I'm a Lutheran. A traditional one. Like the dust off the old German hymnal, bust out the order of service, pull-out-the-stops on the organ kind of traditional Lutheran. I was baptized Lutheran, I was confirmed Lutheran and I was even an acolyte in a Lutheran church. I love the aesthetics, I love the liturgy, I love it all.
So it sort of makes me sad that there aren't too many Lutheran churches like that - the super traditional yet still fairly liberal kind of ones - here in Sonoma County. Most of them are small, with close-knit congregations consisting of long-time family names. And people like me - the traditional ones - are a dying breed, being taken over by the young contemporary adults who love rock'n'roll praise music more than Matins or Vespers or what-have-you.
But this place... it's different. I like it. I like the way the sun comes in through the stained-glass windows and lights up the room. I like the familiarity, and the peacefulness I feel every time I come here. I particularly like that I can come here not knowing anyone and not feel all out of sorts. While this is by no means somewhere I come regularly, I like knowing that I can stop by on a whim or when I'm having a bad week and will leave feeling refreshed and serene and fulfilled. read more