over from Lutheranism any time soon......;)

(now I just need to get a booklet explaining Lutherans for my GF to read)

Should our faith be based on an emotional response? Maybe somewhat, but for them it is all emotional. Lutherans don't go to church for an emotional experience alone. They go because they receive God's grace through word and sacrament.

You mentioned that they were talking about getting the attendance at SS up and that a few AMENS followed that desire. I don't doubt their sincerity in wanting this for their church but are they putting it completely in the Lord's hands or are they looking for human ways to get this done?

Also, decision theology is being depicted here as they claim that we have to accept Jesus as our savior. Doesn't Paul expose this as wrong in Ephesians 2:8-9. "For it is by Grace that you have been saved through faith and this not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not by works so that no one may boast. This is what we call a monergistic relationship. Ask your girlfriend what happens to the Gospel once someone is "saved". Ask her also if we have the ability to lose our salvation. There are so many red flags that go up here that this is only the beginning.

[filosofer]

My rural Louisiana SBC experience

When I saw the heading, I thought you were going to relate some experience about the telecom: SBC.

doh! :D

[Lutherrunner]

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When I saw the heading, I thought you were going to relate some experience about the telecom: SBC.

doh! :D


No I've had pretty good luck with AT&T Wireless on the bayou......;)

[Lutherrunner]

Should our faith be based on an emotional response? Maybe somewhat, but for them it is all emotional. Lutherans don't go to church for an emotional experience alone. They go because they receive God's grace through word and sacrament.

You mentioned that they were talking about getting the attendance at SS up and that a few AMENS followed that desire. I don't doubt their sincerity in wanting this for their church but are they putting it completely in the Lord's hands or are they looking for human ways to get this done?

Also, decision theology is being depicted here as they claim that we have to accept Jesus as our savior. Doesn't Paul expose this as wrong in Ephesians 2:8-9. "For it is by Grace that you have been saved through faith and this not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not by works so that no one may boast. This is what we call a monergistic relationship. Ask your girlfriend what happens to the Gospel once someone is "saved". Ask her also if we have the ability to lose our salvation. There are so many red flags that go up here that this is only the beginning.

As usual, Scott, you have a way of wording things so that they make sense to me......thanks for helping me to try and figure this all out....:thumbsup:

[KagomeShuko]

outside of Bossier City, near Taylortown, just down from Goat Hill Road (hey I said rural didn't I?)


(now I just need to get a booklet explaining Lutherans for my GF to read)

I've been to a few Baptists and AOG service things. I never like them. I haven't even gone to their normal Sunday morning service, and the stuff is odd enough for me! Where is the grace/law?

If I want a Bible study, I'll go to a Bible study, thank you!

Yes, Lutherrunner, but how many of the others know that it is said BO-ZHURE city? Now, we're talking South Louisiana!

Yeah, the booklet or pamphlet on Lutheranism sounds good to me!

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[pastel]

I've been to a few Baptists and AOG service things. I never like them. I haven't even gone to their normal Sunday morning service, and the stuff is odd enough for me! Where is the grace/law?

If I want a Bible study, I'll go to a Bible study, thank you!

Yes, Lutherrunner, but how many of the others know that it is said BO-ZHURE city? Now, we're talking South Louisiana!

Yeah, the booklet or pamphlet on Lutheranism sounds good to me!

Stein Auf!
Bridget

That is cool....to think a person has to keep up with French in Louisiana, and here in California we have to try to keep up with Mexican Spanish. Spanish seems to bounce off my noggin. ;)

[KagomeShuko]

That is cool....to think a person has to keep up with French in Louisiana, and here in California we have to try to keep up with Mexican Spanish. Spanish seems to bounce off my noggin. ;)
Oh, yeah, most everything is French here. . .or some mixed French/Indian/Cajun way of saying something.

At the Lost And Found concert, people still had old flyers before our change of venue and the school is called "LaGrange." Now, of course, they were from Texas, so they said La Grange, with a long a sound. However, "grange" is said with more of a short o sound. . .

Some stuff here is Spanish, but not much. J's are still said like j's and not h's.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

[Lutherrunner]

Oh, yeah, most everything is French here. . .or some mixed French/Indian/Cajun way of saying something.

At the Lost And Found concert, people still had old flyers before our change of venue and the school is called "LaGrange." Now, of course, they were from Texas, so they said La Grange, with a long a sound. However, "grange" is said with more of a short o sound. . .

Some stuff here is Spanish, but not much. J's are still said like j's and not h's.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

Our hostess at Luby's had a real thick French/Cajun accent Sat. night...we could hardly understand her!......

on a side note...I used to work in LaGrange Texas......(home of that famous Chicken Ranch house of ill repute!)......lot's of folk's there are Chech.......interesting spellings of names.....(and I work with dyslexics)

I really do find the cultures down here in Texas and Louisiana fascinating.....lot's of fun traditions and good food!...:thumbsup:

[molchog]

That Church of God I mentioned earlier....my mother had the complaint shortly before we left it .... the Pastor always had a great reason why we should all be there NEXT Sunday, but never a good reason for THIS Sunday. It became such empty sermons, and a feeling of dissatisfaction everytime we walked out of the church building.

what Church of God was that, CHOG (Cleveland, TN), or CHOG (Anderson, IN), or some other group/denomination?:confused: