So funny sir. Reminds me of another sectarian quip of yours (I often repeat to great effect) of the people who tried to drive a Unitarian family from their neighborhood by burning a question mark on their front lawn.
I was raised in a lily white Northern Illinois Lutheran Church and the hypocrisy I had observed by the time of my Confirmation was astounding. That experience plus observations gleaned from a 73 y/o life have only cemented my acceptance of atheism. If I ever choose to "believe" again I will seek out a Black Church because they actually seem to enjoy their celebration of God and Jesus.
I would suggest a vacation in Fredricksburg, TX, where the Lutheran church services are in both Spanish and Texas-German, a favorite food at the county fair is sausage tacos and the sound track is a blend of polka-band with mariachi.
I'm proud and happy that I've been a life long Lutheran. Some Sunday you should attend the Lutheran church on the upper West Side of NYC as I think you're a secret Lutheran. Thanks for all the years of laughter & good thoughts and look forward attending your NYC show again.
You've helped me understand why my boyfriend's midwest Lutheran parents never seemed to warm up to me (from my perspective). Being from the Jewish culture, I had hoped to be greeted with big hugs--never happened. And when he introduced me to his parents saying I was a poet, his Dad had a most quizzical look on his face. We never did warm up to each other. Sad because I never stopped trying and was always disappointed. I did attend Sunday services with the family and especially the part at the end of the service where we greeted our neighbors all around us in the pews--of course my boyfriend would save his kiss for me and I loved that!
A wise man, perhaps a geographer, noted long ago that Norwegian Lutherans were inexplicably attracted to the flat lands of extinct glacial lake bed known today as the Red River Valley. I was born and raised there and spent most Sunday mornings for the first 18 years of my life at Ringsaker Church, just a mile and 1/2 east of our farm. The church closed 22 years ago (you can read about it in Pat Brown’s article in The NY Times!), but until recently the remaining faithful kept it in good condition. Even kept the power on. But soon its coming down to be replaced by a small fiberglass replica.
Through the wonders of technology, I captured a reasonably good 3-D scan of the interior, upstairs and down, so the nostalgic or curious can tour. Since I am told that nothing ever really disappears from the internet, the old church has achieved something like immortality. I like to imagine that one day technology might a place children’s choir in front of a similarly virtual congregation to once again sing “Jeg er sa glad hver julekveld’’. Or perhaps Garrison could coax the assembled in singing a few hymns.
Our AI overlords may someday wonder what it was all about and why. Perhaps they will acquire a taste for cultured Lutefisk to virtually enjoy it with their fellow AI in the basement, as four generations of Norwegian Lutherans did once upon a time.
Yeah, there’s a lot of shared culture growing up Lutheran. And you’re right: it was all white. I can’t imagine what they’d do to lure in non-whites. The music probably wouldn’t. The ministerial ruminations serving as sermons are not, I think, as impactful as a speaker who delves into the Bible, which most of the congregation never does. They’re good people, you know, but Pentecost to them is just another day on the annual calendar.
As a life-long Lutheran, I have to agree with much of what you have written. The church I grew up in was very much as you described. However my Manhattan Lutheran church is far removed from your description. We do have black members. We have a gay pastor (our second). We use incense and are probably more "Roman" than the Catholic churches in Minnesota. And, for all I know, some of our members may well have been Episcopalians. As you say, God loves us all.
GK, I guess I am more Lutheran than I thought. D
So funny sir. Reminds me of another sectarian quip of yours (I often repeat to great effect) of the people who tried to drive a Unitarian family from their neighborhood by burning a question mark on their front lawn.
I was raised in a lily white Northern Illinois Lutheran Church and the hypocrisy I had observed by the time of my Confirmation was astounding. That experience plus observations gleaned from a 73 y/o life have only cemented my acceptance of atheism. If I ever choose to "believe" again I will seek out a Black Church because they actually seem to enjoy their celebration of God and Jesus.
I would suggest a vacation in Fredricksburg, TX, where the Lutheran church services are in both Spanish and Texas-German, a favorite food at the county fair is sausage tacos and the sound track is a blend of polka-band with mariachi.
I'm proud and happy that I've been a life long Lutheran. Some Sunday you should attend the Lutheran church on the upper West Side of NYC as I think you're a secret Lutheran. Thanks for all the years of laughter & good thoughts and look forward attending your NYC show again.
Proud to be a Lutheran and a member of a diverse parish.
Wonderful writing today .
The best line was : " I'm not putting down Lutherans " . Haha .
You've helped me understand why my boyfriend's midwest Lutheran parents never seemed to warm up to me (from my perspective). Being from the Jewish culture, I had hoped to be greeted with big hugs--never happened. And when he introduced me to his parents saying I was a poet, his Dad had a most quizzical look on his face. We never did warm up to each other. Sad because I never stopped trying and was always disappointed. I did attend Sunday services with the family and especially the part at the end of the service where we greeted our neighbors all around us in the pews--of course my boyfriend would save his kiss for me and I loved that!
Garrison, Thanks
A wise man, perhaps a geographer, noted long ago that Norwegian Lutherans were inexplicably attracted to the flat lands of extinct glacial lake bed known today as the Red River Valley. I was born and raised there and spent most Sunday mornings for the first 18 years of my life at Ringsaker Church, just a mile and 1/2 east of our farm. The church closed 22 years ago (you can read about it in Pat Brown’s article in The NY Times!), but until recently the remaining faithful kept it in good condition. Even kept the power on. But soon its coming down to be replaced by a small fiberglass replica.
Through the wonders of technology, I captured a reasonably good 3-D scan of the interior, upstairs and down, so the nostalgic or curious can tour. Since I am told that nothing ever really disappears from the internet, the old church has achieved something like immortality. I like to imagine that one day technology might a place children’s choir in front of a similarly virtual congregation to once again sing “Jeg er sa glad hver julekveld’’. Or perhaps Garrison could coax the assembled in singing a few hymns.
Our AI overlords may someday wonder what it was all about and why. Perhaps they will acquire a taste for cultured Lutefisk to virtually enjoy it with their fellow AI in the basement, as four generations of Norwegian Lutherans did once upon a time.
Here’s a link to the image of the upstairs. https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=ZK3BYgTARGi
And here’s the basement: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=VbHdfZUszV5&sr=-1.54,1.12&ss=6
To think that we would have seen you at The O’Shaugnessy in tights performing The Nutcracker instead of PHC at The Fitz…
Thank you for the laughter you gave me this morning. This Presbyterian has much in common with Lutherans, but I will try to avoid strangulation.....
Hilarity mixed with truth. When my parents moved us to Utah, we were found to be more conservative than the Mormons. Just as white, but much quieter.
Yeah, there’s a lot of shared culture growing up Lutheran. And you’re right: it was all white. I can’t imagine what they’d do to lure in non-whites. The music probably wouldn’t. The ministerial ruminations serving as sermons are not, I think, as impactful as a speaker who delves into the Bible, which most of the congregation never does. They’re good people, you know, but Pentecost to them is just another day on the annual calendar.
Many truths and some humor but, being raised Lutheran in S.Dak & Minnesota, I never heard of strangulations.
As a life-long Lutheran, I have to agree with much of what you have written. The church I grew up in was very much as you described. However my Manhattan Lutheran church is far removed from your description. We do have black members. We have a gay pastor (our second). We use incense and are probably more "Roman" than the Catholic churches in Minnesota. And, for all I know, some of our members may well have been Episcopalians. As you say, God loves us all.