Narrative Essay on Lutheran Religion

I observed that the church has a structured way of doing its serve. Upon entering the sanctuary, there were ushers positioned at the entrance which gave me what I later learned was a weekly bulletin which contained a brief of how the service will be conducted and news about the churchs activities. By 8 a.m., most congregants were seated in their seats, and a few were still coming in. The congregation was composed of persons dressed in official attire mostly suits while ladies were dressed in dresses scarfs and round shaped hats.

The service began with a hymn which I learned were traditional songs give thanks and praise to God. All the hymns we sang were specifically chosen from the Lutheran Book of Worship. I also observed that the service had a session for announcements, prayer requests and a welcome session conducted by the pastor. I noted that the church had a session for confessions and forgiveness where members of the congregation were welcome to contributions. Also, children were given a chance to recite readings from the bible.

The Material Expressions of the Service

The service took place in the churchs official grounds which is a church constructed using wood. The exterior of the church was painted white while the interior was painted white and its entrance was located adjacent to the road. The road was made using redwood and was big enough to accommodate traffic from both directions. Inside the church, there were wooden seats permanently fitted to the floor. Behind every seat was compartment were Bible and hymn books were placed. At the dais, which was at the front of the church, there was a cross which had a curving that resembled the scene of Jesus crucifixion. The floor of the dais was fitted with a red carpet while the floor where congregants stood on had a grey carpet. On both sides of the cross, there was translucent glass art in colors such as blue, pink, red, purple, and white. The podium had a 2D artistic sculpture of Jesus Christ facing towards the left while kneeling as if he was praying.

Special Events on that Day

A special event took place on that day. The event was a close communion, which occurs between two to three Sundays of every month. On that day, all persons who were baptized under the Lutheran religion were welcomed to take communion. However, before the communion was taken, the Great Thanksgiving, which I came to learn, was a four-step process within the communion liturgy, was recited by the pastor and an assistant. The Words of Institution then followed recitation of the Great Thanksgiving then the bread was broken. The baptized persons were then invited forward to kneel before being given a cup of wine and the bread. After receiving the bread and wine, they returned to their seats. The pastor then gave blessings to the wine, bread after the baptized persons had partaken the activity, and then a Post Communion Canticle was sung. The event ended with a prayer and a blessing while the congregation exists the church as the pastor greets everyone as they exit.

Analysis of the Sermon

The pastor provided a sermon whose theme was salvation and death. The pastor stated that when we die, we go directly to heaven or to hell. The revelation appeared to be in direct contrast with the view of purgatory, which states that when people die, believers go to a place of cleansing before they entered heaven. The pastor also shared that heaven and hell are real, that hell was a place for the soul of a sinner, and that when one was condemned to hell, he or she would be eternally separated from God. Similarly, the view appeared to be in contrast with common stances by Jehovah Witnesses who state that heaven is here on earth. The pastor also shared that each individual can have access to God through the bible. He further stated that it was not a must for a priest to mediate one's access to God since one could do it on his or her own. Lastly, the priest stated that salvation occurs through grace and by faith and not action.

How it compares to my Religious Upbringing

I was brought up in a household that composed of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Similar to the Lutherans we believe in the existence of God our creator and Jesus Christ, his son (Chang, 2015). Also, both religions believe that Jesus was sent by God to deliver us from sin and that in the end, God will come to judge the living and the dead. Additionally, both religion practice baptism as a way to rid someones sins. In addition, both religions take the Holy Communion and rely on the bible for their guidance. However, the religions have differences. For instance, Lutherans believe in the direct ascent to heaven or descent to hell after death while Ethiopian Orthodox Christians believe that when we die, we rest till the coming of Christ for resurrection and judgment to occur (Chang, 2015). Another difference is manifested in the way both religions take their communion. While Lutherans bless and pray for the communion after taking them, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians pray and bless their communion before taking it.

Personal Reaction to the Experience

I find the Lutheran religion to be quite interesting. I also like their organization and structure. I am particularly pleased by the fact that they encourage that access to God can be done individually without necessarily requiring intervention in the form of mediation by a pastor. However, I do not agree with the stance they have that when people die, they directly ascend to heaven or descend to hell. Instead, I believe that there will be a day of judgment where the dead will resurrect to be judged alongside the living. The result of the judgment will determine whether one goes to heaven or to hell. I would like to return to the Lutheran service since I find their worship sessions to be slightly lively than that of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. I am motivated by the fact that regardless of the belief and practices both religions believe in God and Jesus.

Reference

Chang, E. (2015). Becoming a pente: Factors influencing the conversion to Protestant Christianity among urban Ethiopian orthodox young adults. Trinity International University.