So, this is the second year I attended a Christmas Eve service at my in-laws Advent Lutheran Church. It is such a nice service with beautiful singing, congregation participation, and a lovely sermon.
This year however, was a bit special. The speaker actually used the Almighty's name no less than 3 times in his sermon! I was floored.....a "worldy" church service where Jehovah's name was used??? I mentioned this to my "worldly" wife on the way home from it. She said, "Big deal, I've heard it used in every church I ever attended. We all know the Almighty's correct name, even though mistranslated. It would have been odder to hear him say Yahweh." Again, my jaw dropped. She told me the strangest thing about JW's to her was the fact that only the 144,000 take communion. Her reasoning? Even if the 144,000 is literal and to be Kings over us, Jesus still commanded all to partake whom wanted everlasting life, no matter where it is to be - heaven or earth or both. How can you argue with that?
I told her that growing up as a JW, I was specifically taught that no other religions used the correct Divine Name because it had been mostly removed from their BIbles, and that only JW's really ever used it and knew of it. I figured everyone outside of JW's thought Jesus was the Almighty.
In all honesty, this was a startling revelation to me. Has anyone else experienced this? Do they use Jehovah's name in any church you might attend now? (if you are still Christian that is?)
- Wing Commander