Sunday, October 23, 2016

Whining

I guess it has been awhile since I've posted on this blog and as a result of my silence certain assumptions may be made.  OK, fair enough, assumptions are correct.  Still at the 10 pound mark.  I think I have mastered maintenance ha! ha!  But this post is about something else  . . . religion . . . NOT to be confused with faith as they are very different.

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Here's the deal, about 7 years ago the church we had attended for many years basically imploded upon itself (spiritually and communally speaking).  I could go into detail as to what happened but the bottom line is that there was an improper relationship between one of the pastors and a member, then problems with the replacement pastor, then some really bad behavior by some members combined with a lack of support and direction from the synod.  So you can see it was a royal mess.  We tried to be Switzerland but it eventually reached a point that we just left.  We did it quietly, without fanfare. After 13 years we just never went back.


Some members were angry that we left (thinking we should go down with the boat) and we were basically shunned.  It was rather hurtful since our whole social life was wrapped around the people at that church. We'd see someone at the store and they'd quickly turn away to avoid us.

Some others left too.  Most of them went to another Lutheran church and some just never went to any church again.


The vast majority of people in this state are members of the Mormon church.  We are not.  The church I described was an ELCA Lutheran church.  The ELCA denomination is much more liberal than the others within the Lutheran church.  Most churches around here are Mormon so finding a church of another denomination is like a little oasis.  In terms of theology, there isn't much difference between the ELCA Lutherans and the United Methodists.  The differences are more like the seasonings in a pumpkin pie.  They're the same thing only different.


The Mormon religion is such that its members typically don't go outside the church community for much of anything. There really isn't a need for it.  I wouldn't say it's really consciously intentional, it's just how things work around here. There is an invisible division that is the consequence of "operational differences".

OK, so when the church imploded and we left, we ended up at a Methodist church.  It is a really good (healthy) church, with a wonderful congregation and a good pastor.  We've been there just over 6 years. We SHOULD be really content but in all that time we've missed certain things, things we were used to like music, liturgy, etc.  As I said, it isn't a theological difference, it's the seasoning added to the pumpkin pie.  Lately we've been missing that pumpkin pie and the Methodist recipe just isn't doing it for us.



I wish there was a good ELCA Lutheran church nearby.  Actually, there is the one some people split off to but they are still associated with the "other" one and not necessarily a healthy or thriving congregation.  It is a very small church with an old congregation whose members are pretty set in their ways.  Let's just say there's a lingering scent there from the somewhat recent and much older history.  The other Lutheran churches (2 more) are not ELCA.  They're more conservative and have restrictions for female pastors (not allowed) and are not gay friendly.  I'm not gay but this is still an important issue for me.

Anyway . . . I guess I am just whining.  I really don't see any other options unless we wanted to drive 40 miles (or more) to SLC and that isn't really an option.  Sometimes I think maybe I won't go to church but it is the one place to be with others who are not members of the Mormon faith (where there are HUGE differences not only in theology but in everyday life).


6 comments:

  1. As a person of no faith, I find the church drama so interesting. My mother has had some with her church. A coworker just left a church because the pastor accused her of untrue things . . . her story is more like a soap opera!
    I hope that you find somewhere/something to help with your spiritual life. I know how important it is to you.

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  2. I say you hop a plane every Sunday and come to our ELCA/LMS Lutheran Church. Bob must have a pilot's license, right??

    Then he can fly you up to visit F'in Alex to get rid of your last 10 pounds ;-)

    Seriously tho...I hope you can find a church that you can call home soon.

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  3. I as raised Lutheran as well but understand the whole "bad church" thing. I belonged to one congregation where the minister actually told people not to pay their bills and give that money to the church as God would provide, only to have some of the seniors not have enough money for food. Then he showed up with a new Bass Boat. Didn't go back.

    But my faith is important to me, so I just kept looking.

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  4. I as raised Lutheran as well but understand the whole "bad church" thing. I belonged to one congregation where the minister actually told people not to pay their bills and give that money to the church as God would provide, only to have some of the seniors not have enough money for food. Then he showed up with a new Bass Boat. Didn't go back.

    But my faith is important to me, so I just kept looking.

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  5. Hari OM
    ...well you know I kept looking and boy did that turn out interesting! I kinda got halted on the 'Mac History' on my bloggy, but there were interesting events in the church (Scots Kirk - Presbyterian) scenario which resulted in my stepping outside. Having been around the traps, as it were, I can tell you that humans will be humans no matter which doctrinal structure you chose to follow. Where humans are being humans, 'stuff' will happen. The only way around this is to let it not matter. The important relationship is the one you have with the Higher Essence.... and H.E. isn't bothered how you get in touch, just that you do. H.E. doesn't reside in any one building or community but those buildings and communities permit us to share the H.E. unreservedly. They are not necessary for the H.E., but they are necessary for the we. Surrender to the H.E., let it know you are 'free' and it will find the place for you to be. Blessings and Love. YAM xx

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