According to our Baptist pastor, Lutherans believe that when you take communion, that you're eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus.
I thought that was Catholics.
Oddly enough, that's the argument I had x many years ago in Swormville, New York at, and after being at, the church I was looking at last night in the satellite maps. I guess it was wrong of me to have taken communion at the Catholic church because I believed that it was only a symbol of Christ's gift to us. But she stuck to her guns, good for her, good to have convictions.
That wasn't the reason, but I'm not going to become a member of this church. I'll probably attend here for decades, but I won't join the church. I think Christian is as specific as I want to get. I've been a member of several Lutheran churches and a non-denominational, and now I'm weary from the labels and specifics and happy to be just a Christian... I don't want to be Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist or Pentacostal or Four Squarey or whatever... I just want to work on living a life that pleases God, recognizing Christ as the only path to salvation and that I will always will fall short and be unworthy, but through Jesus Christ's sacrifice am redeemed. Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done. Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are.
A bigger issue is my baptism, apparently. I was baptized as a baby, by loving parents, who were making a public commitment to raise me up in a Christian home, to teach, guide and shape me, to love me and give me all the opportunities possible to choose to become a follower of God. As a parent, I realize now that I don't think that's the way to go. We've participated with Rachel in two baby dedications, making those same commitments, but she won't be baptized until she chooses to, after committing her life to Christ. A decision that's solely hers to make, but one that we're praying for and one we're hoping she will choose based on the opportunities we make available to her and the lives we model. I wonder if there are critics who would call it brainwashing, but then there are critics that suggest the same is done by public education. Besides, she also knows that Home Depot and Starbucks are great places that daddy loves to go to. And what's that? Branding? Positive Experience? Consumer education?
At some point in my future, I will probably be baptized again, the full immersion "correct" way to do it. At my last church, they said it wasn't a Main thing, something to fight over, but here it's apparently a Main thing. I get their point and I think it was well presented in the membership class today, but I'm not ready to do it. Not because I am unwilling to make that kind of a commitment before the world -- fill the Tacoma Dome and put me in the middle with a microphone and I'll tell you exactly what I think and the desire of how I want to live my life.
But I kind of see baptism as a sacred or somewhat holy act and so it seems foreign to me, the idea of just repeating it, if it detracts from my parents' intent and the commitment to me. Or, it's just all ceremonious hoo ha and just another artificial barrier that bothers me.
He also called PLU only slightly-slightly-religious and I had to concede him that point. Though it looks like it's a little more so now than it was when I was there.
In other news, in addition to my work at World Vision, I'm doing contract work for a very large non-denominational mid-western Christian community church near a windy city named after a tree and a body of water. Negotiations have mostly concluded and all that remains is paperwork and finding time to get the work done. This is an answer to a prayer we hadn't been praying all that hard about, but it was something I couldn't possibly say no to.
5 comments:
I agree with you about baptism being better as a choice than something thrust upon you at (or shortly after) birth. A also agree, though, that it is a symbol and not the most important aspect of one's faith.
And, having been a guest in Orthodox, Baptist, and Catholic churches, I know you are supposed to be confirmed/made a member in that particular faith (though not necessarily that specific church) in order to receive communion. The idea of transmographication vs. symbolism is also not the most important aspect of one's faith, and you take what you want from the sacrament.
And if you've convinced Rachel that Starbucks is good, you are indeed guilty of brainwashing and should feel much shame. Home Depot's cool, though.
Semi-related, it is my intention to invite leaders of other churches, synagogues, and mosques to come speak to my class, not to try to sway them away from their faith, but to gain som insight into beliefs other than theirs. The religion teacher for my class would proudly and loudly denounce you for adopting such a vague stance on Christianity, as he is convinced that anyone who is not a Missouri Synod Luthern is condemned to an eternity in hell. Personally, I feel a little exposure to other ideas will do them know harm. In fact, understanding the road(s) not taken makes the choice they eventually make more meaningful, in my opinion. Knowing you, I trust you're raising Rachel to judge people by the content of their character, and I'm sure she will treat the subject of faith in the same way.
Congrats on the additional work.
You've been a prolific commenter lately. I guess you've reached the end of the known internet.
Yeah, she has her own orange smock that she loves wearing to Home Depot. She's only been into a Starbucks once and through the drive-through once.
Don't get me started on Missouri Synod. Oh, wait, too late. Let me end it quickly by saying I'm not a fan. They denied me communion once at a church we were visiting. Without even asking, just passed me over. Maybe a blessing, maybe not. But I had my hands out, I had already completed first communion and was there with my parents. But no communion for me.
Exposure to other religions is good, just like anything else, so you know why you believe what you believe. Not simply because that's what your parents did, but to own it for yourself. Otherwise you end up in college, away from home for the first time and you start to adopt silly beliefs because they're new and novel, contrary to what your parents think and because they sound good to your non-discerning mind.
Or to put it another way, you have to go to Lowes and Ace to understand why Home Depot is the only place to shop for home improvement projects.
I don't know if I'm prolific as much as I'm frantically distracting myself from thinking about certain things.
I've been to my school's church with Brad twice, and they've denied him communion both times, too. The Missouri Lutes are an uptight bunch sometimes.
By the way, I'm stealing your line about Lowes, Ace & Home Depot to use in class.
I agree with you about baptism being better as a choice than something thrust upon you at (or shortly after) birth. A also agree, though, that it is a symbol and not the most important aspect of one's faith.
And, having been a guest in Orthodox, Baptist, and Catholic churches, I know you are supposed to be confirmed/made a member in that particular faith (though not necessarily that specific church) in order to receive communion. The idea of transmographication vs. symbolism is also not the most important aspect of one's faith, and you take what you want from the sacrament.
And if you've convinced Rachel that Starbucks is good, you are indeed guilty of brainwashing and should feel much shame. Home Depot's cool, though.
Semi-related, it is my intention to invite leaders of other churches, synagogues, and mosques to come speak to my class, not to try to sway them away from their faith, but to gain som insight into beliefs other than theirs. The religion teacher for my class would proudly and loudly denounce you for adopting such a vague stance on Christianity, as he is convinced that anyone who is not a Missouri Synod Luthern is condemned to an eternity in hell. Personally, I feel a little exposure to other ideas will do them know harm. In fact, understanding the road(s) not taken makes the choice they eventually make more meaningful, in my opinion. Knowing you, I trust you're raising Rachel to judge people by the content of their character, and I'm sure she will treat the subject of faith in the same way.
Congrats on the additional work.
I don't know if I'm prolific as much as I'm frantically distracting myself from thinking about certain things.
I've been to my school's church with Brad twice, and they've denied him communion both times, too. The Missouri Lutes are an uptight bunch sometimes.
By the way, I'm stealing your line about Lowes, Ace & Home Depot to use in class.
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