Changing Churches -- Maybe

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graciesings

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I am having a little trouble figuring out where I need to go next.

I was raised Lutheran. (LCMS) Thanks to some logistical issues, I have not yet been confirmed. I’m 17. Over the last year or two, my younger brother and I have been in a confirmation class. We are a week or two away from the end of it. He is excited at the idea of being confirmed. I dread it,
I do not want to join the Lutheran church. (However, I don’t want to make my siblings think confirmation = graduation from religious expectations.) Anyway, I don’t know what I think about Baptism. I am not absolutely sure yet, but I am really beginning to believe in Real Presence. I am uneasy about confession, I have an amazing relationship with God and confess my sins privately. I pray to saints. I dress like I’m Mennonite. I am actually very impressed with the Anabaptist lifestyle, but their theology stinks. See, I like the liturgy. And if Christ is in the sacrament, that really is important.

As I look at churches, research more, and learn more, I’m getting closer and closer to agreeing with Catholic theology. In a way that is a relief, because for a long time I have been hoping to find a church I agree with. However, I have a major problem with joining the RCC. That is people. I live in a town where most or all of the Catholics are Mexican immigrants, some of them legal, Very few local Catholics really live their Christian faith! It’s disgusting, but what can I do about it? I don’t speak Espanol! On the other hand I know a family who are very strong Christians. They live to serve God, their theology is Anglican/Lutheran, and they attend a Baptist church. The boy my age is my best friend, and the only guy I know who I would consider dating.

So I am looking at the future, saying “Now what?” Do I refuse to join the Lutheran church? Or do I join and switch later? And is it worth compromising theology because I want to attend a church where people 1. Speak English 2. Know me 3. Act like Christians?

Asking from a perspective of life (not just what does the catechism say) am I better off staying Lutheran? Suffering through the change to Catholicism? or staying nothing and following a husband I find later?

God bless you,
Grace
 
I say go for Catholicism and try to find another parish if able…if not…it’s ok…go the Spanish parish if it’s all you have … at least you have the Real Presence (and you won’t find that in any other religion).

Few things to point out to you from your post:
  1. The Catholic church as from what I heard from a famous priest…the church is not a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners. (look for the parishioner who is actually following the faith …taking the medicine (communion, mass, confession etc etc )and you’ll be looking at someone who can change the world.
  2. It’s very good to get into community…it’s very important to our faith. But it’s also very personal as well…and you’ll have Jesus in the Eucharist. When you start living out your catholic faith with REAL sincerity…it will come to life for you, become a part of you and you will begin growing!
  3. You mentioned a problem you had with confession. Just so you know…we catholics also confess privately to God (that’s part of that personal aspect to our faith life). It’s a good practice to do it at least once a day! The church teaches that if someone has PERFECT contrition…you can be forgiven your sins when you are personally confessing to God (perfect contrition = sorrow for sin and willingness to fully amend your life not because of fear of hell or wanting something from God etc etc…but simply because you have offended a God all deserving of your whole self! ) …since this is sometimes hard to achieve (or since you may not know for CERTAIN you are in the proper state …) Christ has given us the sacrament of confession. ALSO…keep this in mind… there are soooo many more pluses to going to confession vs going to God ONLY without confession. Confession is a sacrament and offers grace to you to be strengthened to be stronger next time, you get spiritual advice from a spiritual leader, you get reconciled not only to God (because God gave that authority to the priest) …but also to God’s people the church by meeting with it’s representative-the priest., You also get to HEAR the words and can now fully trust that you are forgiven when the priest says “I absolve you”. You are given a penance to help better yourself, you have a spiritual leader praying for you etc etc etc…there’s sooo many reasons to go to confession! It’s a gift! YES keep talking to God personally… I ALWAYS talk to God before going into the confessional… "after going over everything with Him and talking to Him for a bit I ask Him to give me the grace to make to Him a worthy confession. " Confession also is of course VERY humbling and causes you to have to trust God …going to a complete stranger. All this roots out prideful sin and makes you have a deeper sense of accountability. lastly, all the known canonized saints…ALL OF THEM that I’ve EVER heard of…they ALL went to confession FREQUENTLY…sometimes every day! So there’s some proof that there is something to confession.
God bless, if you have any questions …don’t hesitate
 
I think you know the answer all ready. God bless you and welcome to The Catholic world.
 
It is the truth that matters, about what our Lord Jesus Christ taught. Sadly some members of the Church are not well catechized or given good spiritual direction and they may not be practicing the faith as they should.

That doesn’t mean that one should ignore where the truth is and go somewhere else.

I do understand that there are very holy people in denominations that do not contain the whole truth. God honors faith, and He blesses them with His grace. I do hope that by example and good education these fine Christians would join us and then inspire us to love the Lord and His Church more.
 
So much to say…and not enough time or space to say it. I came over from the Episcopal Church so I understand many of the things that are conflicting you. As to confession, there’s plenty of bibical evidence for it and you won’t believe the sense of relief (and joy!) as you leave the confessional.

Try some of Patrick Madrid’s or Fr. Larry Richards’ YouTube videos.

Time to join the swim team and swim the Tiber.
 
Go to the Spanish church—there isn’t much socializing to do anyway.
When it’s time for confession, you can take it behind a screen.
 
graciesings;
I was raised Lutheran.
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Perhaps this is where God wants you right now.

Your desire should be to grow closer to Jesus Christ and to do this you must follow His will.

His will of course is in the two commandments he gave us, “love the Lord God with all your heart, all your strength and all your soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself.”

I’ve met Lutherans who follow these two commandments far better than many Catholics I know.

If becoming a Catholic is God’s will for you, it will happen, but it may be that at age 17, he wants you to remain as you are in the home he placed you in as a Lutheran.

Be sure you’re following God’s will, and not your own ego, which wants a false identity to attach to.

Jim
 
God always wants you to be Catholic. People shouldn’t detract you from becoming Catholic. Once you confess it becomes really easy. If ALL the masses are in Spanish, at least you will have the real Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord. Speak to a priest about it, unless of course, they all speak Spanish. This website is the place for all your Catholic Questions. Haha.

Pax Christi,
A sinner
 
SandwichOrder said:
God always wants you to be Catholic. People shouldn’t detract you from becoming Catholic. Once you confess it becomes really easy. If ALL the masses are in Spanish, at least you will have the real Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord. Speak to a priest about it, unless of course, they all speak Spanish. This website is the place for all your Catholic Questions. Haha.

Pax Christi,
A sinner
Click to expand...
So you’re telling us what God thinks. 😃

Jim
 
At the moment you are under the rules of your parent’s house so changing churches is a difficult decision and not one I recommend at this time.
Confirmation, on the other hand is an adult decision, and if you do not yet feel as if you are ready it is better to say no than to say yes. The yes and full initiation into the church can come later when you feel more committed. This waiting is an adult decision. and yes a difficult conversation to have with your parents.
Martin Luther called confession a “remedy against pride and self-deception.” If we cannot confess our sins privately before another human, imagine our fear and trembling when we come before the judgment throne. In the meantime we can count on God’s mercy and grace.
Once you have lived on your own, you may consider RCIA to learn about the Catholic Faith. Again, the commitment must come to change if it comes must come from the heart and only after prayerful reflection.
 
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