At the Lutheran Church
Nauvoo is the most interesting place. I know of no other place where such a varied collection of churches gets together to support one another, and their community’s religious dialogue. The groups included in the Nauvoo Ministerial Association are Appanoose-Faith Presbyterian Church, Christ Lutheran Church (ELCA), the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nauvoo First Presbyterian Church, Nauvoo Restoration Inc., Nauvoo United Methodist Church, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, St. Mary Monastery (Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict), and Saints Peter & Paul Roman Catholic Church.
My introduction to the Ministerial Association began the day after our first field trip. That night (it was announced during ward business) the monthly meeting of the Nauvoo Ministerial Association would be held in the Lutherans’ building. A community prayer would be held for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Now, as Mormons, praying for Christian Unity is sort of a yes-and-no kind of thing. On the one hand, if we recognize other churches as being “equal” to us, there goes our whole reason for being. Either we are the church recognized of the Father and the Son, or we are just another shadow on the wall. On the other hand, we do believe in the brotherhood of man, getting along with all other religions, and so on. And truth be told, we have many more reasons to get along with other religious peoples than we have need to argue with them.
I had never known the LDS Church to be involved in a group such as the Nauvoo Ministerial Association, but I’m glad that in Nauvoo we are (and really, I don’t know how it could hurt us anywhere else, either. Except perhaps in the knees, should we meet at one of those churches where genuflecting’s the big thing to do.)
The meeting was an interesting juxtaposition of high and low church. The Lutherans, of course, are one of the higher Protestant denominations. We Saints are fairly low church, and so the ritual and fancy icons and robes were of great interest to me. On the other hand, lightly bearded Pastor Tom Krieger was Very1 informal. Granted, he was giving the children’s sermon, but still. It caught me off guard.
If you’ve never visited another church’s services, you don’t know what you’re missing (obviously, I suppose, but so the expression goes). It’s so much easier to appreciate what you have when you see what others have. Not to imply that I thought the Lutherans were kooky—oh no! I very much enjoyed the service! But it felt like visiting a foreign country. As much as I liked being there, LDS services are my home.
Although I have to wonder if it will always be so. Examining the schedule for the year, I see that the Nauvoo Ministerial Association will be celebrating Good Friday at the Latter-day Saints’ building. Good Friday? We don’t know anything about Good Friday! Who put us in charge of that? Shouldn’t we get Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood or something like that?
[ill—TGIGF]
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Thanks for revisiting Nauvoo with me. I would love to hear your thoughts.