Questions (gospel, churches, pray, catholic, communion)

[Finnyhaha]

Are there major differences between the services at a Lutheran church and those at a Roman Catholic of Orthodox church? What differences should I expect? How long can I expect the services to be? Do masses always include communion?

Thanks for the help.
Finny

[Aqualung]

Well, I can answer the Lutheran part of the questions, because I grew up in a Lutheran church. We only took communion on the first, 3rd and 5th sundays. It may be a different time schedule at different churches, but it shouldn't be every week. The services were somewhere around 1 1/2 hrs. They were all very structured, and even as a little kid I always knew what would happen. We would open with a song, say the same prayer as every week, read a psalm, read a gospel, here a sermon, recite some more prayers, sing more songs, etc. The lutherans have a book that they go right out of. It's all very structured.

I've gone to a Catholic church a few times, and the only thing I can say is that it seems more structered still than the Lutheran church. A lot of the things are the same, but you have to do that wierd kneel-y thing before you go into your pew, and your only allowed to do certain things if you were a Catholic. I always just watched my parents, and if my mom did something that my dad didn't, I assumed it was a wierd catholic thing.

Well, that's as good as I can answer your questions. I hope it helped, but your question seemed more aimed at explanation of Catholic rather than Lutheran, but if you needed the lutheran side, there it is. Have fun going to mass!

[Finnyhaha]

Well, I can answer the Lutheran part of the questions, because I grew up in a Lutheran church. We only took communion on the first, 3rd and 5th sundays. It may be a different time schedule at different churches, but it shouldn't be every week. The services were somewhere around 1 1/2 hrs. They were all very structured, and even as a little kid I always knew what would happen. We would open with a song, say the same prayer as every week, read a psalm, read a gospel, here a sermon, recite some more prayers, sing more songs, etc. The lutherans have a book that they go right out of. It's all very structured.

My family is Lutheran and I grew up Lutheran, so I'm pretty familiar with that. Was just wondering what differences to expect when I do go to Catholic and/or Orthodox services. I would imagine that it would be even more structured, but I'm hoping for Latin, candles, and incense. Thanks though.