Wisdom from Marilee, by Pr. Rossow

Over on the post about the Divine Service at Christ Lutheran, Stevensville, Michigan, a BJS commenter named Marilee offered the following which deserves a wider hearing.

As a returning Lutheran (away for way too long) I expected to come back to the liturgy I left.  What a surprise!  Instead of “In the Name of The Father…” I got “Welcome to so and so Lutheran Church.  For our worship this morning, please refer to your insert, then go back to page 203, then back to your insert…..”  My head was on a swivel, I could not concentrate, I could not pray.  Kids were running up and down the aisles, people were coming in quite late (after the Confession) and others were loudly writing checks and ripping them out of their checkbooks.  Then, in the middle of it all, “Announcements!”  Another distraction.  And, “Don’t forget to sign the sheet that is being passed around” (during service).  What happened to my beloved Liturgy, the form of which took me to God and kept me there for an hour.  I don’t want to talk about Communion.  The only times that I felt I was truly being offered the Body and Blood were those quiet Wednesday nights during Lent, when apparently there was enough time to kneel at the Rail, and we didn’t have to listen to praise songs accompanied by the guitar.

I don’t want to sound like an old meanie, unwilling to change, but what example are we setting for our young people if we just change things on a whim or somebody’s idea.  Easter’s service was completely out of the insert and hardly reccognizable.  If I wanted to go to an emergent church I certainly would not have chosen the LCMS!  I have not been back since Easter, have been reading my Bible, praying a lot and reading everything I can find.  Heavenly Father, Restore Your Church!  In Jesus Name I pray…..

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