We've been searching once again for a church home in the area. We had hoped to be able to start to driving to church in L.A. again but gas prices just won't allow it. We know that we need to find a place within a "reasonable" distance so that's what we have been doing. One thing I noticed this morning was how much the Divine Service from TLH was something I relied upon. The church we visited this morning used a different setting out of LSB. I felt lost and frustrated during the whole service, unable to really concentrate on the words because I was trying to keep up with the music. By the end of the service I gave up trying to sing along and just read the words while the music was played. I wasn't alone, the congregation stumbled over the service as well so it must have been a new setting for them too. For me this just highlights a downfall of having so many settings and hymnals to choose from, you never know what you are going to get when you walk in a church. I wonder how the older people in the church feel about the changing liturgy if it's so difficult for me and I've only been doing it for 6 years.
We met with a pastor from a different congregation this last week. It was nice to have someone be totally honest with us about the practices of their congregation but at the same time it was disheartening. The pastor isn't sure if he will accept Lorna's confirmation, not because he doubts that she has been catechized but because of her age, this congregation doesn't confirm until the end of 8th grade and she would only be in 7th grade in the government school system. We also asked about their practice of once a month communion and were saddened by the response that it was often enough and not really all that important. The pastor didn't see a need for more frequent communion and that it was more important to get out earlier because people didn't want to have service go too late. Hearing these words from a pastor made me want to weep, to have such a low opinion of such a great gift is just beyond words.
So you might be wondering where that leaves us. We have 2 options at this point, to try the church down the street which has practices far outside our comfort zone or continue with the church whose pastor we met with this last week. Decisions, decisions...
4 comments:
That is a sad, unenviable position.
I was remembering to pray for you all about this. It is mowing season so I will put you back up on the list. Have you been able to use Pastor Bender's or Pastor Stuckwisch' daily catechesis materials? Just curious if that could help some.
Thanks Karin.
We use Pastor Bender's Lutheran Catechesis each school day but haven't done anything with it on Sundays. We keep hoping that we will find a church that will work. We have yet another appointment to speak with a pastor about 60 miles from here. We've visited a few times and have some questions. So far this is the best thing we have found but it takes about 1.25 hour to get there so that is another concern with fuel prices. Both pastors we have talked to closer to home are Lutheran in name only so there is no point in continuing to attend either of those churches.
Worst case scenario is that we drive to our home church in the Los Angeles area 4-6 times a year and supplement more at home.
Sigh. I am not grateful enough for what I have here. Pastor Stuckwisch do a blog once in March I think, titled "It shouldn't be this hard" or something like that about the issue of finding a chuch. I don't know if it would help......
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