What do they call it?

[masuwerte]

Q. By what other names is (the Holy Eucharist) known?

A. The Holy Eucharist is called the Lord’s Supper, and Holy Communion; it is also known as the Divine Liturgy, the Mass and the Great Offering.

From “An Outline of the Faith, Commonly Called the Catechism” in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

 

[ltwin]

thank you
on several occasions I have been to praise and worship settings in churches, halls, stadiums or other settings, with contemporary Christian groups, who also apparently lead worship, with what I might call a reflection or message, rather than a sermon, homily or preaching, but there is invariably an “altar call”–but never the vestige of anything resembling an altar, nor anything whatever in the service that resembles or calls to mind a sacrifice carried out on an altar. puzzling, but as you say could be common.

The person is the sacrifice, a living sacrifice.

 

[AbideWithMe]

The person is the sacrifice, a living sacrifice.

Yes, that’s my understanding anyway----from Romans 12.

 

[andrewstx]

Well, here’s one where I show just how Southern I am. When I was growing up, people in my former Fundamentalist church called the Sunday morning service preaching as in “Y’all going to preaching?”. Some of the older people still do. Officially, they call it Sunday morning worship. Then there is Sunday evening worship and Wednesday prayer meeting. Regardless of the name, the Wednesday service only varied from Sunday’s services in that the dress code was more casual.

My earliest church experince was in the Church of the Nazarene, which seems to me a combination of Baptist and Methodist.

Remember I’m going by very early childhood memories. It seems like the Nazarene services were very emotional. They paid little attention to their two sacraments. I saw communion there twice, and no one was baptised at all in the several years I was there. They did dedicate, not baptise one child.

The service was preaching centered as you say, and the sermons very long.

The service ended with an invitation with no exception.

There were two benches at the front they called the “altar”, too low to kneel at the people would sort of squat or lay across them. Some times, esp after revivals the altar calls would go on nearly an hour. I said it was highly emotional, the “altar” would have boxes of tissues for the many who wept.

It was interesting, but I would not care to return.

 

[andrewstx]

Hi Andrew and Cat-----

I don’t want to seriously de-rail this thread, so I’ll try to be brief.

I can’t even come close to agreeing with this statement for several reasons. I mean this in a friendly way, but I do want to be clear.

Wiki has a helpful entry under “Evangelical” (IIRC). The article notes that it’s common for North American usage of “Evangelical” to refer to non-Catholic Christians that see themselves as neither Fundamentalist nor liberal, but rather somewhere in the middle. As vague as that may sound, it’s a distinction with enough meaning to be very useful. And it’s the usage of Evangelical I see most commonly, and the one I mean. There isn’t a limited meaning of “evangelical” = about evangelism, Cat. I think the Wiki entry addresses some of this.

“Every service seems to take it as granted that no Christians are present and always concludes with an ‘alter call’ or invitation to Christian service.” Huh?–Do you really think the pastor sees the same people year after year, counsels them, gets to know them well, yet doesn’t believe they are Christians?

Cat and Andrew, I don’t want this to sound dismissive of your experience in non-Catholic churches. I believe you’ve had the experiences you’ve had, though they are different than mine…but the truth is each of us has only limited experience. In the many churches I’ve been in, as well as those of friends and family members across the US, I’ve seen alter calls happen rarely----a couple times a year in the churches where I’ve attended, whether at home or travelling.

Also, Cat, the “emerging church” has influenced plenty of Evangelical churches probably to a more significant degree than you might have seen in your time in Evangelical churches, I’m guessing? I became familiar with many of the values of the “emerging church” outside of Christianity, but I get what it’s about and think it’s been a good influence. I wasn’t familiar with the term until I heard it from a Catholic teacher a number of years ago; he likewise sees quite a lot of good in it, along with pitfalls, of course. Scot McKnight, who wrote that Mary article you linked from Christianity Today has a good CT article about it in CT’s archives.

 

[andrewstx]

What happend to my post?

 

[AbideWithMe]

Andrew—

That is interesting, and I’m not meaning to quarrel with people sharing their experience.

Catholics appreciate it when non-Catholics don’t make generalized statements about Catholicism based on their limited experience. Non-Catholics likewise appreciate the same courtesy from Catholics. And everyone on this thread and most of this whole forum is limited enough in experience to one degree or another that it may be best to let others speak for themselves when it comes to saying what they believe and how they worship.

 

[ltwin]

My earliest church experince was in the Church of the Nazarene, which seems to me a combination of Baptist and Methodist.

Remember I’m going by very early childhood memories. It seems like the Nazarene services were very emotional. They paid little attention to their two sacraments. I saw communion there twice, and no one was baptised at all in the several years I was there. They did dedicate, not baptise one child.

The service was preaching centered as you say, and the sermons very long.

The service ended with an invitation with no exception.

There were two benches at the front they called the “altar”, too low to kneel at the people would sort of squat or lay across them. Some times, esp after revivals the altar calls would go on nearly an hour. I said it was highly emotional, the “altar” would have boxes of tissues for the many who wept.

It was interesting, but I would not care to return.

The Nazarenes are Wesleyan Holiness. Traditionally, their services are highly emotional. But (and this is a generalization and from my own personal experience) today the Nazarenes have seemed to have “mellowed out” quite a bit.

 

[andrewstx]

Hi Andrew and Cat-----

I don’t want to seriously de-rail this thread, so I’ll try to be brief.

I can’t even come close to agreeing with this statement for several reasons. I mean this in a friendly way, but I do want to be clear.

Wiki has a helpful entry under “Evangelical” (IIRC). The article notes that it’s common for North American usage of “Evangelical” to refer to non-Catholic Christians that see themselves as neither Fundamentalist nor liberal, but rather somewhere in the middle. As vague as that may sound, it’s a distinction with enough meaning to be very useful. And it’s the usage of Evangelical I see most commonly, and the one I mean. There isn’t a limited meaning of “evangelical” = about evangelism, Cat. I think the Wiki entry addresses some of this.

“Every service seems to take it as granted that no Christians are present and always concludes with an ‘alter call’ or invitation to Christian service.” Huh?–Do you really think the pastor sees the same people year after year, counsels them, gets to know them well, yet doesn’t believe they are Christians?

Cat and Andrew, I don’t want this to sound dismissive of your experience in non-Catholic churches. I believe you’ve had the experiences you’ve had, though they are different than mine…but the truth is each of us has only limited experience. In the many churches I’ve been in, as well as those of friends and family members across the US, I’ve seen alter calls happen rarely----a couple times a year in the churches where I’ve attended, whether at home or travelling.

Also, Cat, the “emerging church” has influenced plenty of Evangelical churches probably to a more significant degree than you might have seen in your time in Evangelical churches, I’m guessing? I became familiar with many of the values of the “emerging church” outside of Christianity, but I get what it’s about and think it’s been a good influence. I wasn’t familiar with the term until I heard it from a Catholic teacher a number of years ago; he likewise sees quite a lot of good in it, along with pitfalls, of course. Scot McKnight, who wrote that Mary article you linked from Christianity Today has a good CT article about it in CT’s archives.

Abidewithme, I am getting older and I am sure that many things have changed within Evagelicalism, since I have been in an Evangelical church.

Really I have been for funerals only for the last 20 years. Evangelical locally don’t seem to have weddings in churches any more, except rarely. Now they marry in Hotels, parks country clubs and the like.

I only see Fundamentalis worship on TV now when I can’t get to Mass. And their have been some local changes. When I was young Christmas was celebrated the Sunday before, now they have candlelight Lord’s Supper services Christmas Eve.

Before all music was piano with maybe a quiet electric organ in the background, now they have praise bands.

The emerging church hasn’t happened in this area, and probably won’t. This (texas, small town) is extremely conservative.

Nearly everyone here is Evagelical or Fundamental, most are Baptist )southern), with some church of Christ, and and pentecostal. There are a handfull of main-line Protestants one small church per denomination, and one small Catholic church. No Episcopalians or Lutherans are here at all.

But their are 7 S Baptist churches in a town of 9,000.

The Baptists rule the place with an iron fist. You can’t even buy or sell beer or liqour here becuse the Baptists don’t like it, they make sure everyone goes by their rules.

My movement is very restricted from a bad stoke and the recession, I have been forbidden to drive.

But pre-stroke and recession I was able to travel some and I have seen how others live.

Abide, God bless you+

 

[andrewstx]

Andrew—

That is interesting, and I’m not meaning to quarrel with people sharing their experience.

Catholics appreciate it when non-Catholics don’t make generalized statements about Catholicism based on their limited experience. Non-Catholics likewise appreciate the same courtesy from Catholics. And everyone on this thread and most of this whole forum is limited enough in experience to one degree or another that it may be best to let others speak for themselves when it comes to saying what they believe and how they worship.

I was speaking of my own personal experice in one evangelical church, and not generralising.

I went to a Nazarene church for 7 years as I was growing up. being very speciffic.

 

[AbideWithMe]

Andrew, thank you for your informative post—that’s funny about the no drinking thing; I have a friend who moved from New York City to attend Texas Tech in Lubbock. When he complained about living in a “dry town” I didn’t understand what he meant at first…I initially thought he meant west Texas was brown and dusty.

God’s peace to you, too, and a good night’s sleep.

 

[andrewstx]

Andrew, thank you for your informative post—that’s funny about the no drinking thing; I have a friend who moved from New York City to attend Texas Tech in Lubbock. When he complained about living in a “dry town” I didn’t understand what he meant at first…I initially thought he meant west Texas was brown and dusty.

God’s peace to you, too, and a good night’s sleep.

Well west texas IS dry and dusty. But Lubbuck is at least partially wet. They don’t have liqour stores, but they have nightclubs and bars and you can buy wine and beer in the markets.

I live 100 miles south of Lubbock, and there is no place between Odessa and Lubbock where you can get a drink.

With all the meds I take I may have one glass of wine or one beer occcasioanlly. I don’t smoke ciggarettes at all.

I am not a stereotypical Catholic, But I want the right to decide for mysleff.