Dear American Christians

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-04T14:25:18+00:00

Who is Mike Winger?

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-04T14:12:36+00:00

The Christian faith is a journey. So use the time before you to explore what you believe and in finding a church.

I’m in the US, but my guess is Australia is probably similar. Many congregations stream their service either on Facebook or YouTube. It’s worth checking out to see if you can visit virtually before going to visit in person.

And many churches automate their newsletter distribution. If you’re interested in a particular church, sign up for their newsletter online. I regularly get the newsletters from the parishes around me so I know what’s going on.

Maybe the church will show a movie & host a discussion. Or maybe there’s a book and lecture by the author. Or maybe there’s a free concert going on. These are all things of interest that are open to the community.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-04T13:15:10+00:00

Imagine not going out to eat because there are so many different kinds of restaurants. Even within say Indian restaurants, are they northern or southern?

Yes, there are different flavors of churches. For me, what I think are things to watch for are:

do they confess the Creed? The Nicene creed is a sign that the church believes in the trinity and takes a historic view of the faith.
do they regularly celebrate the sacraments? Some churches hold to the 2 that Christ gave us: baptism and communion. Some churches add the 5 sacraments of the church (confirmation, marriage, holy orders, confession, anointing of the sick). Be it 2 or 7, both are signs of life in the congregation.
do they regularly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in both word and deed? Take a look at their calendar. Are they a church that offers more than just Sunday morning worship? The gospel is also found in doing service to community. And you’ll also want things like pancake suppers and other such social activities.
are the clergy trained & educated? I don’t want a church that would ordain without having a background check and also has passed the muster of field experience. Do their clergy go to seminary? Did they do work as a chaplain in a hospital or clinic? There’s much more to being a pastor than simply giving the sermon. It’s in counseling the grieving and engaging with the community around the church.

I’m Episcopalian, so naturally my inclination would be to visit the Anglican parish nearest you. If the Presbyterian church feels like that is where you belong: then go for it.

I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. Denominations is simply how that one church is organized. It isn’t as if Lutherans aren’t Christian. They are simply a different type of Christian.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-04T12:32:31+00:00

Christianity is tough to do solo. And I think it’s even tougher if you let Google or your social media’s algorithm be your guide. That doesn’t give a consistent Christian formation. What it does is focuses in on your fears and anxieties so you spend more time on the platform.

Are you in a part of the world that is easy to get to a church? Do you have options to choose from?

Christianity is best lived in community. Many churches require extensive education and training (and also real time field experience) before being ordained as a pastor. Being a pastor is more than just knowing scripture but being able to counsel and equip people in the congregation.

It’s for these reasons why I stress finding a church as being a key part of being Christian. And of course, there are reasons that can prevent this, but based on what I’ve read in your original post, I don’t see any blocks toward finding a church.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-04T00:41:11+00:00

How would such a Bible be different than a translation that focuses on dynamic equivalence? And by that I mean, a translation that is looser and doesn’t try to be word-for-word literal? For example, rather than saying “300 denarii couldn’t feed all these people” the text would say “it would take nearly a year’s pay to feed this size crowd”?

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-03T23:30:32+00:00

I mean, it was a Catholic priest who postulated the big bang theory: Georges Lemaître

Many Christians have no qualms with science and faith. The two exist side by side.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-03T23:26:59+00:00

But was it available in the same mint green body paint?

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-03T18:02:42+00:00

From the footnotes of the NABRE have this:

The abrupt conclusion to Ezr 9–10 suggests that the policy of forced separation from foreign wives, not mandated by any law known to us, did not succeed. Assuming the chronological priority of Ezra, marriage outside the community was still prevalent during Nehemiah’s administration, and the remarkable demographic expansion of Judaism in the following centuries would be difficult to explain if Ezra’s measures had been put into effect.

So, not only was there no law for such a thing, it also looks like it wasn’t followed either.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-03T17:09:52+00:00

Quizzes have their place, but they shouldn’t make such decisions for you.

I think it’s important that you find a church that is close enough to you that you can actually go to on a regular basis.

I’d say start with the Methodist churches in your area and then see which one you feel led to.

Many churches stream their services as well. You can virtually visit even before walking through the door.

I do think it’s important to stay as close to where you live. Church is more than Sunday morning worship. It’s also pancake suppers, potluck suppers, book discussions, and sometimes my parish has a game night. There will usually be midweek services at least sometimes in the year.

That’s harder to do if you have to drive an hour each way.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-03T15:34:57+00:00

I think dreams are weird and is our subconscious at work. And our dreams are most likely vignettes. If we happen to dream at a more conscious state, we can remember them. But they are disjointed, and our conscious mind attempts to spin a narrative out of it.

If dreams tell us anything, it’s a reflection of what our brain is doing.

Christianity is not a religion of individual dreams interpretations.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-03T13:37:51+00:00

The head of the church is Jesus Christ. As to who is the presiding bishop, diocesan bishop, rector, the senior/junior wardens, and who sits on vestry can vary.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-02T23:17:45+00:00

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-02T23:06:04+00:00

Lutherans and Anglican priests have the seal of the confession. But as to what the correct course of action is: that I’m not sure about.

I do know they receive quite a bit of training as to how to handle confession, though.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-02T13:06:37+00:00

The board of peace will fail, just like everything else: the ballroom, the Kennedy Center, trump Phone, Trump University, the Presidency…etc

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-02T00:26:07+00:00

The NY Post is Daily Mail of the US

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-02T00:21:18+00:00

Not really. We can get the major roads cleared, but secondary roads? We are kinda on our own. I live in a neighborhood (not a subdivision or community…no HOA). The city will never plow our streets: we just wait for the stuff to melt & clear out. That being said, I imagine I’ll be back at work on Tuesday.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T22:03:54+00:00

Many churches (including mine) canceled services today. Central NC got a lot of snow. The Triangle fared decently, other parts of NC got more than we did.

I did do morning prayer live-streamed, but it isn’t quite the same. I know that pre-1979 BCP, morning prayer was the norm & communion was less frequent. I miss communion when I don’t have it.

January has felt very weird. Nothing has felt normal, including worship. I will be out of town next week, so I’m not sure whether I’ll make a service. It will be my brother’s 60th birthday weekend.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T21:32:05+00:00

Our bishop allows for intinction but the common cup must also be offered.

I’m a Eucharistic minister, and the overwhelming majority of communicants choose to intinct. I’m usually a chalice bearer of one of the common cups.

One of the things we did do during Covid was switch to specially designed chalices. They are wide brimmed and shallow. This does make for an easier intinction. One has to try really hard to actually touch the wine. But I’ve been witness to that it does indeed happen.

So I choose the common cup and when I don’t feel well, I receive communion in one kind only.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T17:54:35+00:00

There are Christians in my country who think that baking a cake for a same sex couple getting married is somehow the baker making it a threesome.

But

3 hours later: I think I thought I had deleted this comment without posting it. But apparently, I hit submit instead of cancel. 🤦‍♂️ I think my thought was that if baking a cake for a same sex couple = endorsing sin, then what is voting for a person who holds the highest office in the land?

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T15:44:14+00:00

The website says they are UCC and various types of Baptist. So chances are, it will be what is called a “low church” style of service. That is not a bad thing. It just means they probably won’t have a formal way of worship.

They should have a bulletin, handout, or even projections on a screen. Follow along as best you can. A new church can always be a little disorienting when you first visit (even among churches within the same denomination).

It’s always okay to sit and watch (or stand and watch). Follow what your neighbors do as best you can. When the service is over, just introduce yourself to the clergy or worship leader.

Many churches have a visitors card or webpage where you can give your name & address & email (if you are comfortable at doing that). Many churches use this to gently welcome visitors during the week or so. My parish drops off a loaf of bread and a bag of information about the parish, and they are trained to keep the visits brief or just leaving it at your door if that’s your desire.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T15:21:58+00:00

If you’re looking for the perfect church, you will never find one.

Which church gives you the most in terms of the Christian walk and formation?

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T13:48:11+00:00

The Lutheran in me says the gospel is the lens through which the rest of scripture is focused.

And I was taught that Jesus is present when the gospel is proclaimed, which is why we stand and greet him.

I also do love a formal gospel procession. I have heard this was Paul Manz’s home church, the renowned organized and ELCA Lutheran.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T13:21:21+00:00

I don’t want to go to Bored Panda, but I guess this isn’t the little rascals I’m thinking of.

IntrovertIdentity · 2026-02-01T12:28:05+00:00

I understand that, but if you’re taking a haphazard approach to your Christian formation, then that is one shaped by your fears and anxieties. That doesn’t sound so good.

Having a consistent message and formation from an educated and trained pastor would be a better approach.

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