Café - Coffee Talk

Have you ventured out of your current denomination? How did that experience change you?

My parents were raised Catholic, but were unable to marry in the church because my father had been divorced. My mother did her best to raise my brother and myself in the church, but by middle school I was attending alone. In high school I attended baptist, LDS, presbyterian, and foursquare churches. In college I attended a Unitarian Universalist church with my aunt and took my grandmother to Catholic church. When I met my husband it wasn't a stretch for me to adopt Lutheran theology- it felt like a nice blend of many of the positive experiences I had in other churches while respecting some of my more liberal beliefs and interpretations. Understanding the beliefs of other churches has helped me develop a strong understanding of what I do and don't beleive.

Posted by: Megan McCoy (Hillsboro, OR)
Posted: 11/2/2007 4:39:11 PM
Congregation: Calvary Lutheran

I agree with Monica (first comment) that the most important thing about going to church as a family (or a couple) is just going. Yes, the worship itself should be meaningful to everyone, but the commitment to worship together means a lot too. My boyfriend and I were both raised in lUtheran churches (I'm ELCA, and he's the son of an LCMS pastor), so finding a church home was easier maybe than for some. However, we still respond very differently to different parts and styles of the services we attended, from music, to liturgy, to worship space and service opportunities. It took a lot of visits to several different congregations. Where we are now is not the "ideal" for either one of us, but it has enough of what is important to us individualy... enough to make our Sunday mornings about worshipping together, and not about meeting for coffee later.

Posted by: Emilie (Tacoma, WA)
Posted: 10/30/2007 2:36:34 PM
Congregation: St. Mark's Lutheran Chruch

Great article.

Posted by: Eva Yeo
Posted: 10/26/2007 11:16:49 AM

The homophobia of the Lutheran church drove me away, as my daughter is gay. I turned to Buddhism and learned that ther is a deeper reality beyond our individual or institutional constructions. Recently, I have begun to realize that the real Church is that deeper reality, and it is characterized by unconditional love. So I am going back to the church, a step at a time, hoping I can manage to hold onto that deeper reality and see the hurtful things as human constructions, and be forgiving.

Posted by: JOYCE KOSKENMAKI (Hancock, MI)
Posted: 10/21/2007 7:04:08 PM
Congregation: Lutheran

I have always belonged to the Lutheran Church, yet my family background is diverce. A cousin is a Roman Catholic Nun belonging to the Order of the Sisters of Charity, on that same side of the family an Aunt and Uncle spent all of their adult life in service to the Salvation Army. I went to the Episcopal Church in college, there was no Lutheran Church in that town and spent many Sundays at Catholic services with friends and family members. Through all of this , I have come to realize that I am most comfortable with the theology and ritualism of the Lutheran Church. It gives me the peace and understanding that the others have not. Although I must admit, my time spent with my Aunt and Uncle in the "Army" was very educational and certainly added a great deal to my spiratual life.

Posted by: Cynthia
Posted: 10/13/2007 7:01:59 AM
Congregation: lutheran

I grew up in a First Church of God in PA...a small evangelical denomination. I figured out early on that the theology there did not work for me. I spend years, like 12+, hopping denominations and churches. I did Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Catholic, Methodist, mainly. I even stayed in a Catholic monastery for awhile as I attempted to discern my faith and where a spiritual home for me was. Eventually, I joined a Lutheran congregation in Denver...the path kept leading to the ELCA so I finally joined. However, the key point I wanted to make is that out of this experience, while painful at times, I gained a lot of knowledge and respect for other denominations. I think that this process is actually good for everyone, in general, to learn to respect difference and find commonality across traditions. Particularly along the mainline liberal versus conservative evangelical divide, this process is helpful to move past black and white thinking. Pushing the boundaries of one's denominational comfort zone is good even if you're not searching for a spiritual home.

Posted by: Nikki (Denver, CO)
Posted: 10/12/2007 11:38:55 AM
Congregation: Our Savior's Lutheran

When I was in graduate school and really pressed for time, like around exams, I would worship at a Baptist church that was one block from my apartment. The congregation was richly diverse, drawing on the university community. The music was inspiring. I was intrigued by the baptismal pool and full immersion adult baptisms. But I missed the liturgy and good Lutheran preaching that was always available at a Lutheran congregation a 20 minute walk from my apartment, where I normally worshipped.

Posted by: Carol (Chicago, IL)
Posted: 10/10/2007 10:13:59 PM

I grew up in a split house, mom was Catholic and dad was Methodist. I mostly attended the Catholic church and went through the CCD program to become confirmed catholic. However we also attended my dads Methodist church occasionally and always went to the vacation bible school they offered each summer. I think both churches gave me a look at how everyone is different in their worship but it still is the same God. I married a Lutheran and joined that church. I feel it is a nice balance between my upbringing of different churches and I feel at home with the Lutheran church.

Posted by: Sandy Seffrood (South Wayne, WI)
Posted: 10/10/2007 9:46:18 AM
Congregation: Wiota Lutheran Church

I have gone to a couple of 'non-demoninational' churches and love the Baptist that comes out in them. I love the singing and shouting and 'AMENS' and reaching to the sky. But my husband loves being a traditional Lutheran. We really want to go to church together but it just may not work. I am going to suggest going to one of the denominations during the week and the other on Sunday mornings. It is important to make sure we go to church and not make a stink about where.

Posted by: Monica Johnson
Posted: 10/9/2007 4:46:52 PM

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At the 2005 Triennial Convention, delegates took action that asked Women of the ELCA to promote awareness on water issues and encouraged synodical women’s organizations to make awareness of local and regional water issues a priority.

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