Churchgoing

[Weedon]

Well, that would be rather sad... to miss out on the very beating heart of the Church's joy: the forgiveness that the body and blood of Christ deliver, forgiveness not as an idea but as the very gift of His presence, His embrace.

[Charles_Austin]

If rhythmic, hand-clapping, dancing-in-the-aisles church music would turn off, frighten or scandalize some of us (we who too often fear those kinds of expressions of emotional enthusiasm as if they were demons from the depths), it's not too had to see how our sometimes quiet, meditative, reflective piety might look frosty and scary to someone from another Christian tradition.
You do understand, Pastor Weedon, that God's grace and forgiveness can be mediated without having weekly "the body and blood of Christ"? You do understand that millions of Christians (including our forbears even in Luther's time) are faithful Christians communing maybe once a month, once a quarter or once a year?
They are not missing the grace of God or the forgiveness of sins.

[Harvey_Mozolak]

Just thinking... while listening to CPE Bach's Magnificat...

walking through a museum (if the church is that dead) can prove to be a boring experience for many folks today...
who understands all this modern stuff and the old stuff is stuffy...
where would they be challenged
these folks forced to listen to timpani's in G
or shuffling from gallery to gallery
ah, a shopping mall, now that's the place...
or a screaming basketball game with one of my kids or grandkids playing...
or watching CSI as a body is dissected and some sexual twist is found to find the murder...
ah, now that that is the worth-ship of living

Harvey Mozolak

[Brian Stoffregen]

If rhythmic, hand-clapping, dancing-in-the-aisles church music would turn off, frighten or scandalize some of us (we who too often fear those kinds of expressions of emotional enthusiasm as if they were demons from the depths), it's not too had to see how our sometimes quiet, meditative, reflective piety might look frosty and scary to someone from another Christian tradition.
You do understand, Pastor Weedon, that God's grace and forgiveness can be mediated without having weekly "the body and blood of Christ"? You do understand that millions of Christians (including our forbears even in Luther's time) are faithful Christians communing maybe once a month, once a quarter or once a year?
They are not missing the grace of God or the forgiveness of sins.

I've had a few Baptists who just don't get the idea that reading a prayer from a book can be a real prayer to God. For them, if it's read, it can't really be from the heart. Spontaneously is the only way to pray for some of them.

[Terry W Culler]

An spontaneous prayer so often involves saying "Lord" every third word as they grope for what it is they want to say.  I know I shouldn't be so snide, but it sort of irks me. 

[Donald_Kirchner]

An spontaneous prayer so often involves saying "Lord" every third word as they grope for what it is they want to say.  I know I shouldn't be so snide, but it sort of irks me.

Ah, the prayer of the "just." Must have at least three "we just..." for it to be from the heart. 

[Pilgrim]

You do understand, Pastor Weedon, that God's grace and forgiveness can be mediated without having weekly "the body and blood of Christ"? You do understand that millions of Christians (including our forbears even in Luther's time) are faithful Christians communing maybe once a month, once a quarter or once a year?
They are not missing the grace of God or the forgiveness of sins.

Tim notes: You're a good Metho/Baptist in this neck of the woods with the aforementioned understanding, Charles, Don't let Pr. Weedon's (or many others of us) commitment and obedience to our Lord's command and the confessions waylay your certainty of speculative mediation of grace!

[Charles_Austin]

I am a good Lutheran, Pastor Christ, relying on Lutheran tradition. What I'm trying to point out is that Methodists and Baptists also receive the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins. Their form of piety is not that which I prefer. And they, especially the Baptists, might not care for my high church Lutheran liturgy. But despite that, we are all in this together.

[Richard Johnson]

What I'm trying to point out is that Methodists and Baptists also receive the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins.

True enough. But they may not realize it. 

[J. Thomas Shelley]

What I'm trying to point out is that Methodists and Baptists also receive the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins.

True enough. But they may not realize it. 

Or they may redefinite it so as to  make it appear conditional.

[Brian Stoffregen]

What I'm trying to point out is that Methodists and Baptists also receive the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins.

True enough. But they may not realize it. 

Or they may redefinite it so as to  make it appear conditional.

Just like Lutherans do - and often don't realize it. E.g., you must be baptized. You have to desire to receive communion, and receive it. You have to agree with our confession of faith - The Trinity, Jesus is God and human, the Bible is the Word of God, the Confessions present the proper interpretation of the Bible.