Originally Posted by The Bag Lady
Did your church go with the new hymnals when they came out---we didn't. By differences I mean you don't allow women in the pulpit or as ushers etc. or do you.
I work for C. Keepers and I had a client that wanted to be taken to church on Sundays and she was Episcopalian. I felt very comfortable in the church because their liturgy is just like ours---in fact I thught I was in the Lutheran church.
I used to work for the Lutheran School here in town and it closed at the end of June 2009. We ran out of money etc.
I know we are all working toward the same goal but I just am curious about the rules etc. in the different synods. Is there still a Wisc. Synod?
Some do, some don't. I personally prefer the old. I am not that keen on the newer jazzy type songs. I like the old hymns and I knew the world was changing when, at one time, I could go through either the main service or the Order of Matins without using the book. Now the tunes are different and I have more than once embarrassed myself by singing in my old tune. Holy Cats, I knew the Nicene and the Athanasian Creed by heart. I still know the Nicene though! I know the Missouri Synod does not have women ministers, but ushers I am not sure of, there again, it may depend on the church. I do remember at one time, back in the 50's, the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts could not meet at a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I believe they do now! (That was a stupid rule anyhow)!
We follow the Bible to the letter and don't assume that this means that or that means this. If it says in the Bible that "gayness" is a sin, it IS a sin. But then my mother has an answer for that one. "Hate the sin - love the sinner." We had a neighbor who was gay. Nicest person in the world. I still believe what is a sin is a sin, but I would have missed out on not knowing a very nice person if I had carried it one step too far, that being hate the sin - hate the sinner. I know God hates the sin, and I also know God loves the sinner. I was baptized at St. Johns Lutheran Church - a Wisconsin Synod - my grandparents were Wisconsin synod, and that was the church my mother grew up in, so why not baptize me there!
WELS is the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. There are a few around here. There are several Missouri Synod, but a lot of LCA, ELCA and LCA. There is a breakoff of the ELCA here in St. Paul, and more places when it came to allowing gays to be ministers and live with their partners. That caused a tremendous brouhaha around here. Just leave me in the Missouri Synod, let me believe what I was brought up on, don't force things down my throat that I do not believe in and that God does not believe in (Because He says so).
Our son went to a Lutheran School here in St. Paul. It was exceptional as far as education and religious training is concerned. He had a terrible one year (7th grade) catching up from public school. (Anything you can do to get that school back in business would be a godsend to so many children. They learn so much more, not only education, but love, manners, respect for others. Things that are not taught in public schools. He also, in the eighth grade, was taught a lot of memory work for his Confirmation. It was a marvelous school and is doing great to this day and that was back in 1982. He then went on to Concordia Academy, which is a Lutheran High School. He was two years ahead in everything compared to my nephew who was in public high school. He went on to the University of Minnesota and now is an IT for a well known company! Very proud of that bugger!!!!! His grade school and high school were based on the principals of the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church.
If you listen to some of the Catholic services, they are the same as the Lutheran Services, also!
Hope that helps you a bit! Isn't this a marvelous outlet and learning experience for a lot of people?????? Edie