Thought I would still say in 2012, I am finding the Midwestern Wisconsin ELCA Lutherans very lazy at worship. We are more Catholic in ritual out West in Colorado where I am from, and take the time to do it correctly and to keep it holy. (No gabby announcements regurgitating the bulletin the start of service, we do brief announcements for after the benediction and amen, before the last hymn is sung.)
In fact, the local ELCA synod here in Wisconsin rejected me for seminary in 32 minutes after my jumping through their hoops for 9 months, and passing psych evals etc. I was a threat to the locals here with my Colorado values ( I am from the Midwest), besides having a cousin who was the Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, a grandpa who was a Lutheran-Swedish Covenant pastor and supposedly being related to Martin Luther in my German side, and me leading worship, publishing hymnals, liturgies, and articles in the Gannett newspapers on worship. Yep, a threat.
Would you believe 6 clergy told me everything they personally thought was wrong with me - and believe me, they hit below the belt! It was a crucifiction! I should have told them off, the hypocrites. I nearly lost my faith for a few months afterwards believing what the Devil would want me to believe that came out of their mouths.
Would you believe 4 ELCA clergy and one lay person told me to my face that I was an enigma, scatterbrained, had no musical talent and was immature! Try holding onto your faith after that crap! LOL
I wish I could have spewed pea soup all over them like Linda Blair!
I wrote the head Bishop of the ELCA at Higgins Road in Chicago with a formal complaint, but he whimped out and passed it onto his flunkie in the Candidacy department who sent me the corporate policy. Just like getting a letter from AT&T. Real Christlike, not. "Blessed are those who are persecuted," I read from Jesus to give me hope and comfort. Maybe a article in the USA Today on my work and rejection would wake the Bishop up? LOL He needs to dissolve the local candidacy committee here in Wisconsin. Too much of a whimp to do that. My ancestor Luther would have kicked them in the butt after drinking them under the table with beer.
I have helped a local Luther Seminary grad ELCA pastor who had no worship training at Luther. (Seems this is the case at Luther and LSTC in Chicago with many pastors who are not taught properly on worship!) Wartburg, PLTS, Gettysburg, and Philly sem grads seem to have the worship and sermon concepts. The pastor taught me a lot, and I taught him a lot. It was a mutal blessing.
Brought the church's early service from 8 to 40+ people in a few months in 2010-2011. We packed them in doing Swedish services at Christmas and Midsommar. The late service was contemporary and loose, which he detested. I taught the early crowd the basics of using a cross processional, and an acolyte and high church. They loved the structure of the liturgy and hymns. Used a mix of SBH 1 & 2 /LBW 2/ and ELW 8 scripted in the bulletin each week. Worked. I led by chanting and being worship assistant to represent the priesthood of all believers- those sitting in the pews responding to God.
You have not lived until you have felt and seen the Holy Spirit at work with people holding hands dancing around a Swedish maypole outside in Summer - singing "Children of the Heavenly Father" led by a violinist and song leaders!
Even with the increase in numbers and publicity in the local press for the Swedish event, the local Bishop intervened and forced the pastor out and asked me, the organist, and others to leave the church for his own agenda to take over. Nice Bishop - has control issues or not too well endowed I am thinking? I hate church politics and I hate some of the hypocrites who run our churches and synods. May God bless them. God has a plan for them too, I am afraid. LOL
After touring the local ELCA churches in the Green Bay area, I have come to the conclusion that the churches and pastors are just plain lazy to do worship ritual with liturgy etc. Why bother then to do any at all if it is a bother?
It is like someone in the local synod has all told them how to streamline the service to get people in and out.
I found three churches doing the Peace at the beginning of the service during gabby announcements. The reason it is normally done after the Prayers of the Church so that there is reconciliation between God's people afterwards. It loses it's place and the meaning and concept by having it at the beginning of the service.
Another thing they are doing is cutting parts of the Holy Communion to steamline it. I found one pastor just using the salutation, then went into the Words of Institution, then distibution. Others don't use a Thanksgiving at all. Yep, no communion rails to kneel, pray and contemplate at, except at one ELCA church in Green Bay. The rest do Drive Thru communion - gotta move, get you outta here. No time for God or peace or hope.
What are we missing here in the ELCA Lutheran churches? Proper leadership/education to get out of the 1950's of the pastor doing everything up front, and into the 1970's of what the rest of us in the ELCA have been doing nationwide for nearly 40 years.
Got any ideas on how to wake them up and help them learn and get with it?
Most are experiencing loses in the collection plate each week with the budgets.
Perhaps if they quit cutting corners with the first point of contact people/visitors/seekers have with a church - which is the Sunday service, they could liturgically feed people with the work of the people, and money would come in more? I know I leave feeling empty even with Holy Communion in some streamlined form to rush me out the door.
Any ideas?
As for me, it is one day at a time for the grief of losing my beloved parents in one year in 2010-2011. It is a cross I must bear, but a cross that I know God carries with me. I must firmly believe that my folks are with Christ in heaven and not doubt.
Peace be with you who read this post.
I feel for you. Just yesterday we had a guest pastor attend Divine Service with his family from MI. He said he felt very much at home, but hadn't seen such a historic service in such a time.
ReplyDeleteDare I say, "Go West, young man"?