Good Shepherd Lutheran Church By: Cindy

Attended March 8th, 2009

The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church was the first stop on our Religathon and we are very happy we chose it.


We all woke up early and drove to Sandy for the contemporary services held at this church at 11:15 am every Sunday. We have all been to LDS churches plenty of times that that is naturally what we compared it to. We walked in the building and there was an immediate energy. The people who were there, were there because they love their religion. No one gave us any dirty looks for being in their church, which is what we sort of feared. That they would be able to point us out as "outsiders". When we walked in the chapel services were already under way. There was a sweet band playing on the right and their songs were even pretty catchy. Yes, the songs were all about jesus and god and repentence and at times if you actually listened (well read) the lyrics they were pretty harsh words, but nonetheless everyone was rocking out and having loads of fun. I even got one of the songs stuck in my head for a while, and if I think about that song, yes, I still remember the chorus. They were pretty awesome and it was a nice change from what we were use to when it comes to church.

The next surprise came when the Pastor of the church began to speak, it was a woman. We were all very excited about that considering we had never seen a female lead a congregation, because they aren't allowed in the patriachal religion of the lds church. When she spoke to us all it was in an excited voice and she was so entergetic. I very much enjoyed her sermon because she walked around making eye contact and she knew what she was saying, there were no cue cards or anything. She related to her audience with a story of when she was young and she was next to an old lady and then she stopped and was like wait, the woman was about the age I am now. and it was a funny moment and the whole congregation laughed. It was great to be able to laugh out loud in a chapel. After she spoke we had a moment where in their congregation part of the services were to turn to your neighbors and introduce yourself and it was so sweet. Everyone around us was like HI!! is this your first time? and they were so inviting. Then there was more singing and then a man dressed as a leprechaun ran up the aisle doing a little jig and speaking in an irish accent to tell us about a Pot Luck that was going on that afternoon. It was hilariously great! Plus we were ALLOWED to clap after someone spoke, which I am so happy was finally allowed. In LDS churches I have the urge to clap but know that someone will give me stink eye for doing it, which doesn't make sense. Clapping is wonderful to hear if you just had to speak in front of a whole bunch of people.


Then they had their communion and it was sweet. No one was FORCED to do it. They did it pew by pew and you walked up to the pastor and she gave you a wafer and you chose wine or juice. We didn't take it, because I didn't feel right taking the communion of a church I was not a member of. It's a personal decision. Then we sang another song and it was over. It was a wonderful place.

After the services were over we decided to go introduce ourselves to the Pastor, Christine, and she was very welcome. She loved that we were there and interested in her church. She told us we were members of the family and welcome back anytime. That we didn't need to be members of the church to enjoy the services. It was very sweet.

After that we had a very long long long discussion over the happenings in the chapel which will not be voiced here by me. ahahahah.

One last point, their chapel was gorgeous and I appreciated it. To compare...I'll tell those of you who don't know about the LDS chapels. You have where the congregation sits and then you have the stage area which has a podium and an organ and like 30 chairs for people to sit in. So in these churches I feel like i am always being watched and that I am unwelcome. In the Lutheran Chapel at the front was a podium and there was NOTHING behind it, no chairs, no places for people to sit. It was so you focused on the Pastor or whoever was speaking and only them. The band was to the side on a seperate stage with chairs for a choir. I very much enjoyed this set up. It meant to me that we were all on the same level and no one better than the other. Whereas in the LDS Chapels I feel like the people who sit up on stage are considered better than everyone else and those in the pews are just the followers.

We will definitely be going to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church again for the end of our Religathon, because only 3 people got to go this first time and we feel everyone should be able to enjoy their congregation!! They were fantastic!!!

Visit their website at http://www.gslc.net/ if you are interested in going and want someone who's been there to go as well, email us at Religathon09@gmail.com