Went to a Lutheran divine service on Sunday...

[Victrixa]

Hi my dear Lutheran friends! :wave:

Just wanted to share with you that I attended a Lutheran divine service on Sunday. Actually, my Lutheran pastor friend celebrated it. He has a Lutheran mission in his hometown.

I really loved it!

Just wanted to say this right now. I will share more later!

Please pray for me and my husband....

Thank you!

Caroline

[ByzantineDixie]

Victrixia, :wave:

Glad you liked the service! How did you find it compared to your Catholic services. Pretty much the same or is your Catholic service a little more contemporary or vice versa?

I think the services are remarkably similar--so much so that when I go to my brother's Catholic church I am so engaged in the worship that I feel let down when communion comes and I can not partake.

Prayers for you and your husband are on their way!

God bless you,

Rose

[Victrixa]

Hi Rose and Lutheran friends,

Pretty much the same or is your Catholic service a little more contemporary or vice versa?

First off, my pastor friend has his church in his home because it's only at the stage of mission right now. However, very soon, he'll be able to celebrate in a church not far from his home. So, yesterday's service was in his home.

The liturgical service was very solemn, very sacred. More solemn than in my Catholic parish.

I loved the absolution part right before the Eucharist! And I loved to receive the Eucharist up front and that nothing is hurried. I loved to recieve not only the Body but the Blood also.

Right after the absolution, I felt a heavy weight (the weight of my sins) fall from my shoulders and right after I swallowed the Blood I felt completely purified from those same sins. It was undescribable!

The Lutheran liturgy is quite the same as the Catholic one. I didn't feel lost at all! I appreciated the lovely hymns and choruses throughout the service.

Dear Rose and my other Lutheran friends, after the Lutheran service, our pastor friend and his wife and my husband and I took the rest of the day together and we talked and talked. Our friend sends us tons of Lutheran literature via e-mail and I have read most of it. Hubby and I recieved more explanations yesterday... Oh my gosh... I feel like I am at a crossroads again (like hubby).

I don't want to get into this too much (I might get stoned by some people at CF :sigh:) but I'm starting to think that you Lutherans might be right... gulp.

Rose, I know you're having struggles as a Lutheran, but I'm having struggles as a Catholic... hmmmm.

Hubby had a dream which seems like a sign to God's will for us, again there are other signs, I don't know... hehe!

I know that God is leading my husband and I and that our path in the Faith has a purpose. I am strongly convinced of that!

Anyways, friends, please pray for hubby and I. We need your prayers!

Seeking God's Will and the Truth,

Caroline

[SPALATIN]

Hi Rose and Lutheran friends,



First off, my pastor friend has his church in his home because it's only at the stage of mission right now. However, very soon, he'll be able to celebrate in a church not far from his home. So, yesterday's service was in his home.

The liturgical service was very solemn, very sacred. More solemn than in my Catholic parish.

I loved the absolution part right before the Eucharist! And I loved to receive the Eucharist up front and that nothing is hurried. I loved to recieve not only the Body but the Blood also.

Right after the absolution, I felt a heavy weight (the weight of my sins) fall from my shoulders and right after I swallowed the Blood I felt completely purified from those same sins. It was undescribable!

The Lutheran liturgy is quite the same as the Catholic one. I didn't feel lost at all! I appreciated the lovely hymns and choruses throughout the service.

Dear Rose and my other Lutheran friends, after the Lutheran service, our pastor friend and his wife and my husband and I took the rest of the day together and we talked and talked. Our friend sends us tons of Lutheran literature via e-mail and I have read most of it. Hubby and I recieved more explanations yesterday... Oh my gosh... I feel like I am at a crossroads again (like hubby).

I don't want to get into this too much (I might get stoned by some people at CF :sigh:) but I'm starting to think that you Lutherans might be right... gulp.

Rose, I know you're having struggles as a Lutheran, but I'm having struggles as a Catholic... hmmmm.

Hubby had a dream which seems like a sign to God's will for us, again there are other signs, I don't know... hehe!

I know that God is leading my husband and I and that our path in the Faith has a purpose. I am strongly convinced of that!

Anyways, friends, please pray for hubby and I. We need your prayers!

Seeking God's Will and the Truth,

Caroline
Caroline,

I am glad that you had the experience that you did at the Lutheran Church. I hope that you continue down that road and explore exactly what this church is all about. I think that most Catholics would feel at home in a Lutheran church with the type of service we use.

Welcome to what we call Lutheranism.

Scott Strohkirch

[ByzantineDixie]

Caroline, I can certainly appreciate your situation. Some of the toughest times I have had are when God is teaching me His Truth...which means the Holy Spirit reveals what "I" want to keep as truth as the lie it truly is. It's a tough journey but once the process is complete it is so great to have the Truth in hand! (Or better said, to rest in the hands of the Truth!) Just continue to allow Him to lead you. I know you are in Good Hands! ;)

I'd like to clarify something for you and for the folks here. My struggles with being a Lutheran are on the fringe not at the core. At the core I am firmly grounded as a Lutheran. As one of my friends says "Lutheran doctrine is the only game in town" and I fully embrace that.

I really am an all or nothing kind of person. I like to jump in with both feet. So I whine a bit when I struggle with some of the nuances of how Lutheran doctrine is applied to life. Every day I am learning and every day I am doing battle with myself. I am just more impatient than most and I guess I am not shy enough about venting my frustrations! (YIKES! I'll need to watch that in the future.)

Love y'all

Rose

[Phoebe]

Caroline, I'll say a prayer that God's Holy Spirit will guide you in your decisions.

[Victrixa]

Thank you Rose, Scott and Phoebe for your kind responses.

Our Lutheran pastor friend has given us literature to read plus a video on Church history to watch and is ready to start Cathecumen courses with us! :eek:

We have known this friend for a long time. We were in another denomination together at one time and in full-time ministry within the latter.

What is happening right now feels so strange. I was so convinced that (Roman) Catholicism was the Truth... As time went on, though, some things weren't working for me. Some things never worked for my husband. (We reverted four years ago with ups and downs) Won't get into that now...

As I read more of the Church Fathers, I realize that they thaught things quite contrary to Roman Catholicism. I won't expound on this now either!

Like you, Rose, I am an all or nothing person. I believe that Christians are called to be genuine. I just don't want to make myself believe 'stuff' which isn't true, historical, apostolic or Scriptural.

My faith has been more stagnant than anything else during my last four 'reversion' years. Same with my husband and this fact worried me.

I'm feeling liberated right now. I haven't felt this way in a looong time! (I did in my Protestant years...) Even when I wake up in the morning, things are much clearer in my mind now concerning the 'things' of the Faith...By the way, hubby and I had a looong talk last night concerning the Faith and our present church affiliation. (I most certainly will be called an apostate by certain people... Let it be clear that I do not wish to hurt anyone...)

Pray for us.

Thank you.

In Christian love,

Caroline

[Lotar]

Sounds like a good friend and pastor. ;)

I agree with you on the Fathers. Nothing convinced me more that Catholics are wrong than reading the works of the Early Church Fathers.

There is no doubt that certian people will speak ill of you, if (or maybe I sould say "when" ;) ) you convert. But, do such people's opinions really matter? After all, it's not really a great showing of Christian love or friendship. Follow where the Lord leads you, you won't regret it. :)

[SPALATIN]

Thank you Rose, Scott and Phoebe for your kind responses.

Our Lutheran pastor friend has given us literature to read plus a video on Church history to watch and is ready to start Cathecumen courses with us! :eek:

We have known this friend for a long time. We were in another denomination together at one time and in full-time ministry within the latter.

What is happening right now feels so strange. I was so convinced that (Roman) Catholicism was the Truth... As time went on, though, some things weren't working for me. Some things never worked for my husband. (We reverted four years ago with ups and downs) Won't get into that now...

As I read more of the Church Fathers, I realize that they thaught things quite contrary to Roman Catholicism. I won't expound on this now either!

Like you, Rose, I am an all or nothing person. I believe that Christians are called to be genuine. I just don't want to make myself believe 'stuff' which isn't true, historical, apostolic or Scriptural.

My faith has been more stagnant than anything else during my last four 'reversion' years. Same with my husband and this fact worried me.

I'm feeling liberated right now. I haven't felt this way in a looong time! (I did in my Protestant years...) Even when I wake up in the morning, things are much clearer in my mind now concerning the 'things' of the Faith...By the way, hubby and I had a looong talk last night concerning the Faith and our present church affiliation. (I most certainly will be called an apostate by certain people... Let it be clear that I do not wish to hurt anyone...)

Pray for us.

Thank you.

In Christian love,

Caroline
One of the things I don't worry about is being Apostate to a denomination that is not clearly teaching truth in Scripture.

I have a couple of suggestions for reading if you have the time and it shouldn't cost too much money.

"The Defense Never Rests" by Craig Parton
"The Spirituality of the Cross" by Gene Edward Veith Jr.
"Why I am Lutheran, Jesus at the Center." by Daniel Preus

These will give you some good information about Lutheranism aside from Catechism that your Pastor friend will take you through.

I will keep you in my prayers.

Scott Strohkirch

You can pick these up at www.cph.org (http://www.cph.org).

[BBAS 64]

Hi my dear Lutheran friends! :wave:

Just wanted to share with you that I attended a Lutheran divine service on Sunday. Actually, my Lutheran pastor friend celebrated it. He has a Lutheran mission in his hometown.

I really loved it!

Just wanted to say this right now. I will share more later!

Please pray for me and my husband....

Thank you!

CarolineGood Day, Caroline

I have read though this post a couple of times and I must say I am touched by your story. Even though I am not a Lutheran I have a deep respect for Luther and those whom cary his name. I will pray for you that God's will be done in the life of you and your husband. With that I must runnnnnnnn Lotar is out there I know.

Hey Lotar my Brother!:wave:

Bill

[A. believer]

Thank you Rose, Scott and Phoebe for your kind responses.

Our Lutheran pastor friend has given us literature to read plus a video on Church history to watch and is ready to start Cathecumen courses with us! :eek:

We have known this friend for a long time. We were in another denomination together at one time and in full-time ministry within the latter.

What is happening right now feels so strange. I was so convinced that (Roman) Catholicism was the Truth... As time went on, though, some things weren't working for me. Some things never worked for my husband. (We reverted four years ago with ups and downs) Won't get into that now...

As I read more of the Church Fathers, I realize that they thaught things quite contrary to Roman Catholicism. I won't expound on this now either!

Like you, Rose, I am an all or nothing person. I believe that Christians are called to be genuine. I just don't want to make myself believe 'stuff' which isn't true, historical, apostolic or Scriptural.

My faith has been more stagnant than anything else during my last four 'reversion' years. Same with my husband and this fact worried me.

I'm feeling liberated right now. I haven't felt this way in a looong time! (I did in my Protestant years...) Even when I wake up in the morning, things are much clearer in my mind now concerning the 'things' of the Faith...By the way, hubby and I had a looong talk last night concerning the Faith and our present church affiliation. (I most certainly will be called an apostate by certain people... Let it be clear that I do not wish to hurt anyone...)

Pray for us.

Thank you.

In Christian love,

Caroline
Hi Caroline,

I'm glad to hear that you're beginning to rest in the finished work of Christ again and starting to experience the peace that comes with that. Although you're right that some will call you apostate, there will be people who will call you apostate (or worse) regardless of where you worship and what you believe.

I'll always remember a part of a sermon I once heard at a Presbyterian Church. The pastor was relaying his changing convictions that led him out of one denomination (which he didn't name, but which was clearly a denomination, whether Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or some Protestant tradition--I don't know--that preached that they were the "one true church.) The pastor relayed the story of how he was asked by one of the members of his former denomination, "What if you're wrong? Where will you be then?" And he responded, "Under God's grace, where I've been all along."

I feel a special tenderness toward those who are leaving a denomination that claims to be the "one true church," because I understand the sense of insecurity that causes. But God is not bound by our perfectionist wishes, and you remain under the same protection you've always been under--the only protection there is--the grace of God.

God bless!