A Worship Service 180

"...there should be proper lenity on the part of bishops to bear with us by reason of the Confession which we have now reviewed; because even the Canons are not so severe as to demand the same rites everywhere, neither, at any time, have the rites of all churches been the same*; although, among us, in large part, the ancient rites are diligently observed." (Augsburg Confession, Art. XXI, 1530)

Well, I can't believe we've been here in Ft. Wayne for a week already!  (Where does the time go?)

We visited a new church for worship this morning, an 8 o'clock service (the start of which was tolled on a large brass bell in the narthex), chatted with an usher for a few minutes, met the pastor, then found a pew (honestly, I didn't see the kneelers when we sat down). After being a part of a growing and vibrant 500+ congregation back in Texas, we felt as though we had made a 180° turn in worship style; the first thing I noticed when we entered the sanctuary was the hymn boards. I love the Lutheran liturgy (I'm ambivalent about some of those loooong hymns, though); however, I find using the LSB (Lutheran Service Book) to be distracting with all the page-turning. Beyond the pastor's mic, I noticed no use of technology-- I guess some Lutherans are for it or against it. The pastor led the service from start to finish, moving from altar to lectern to a pulpit situated squarely in the center of the altar area, nearly a floor above pews. I don't know if there's any theological or ecumenical significance to its particular location (I may run that by my Greek professor this evening), but a pastor shouldn't appear to be sitting in judgment (like in a courtroom). It was a genuinely authentic Missouri Synod-style worship service, no doubt, but for me that worship style is too formatted. (And the pastor used the archaic thee instead of you during the benediction...for effect?)

All in all, it was just a style of service we're not used to. The last time I had to use a pew kneeler was, I believe, before I became a confirmed member. (And once, when our eldest daughter who's now 27 was a toddler, we were sitting in the back row of a huge Lutheran church in Maryland...my wife brought the kneeler down on my ingrown toenail-- I remember the pain was so great that I nearly started speaking in tongues...I think I may have cried out the name of the Lord, as well...) A love for kneelers must also reside in the no-to-technology camp.

We found another close-by congregation to visit, this one a come-as-you-are, contemporary worship church that one would not deduce to be in any way Lutheran from their website. In fact, the only use of "Lutheran" and ties with the LCMS are in this blurb from the About page, on which states that they are a Christian church. We have been established for 20 years. The church is a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. This link will take you to the LCMS Beliefs and Practice page of their website. Here you can find great detail what the church declares it believes and its structure. Had I not looked around, I would have categorized this congregation as a Seeker Church. [a quick aside to Pastor Jon, who may or may not read this: this church website reminds me of our conversations before we left Texas]

But I'm looking forward to another new worship experience! Who knows? (Well, besides God, but that question is rhetorical anyway...) Looks like the pendulum will swing back the other way (and then some)...and I figure that at least I'll be much more familiar with the music! (And, I look forward to meeting the pastor, who is a Ft. Wayne seminary graduate himself, though one would be hard-pressed to deduce that, as well, from his hipster website-- where his book is for sale-- and blog.) (I feel like I'm going to church to meet a celebrity next Sunday!)

Another worship 180! Another character in the saga maybe? You'll have to stay tuned to find out!

*At the heart of Martin Luther’s reformation of the Church were his reforms in worship. Although the specific dogmas we associate with Roman Catholicism today were not officially canonized until the Counsel of Trent in 1554-1563, many of the Roman Church’s heresy was already developed by the early 1500s. For example, the doctrine of purgatory came in 593, prayer to Mary, saints, and angels in 600, kissing the pope’s foot in 709, the canonization of dead saints in 995, the celibacy of the priesthood in 1079, the rosary in 1090, transubstantiation and confessing sins to a priest in 1215, and the seven sacraments in 1439. Thus was the ecclesiastical culture into which Martin Luther was born. (from religiousaffections.org)