Tales of a Charismatic Preacher teaching in a Lutheran Church

Before Christmas this year I got the opportunity to preach at two Lutheran churches in Ohio. It was a real honor. If you’ve read my book, or been around me a lot you’ll know I talk a lot about us learning in the church to come together as one body. I was raised as a Lutheran girl and getting to go back into two churches like I did to me was like coming full circle a bit. I desire to go and preach wherever the Lord is leading in any denomination, and this was one of those times. The pastor of both churches is a dear friend of mine, and as I write this I’ll ask you to keep her in prayer.

My friend had to ask and prepare the council for me coming. I am an ordained pastor, but not a Lutheran one. I don’t know what exactly she said to all those people. She’d been printing various blogs of mine in newsletters for years. I went out of my way in both services to be rather tame. If God would have told me to prophesy to all of them, I might have questioned it but I would have, but He didn’t. Both services went well. While I might be used to hearing a few more “Amen’s” or “Hallelujah’s” when I preach, it was okay. I know both churches were touched. I had one woman who came up to me to tell me she cried the whole service and I knew God was touching her.

Dan and I laughed hysterically when after the second service one woman who after she shook my hand and walked away she shouted back to me, “You didn’t scare us at all!” One of the deacons kept telling me that he thought the Lutheran church needed a good kick in the rear every now and then.

I talk about in my book how denominations if hidden behind divide the church. It’s okay to go to one. I don’t think their wrong. I think you need to go to a Christian church were God has called you to go to. However keeping up walls, don’t bring the unity that God intended. Too often people hide behind their labels.

In 1 Corinthians 12 the Bible talks about all of this. We need each other. We are all part of one body. I’ve heard too often Charismatic ministers would either baulk at the idea of preaching at a Lutheran church or, they would have just gone there to prove a point and thus tried to turn them all charismatic and attempt a move of the Holy Spirit without God’s approval. I would have loved to see the Holy Spirit break out in the services and everyone one get healed and delivered in some dramatic display. However I can’t do what the Holy Spirit isn’t leading me to do. On the flip side of this, I don’t think many denominational churches would have welcomed me in with open arms, because they would be afraid I’d scare off the whole congregation. There had to be a level of mutual respect.

To me it was such an honor to be part of this baby step toward unity. Foundationally we believe the same things we just show it differently. I didn’t go up to teach and nitpick at our differences, but to motivate us all to move forward as The Church. May we all continue to seek that in our own circles of influence. It’s about building the Kingdom of God.

Remember He has awesome plans for your life. Get excited!