What are we?
I turned to Edward last night and asked “What are we?”
His response was ‘Married.’
What I meant was - spiritually. What are we? What denomination of church would we attend if we got the notion to do such a thing. He didn’t know.
He knew what we weren’t, though I was not even that sure.
According to Edward - we are not Catholic, Baptist, or Pentecostal. We’re also not Mormons, Scientologists, or Seventh Day Adventists.
We thought we might be Methodist, though after a bit of discussion he remembered why he left the Methodist church, and we checked that one off the list as well.
Puzzled, we turned to the all-seeing eye that is, of course, the internet. Beliefnet, to be exact. We took their online quiz, and a website that was certain to issue a disclaimer told us we matched 100% with Quakers.
*blink*
We looked into it, but Edward’s Catholic upbringing requires more ceremony and sacrament than a group of friends meeting to be silent until the spirit moves them to speak. I think their means of worship is beautiful, and so does he, but we’re looking for more structure than that.
Then Edward remembered a few services he had attended in the past at Lutheran churches. Everything we found on them looks pretty well inline with our beliefs. We do believe in the Trinity, and I have no problem with the Eucharist being looked at as a real presentation of the body and the blood - but we like that Lutherans do not subscribe to transubstantiation.
We also like that they do not hold a hard official line on birth control, but do encourage one another to look at themselves as stewards of their own bodies - maintaining their health - including in this their reproductive and mental health. An interesting point brought up by a Lutheran Q&A Forum was that Catholic dictates ban birth control, but condone ’family planning’ and often the ’rhythm method’, but do not (to my satisfaction) address the fact that these are also forms of birth control. I have more respect for the Amish in this aspect, as they ban all forms - as opposed to supposedly ‘unnatural’ ones.
Anyone that has spoken with me or my husband about Catholicism has had an earful on our problem with Mary deification and praying to Saints, so we were pleased to find Lutherans do not engage in either.
So we will give one of these places a try to see if what we have researched is an accurate representation of what is taught in the actual church. Being Baptist-raised, I know it will be new for me - the standing up, sitting down, peace be with you (and also with you). But the truth is, something has been missing from our lives.
I know some of you (if you are still reading) rolled your eyes at the last sentence. ‘Something is missing so they go find Jesus. How very droll.’
I can’t explain it, but I already know the missing part is faith. I have had it in the past in spades, and those were the most fulfilled times of my life. Edward has said the same. We are at a point in our lives when we are reflecting more on the meaning of ‘family’, and for both of us that has always meant faith.
And I am also yearning for Edward to take the lead on this. The bible states time and again that the husband is the spiritual head of the household, but throughout our relationship, neither of us has really taken the reigns. When I envision our future, I see a strong husband and father leading us in prayer and discussing with us what our faith means in our daily lives. I had this growing up, and I look forward to being the supportive wife role this go-round.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
His response was ‘Married.’
What I meant was - spiritually. What are we? What denomination of church would we attend if we got the notion to do such a thing. He didn’t know.
He knew what we weren’t, though I was not even that sure.
According to Edward - we are not Catholic, Baptist, or Pentecostal. We’re also not Mormons, Scientologists, or Seventh Day Adventists.
We thought we might be Methodist, though after a bit of discussion he remembered why he left the Methodist church, and we checked that one off the list as well.
Puzzled, we turned to the all-seeing eye that is, of course, the internet. Beliefnet, to be exact. We took their online quiz, and a website that was certain to issue a disclaimer told us we matched 100% with Quakers.
*blink*
We looked into it, but Edward’s Catholic upbringing requires more ceremony and sacrament than a group of friends meeting to be silent until the spirit moves them to speak. I think their means of worship is beautiful, and so does he, but we’re looking for more structure than that.
Then Edward remembered a few services he had attended in the past at Lutheran churches. Everything we found on them looks pretty well inline with our beliefs. We do believe in the Trinity, and I have no problem with the Eucharist being looked at as a real presentation of the body and the blood - but we like that Lutherans do not subscribe to transubstantiation.
We also like that they do not hold a hard official line on birth control, but do encourage one another to look at themselves as stewards of their own bodies - maintaining their health - including in this their reproductive and mental health. An interesting point brought up by a Lutheran Q&A Forum was that Catholic dictates ban birth control, but condone ’family planning’ and often the ’rhythm method’, but do not (to my satisfaction) address the fact that these are also forms of birth control. I have more respect for the Amish in this aspect, as they ban all forms - as opposed to supposedly ‘unnatural’ ones.
Anyone that has spoken with me or my husband about Catholicism has had an earful on our problem with Mary deification and praying to Saints, so we were pleased to find Lutherans do not engage in either.
So we will give one of these places a try to see if what we have researched is an accurate representation of what is taught in the actual church. Being Baptist-raised, I know it will be new for me - the standing up, sitting down, peace be with you (and also with you). But the truth is, something has been missing from our lives.
I know some of you (if you are still reading) rolled your eyes at the last sentence. ‘Something is missing so they go find Jesus. How very droll.’
I can’t explain it, but I already know the missing part is faith. I have had it in the past in spades, and those were the most fulfilled times of my life. Edward has said the same. We are at a point in our lives when we are reflecting more on the meaning of ‘family’, and for both of us that has always meant faith.
And I am also yearning for Edward to take the lead on this. The bible states time and again that the husband is the spiritual head of the household, but throughout our relationship, neither of us has really taken the reigns. When I envision our future, I see a strong husband and father leading us in prayer and discussing with us what our faith means in our daily lives. I had this growing up, and I look forward to being the supportive wife role this go-round.
I’ll let you know how it goes.