That explains a lot—church attendance restrictions, Pew survey

59% of Democrats who attended church this past summer either in person or on-line heard sermons about supporting Black Lives Matter.  29% of Republicans who attended church this past summer either in person or on-line heard sermons about supporting Black Lives Matter.  But did either group of Christians hear the truth about BLM, its mission statement, and its role in the destruction of liberty and property in Democrat run cities this past summer? Were they told that the three women who founded it are radical Marxist lesbians who don’t believe in private property or the nuclear family? 

Only 42% of Republicans who attended church this past summer either in person or on-line heard sermons in support of abortion, and only 28% of Democrats hear a similar sermon. And yet, about 1/3 of the abortions in the U.S. are for black women.  Who is the smallest and weakest and most needy among us?  Certainly not the adults rioting and looting on behalf of the mission of BLM—American blacks are the top 5% in wealth of the global population of blacks, most of whom live in Africa.

The headlines in this Pew article are very misleading.  About 42% of Americans never attend church, so when the story about accepting the rules imposed on churches includes “Americans” one needs to read the entire article.  No, the majority of church goers were NOT OK with the restrictions, some of which were far more restrictive than other gatherings. 

Actual numbers are not given in the Pew study, however, even in a 2015 Caddell poll, 46% of Democrats never attended church and 24% of Republicans never attended. And when separated by ideology, only 18% of liberals said they regularly attend church and 62% said they never go. For conservatives, 41% regularly attend and 34% never go.

https://www.pewforum.org/2020/08/07/americans-oppose-religious-exemptions-from-coronavirus-related-restrictions/

Today’s message from Vantage Point Devotional

“A January 2005 article in TIME magazine reported: “Studies show that the more a believer incorporates religion into daily living—attending services, reading Scripture, praying—the better off he or she appears to be on two measures of happiness: frequency of positive emotions and overall sense of satisfaction with life.”

Are you a happy believer?  The psalm that contains today’s key verse begins with the confession of a very sad person.  Several times, he asks, “Why are you cast down, o my soul?” But he answers his distressing call with hope, praise and prayer.

Among answers to depression given in a 2016 article in Psychology Today, are to resist the urge to dwell on the past, and focus on what is going right.  The article suggests that one incorporate structure into every day. So the TIME magazine article had it right: attending services, reading Scripture, praying! And so did the psalmist: He sings into the night. The question, are you a happy believer, is worth repeating. More, it is worth doing something about. There are many unhappy people in government if the nightly news is any indicator. Pray that they would find the Lord first of all, and then, that they would find the night song in their souls.

Recommended for Further Reading: Philippians 4:4-9 “

All Saints and Reformation Sundays

We had such a fabulous music selection on Reformation Sunday—choir, organ, brass.  I don’t know how these things are planned, if there is a worship committee or it’s the choir director Brian and organist Allan or the pastors, but it all worked together.  The prelude was a smashing organ-Trumpet piece called  Chorale with Interludes by Charles Callahan. https://www.morningstarmusic.com/composers/c/callahan 

Our musicians sit behind the congregation in the balcony, so I always have to turn around if I want to see them.  Anyway, as the prelude came to a glorious end, and the trumpet stopped, one pipe on the organ wouldn’t—a very low register with a rumble you could hear a few blocks away.  It must be every performer’s nightmare.  Dave Mann was the pastor who was leading the service (senior pastor Steve Turnbull gave the sermon), and he is also an organist, so he stood there and smiled and waited, but it got louder and louder and you could hear someone rustling around trying to shut down the organ.  So he decided to just go ahead with the Confession and Forgiveness, which had to be shouted. Soon the organ noise quieted down as it was shut off (?).  But an elaborate Call to Worship was planned, and we were not only reading scripture, but were supposed to sing all 4 verses of “A Mighty Fortress” interspersed with scripture, and the organ was needed for that.  So after each verse, the loud malfunctioning pipe would continue, and the lead pastor had to shout over it. Finally, at the end of that section, we heard the maverick pipe sort of quietly slink away.

During coffee time after the service in the narthex I asked one of the choir members how it was fixed and she said someone got a ladder and went up inside the pipes, and stuck in something to stop it.  I’m sure a repairman will be called.  The organ had a huge refurbishment in 2005, thousands and thousands of dollars which I think a donor paid for because it was about 30 years old, and I’m sure general maintenance is  expensive.  http://churchacronym.blogspot.com/2005/05/pentecost-concert-our-choir-presented.html

Today November 1 is All Saints Day, from which we get the festive contraction Halloween, for All Hallow’s Eve. So this coming Sunday is All Saints Sunday.  It too is a lovely service, but more sober.  The names of the congregants who have died since last October 31 are read from the pulpit. Since we are gone in the summer, sometimes I’m not aware of the death.  Then during communion the names of our own remembered friends and relatives are read from cards we had filled out.  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus . . ." Hebrews 12:1

"Most Lutheran churches use the first Sunday in November to remember all the saints in the Church of Christ Jesus, especially those members and friends of the local congregation who have been called to Heaven in the previous year.

The custom of commemorating all the martyrs of the Church on a single day goes back at least to the third century. All Saints' Day celebrates not only the martyrs and saints, but all the people of God, living and dead, who together form the mystical body of Christ.

In Europe, All Saints' Day is also called All Hallow's Day ('hallowed' means 'sanctified' or 'holy'). October 31st, the evening before All Saint's Day is named All Hallow's Eve, which was contracted to Halloween." (Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Ypsilanti, MI)

Communications survey results

Our church provided a very nice analysis of a survey today on how each congregation (three campuses, multiple services based on music style) communicates.  The service we attend (traditional with liturgy, hymns, and choir, communion twice a month) is 83% of adults over age 55. 39% is over 75. The age survey starts at age 18, and all services together at UALC  are 56% over 55, with 13% over 75. (If the survey included children, the results would be different.) One feature showed the number at each service that uses smartphones, and I was surprised that our traditional service had so many with smartphones.  Must be that under 65 group. Still, our printed newsletter and church announcements were the winners in communication with e-mail next.  At first I was puzzled by that, but realized almost all the small groups and committees communicate by e-mail.  The traditional service also scored the highest in feeling connected, and had the longest attendance length--68% had attended 20 years or longer.