A Catholic in a Protestant church

[Whitacre_Girl]

I am seeking Catholic (name removed by moderator)ut before I make any major decisions here…but I really need help.

Basically, here’s the backstory.

I became a christian in a charismatic protestant church. I learned to love God in this environment, and while the theology of it all proved ultimately flawed, I thrived in that church.

I became a Catholic about 2 years ago when I was studying to be a pastor for said church in one of their biggest bible colleges. I just learned too much about scripture and church history, and had to admit the truth in it all. Having come to the fullness of faith, there was now a lot of intellectual food on my plate…but 2 years later things are going horribly wrong on the spiritual and relational side.

I don’t relate to my parish at all. There is literally no one there in my age group that speaks my language. This is due largely to the demographic of my area. Secondly, I am not getting the same “spiritual buzz” that I got from my pervious church. Yes, I get a big lift out of eucharist (how could anyone NOT), but lately…I’ve felt dried up and dead inside. Compared to how I used to be.

I love God. I love the Catholic church. I fully believe in the Catholic church and her teachings. I am wondering how inappropriate it would be to attend a contemporary charasmatic protestant service during the week so I can still remain a very active member in my parish. I would not take communion, and I would hold fast to the Catholic church. I am talking about going just for the musical worship parts. I so greatly miss that, and it feels like part of me is dying without it. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I started listening to those old worship choruses on my iPod.

So, would be be sinning or cut off from the church if I went to an adult contemporary, charismatic protestant worship service, but refuse to take communion or become a member of that particular church? This may also prove an effective way to meet christian friends of my own age (something I am desparately in need of).

 

[dashso40]

Since you are Catholic, I don’t think you should go to a different denomination church…why don’t you try a different parish? Some parishes have beautiful chiors…

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Since you are Catholic, I don’t think you should go to a different denomination church…why don’t you try a different parish? Some parishes have beautiful chiors…

Oh I know. My husband is really aware of what I have been going through (more aware that even I am at times, I think…lol) and he has been taking me around to different parishes in the area. The closest one that is even close to anything that helps me feel more at home is more than an hour and a half away. I honestly considered it, but I am the kind of person that likes to get really involved in my church, and I couldn’t drive an hour and a half one way more than once a week.

I was thinking of attending the worship services that I am more comfortable with as a kind of supplement for my spiritual well being…

Edit I have also emailed my priest to set up a meeting to talk to him about this as well. I really do feel that I can’t last much longer unless something gives. Things are starting to get real messy in my spiritual life. I’m starting to pull away from the ministries I’m involved in, and even taken to skipping church entirely for weeks at a time.

 

[dashso40]

Edit I have also emailed my priest to set up a meeting to talk to him about this as well. I really do feel that I can’t last much longer unless something gives. Things are starting to get real messy in my spiritual life. I’m starting to pull away from the ministries I’m involved in, and even taken to skipping church entirely for weeks at a time.

Talk to your priest first, good idea, than you can make the decision…see what he says…Good luck, God Bless, and remember, pray, pray,pray…sometimes it helps to spend alone time in church, just you and Jesus…I’m a convert and I used to find church boring, now I love it b/c I feel so close to our Dear Lord there…I only started loving it when I started praying everyday, I think Jesus answered my prayers…

 

[Bob_Crowley]

I am seeking Catholic (name removed by moderator)ut before I make any major decisions here…but I really need help.

Basically, here’s the backstory.

I became a christian in a charismatic protestant church. I learned to love God in this environment, and while the theology of it all proved ultimately flawed, I thrived in that church.

I became a Catholic about 2 years ago when I was studying to be a pastor for said church in one of their biggest bible colleges. I just learned too much about scripture and church history, and had to admit the truth in it all. Having come to the fullness of faith, there was now a lot of intellectual food on my plate…but 2 years later things are going horribly wrong on the spiritual and relational side.

I don’t relate to my parish at all. There is literally no one there in my age group that speaks my language. This is due largely to the demographic of my area. Secondly, I am not getting the same “spiritual buzz” that I got from my pervious church. Yes, I get a big lift out of eucharist (how could anyone NOT), but lately…I’ve felt dried up and dead inside. Compared to how I used to be.

I love God. I love the Catholic church. I fully believe in the Catholic church and her teachings. I am wondering how inappropriate it would be to attend a contemporary charasmatic protestant service during the week so I can still remain a very active member in my parish. I would not take communion, and I would hold fast to the Catholic church. I am talking about going just for the musical worship parts. I so greatly miss that, and it feels like part of me is dying without it. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I started listening to those old worship choruses on my iPod.

So, would be be sinning or cut off from the church if I went to an adult contemporary, charismatic protestant worship service, but refuse to take communion or become a member of that particular church? This may also prove an effective way to meet christian friends of my own age (something I am desparately in need of).

I came from a Protestant background, and while my background was more mainline, and not evangelical, I found a couple of similar problems. First there is a lack of enthusiasm, and the homilies are very poor, compared to the material I was used to. However I’ve stuck with it, although sometimes I am tempted to move to a more active church down the road. But even there the friendliness and inclusiveness seems to be missing.

You can’t do much about the demographics except to shift churches. So look around the another Catholic Church, or perhaps charismatic Catholic church or fellowship.

You can’t vacillate between the the Catholic Church and the Protestant. You’ve made your decision, which is the right one, so what you’ve got to do now is find a niche that suits you. You may have to put something of yourself into the new church eg. participate in music, proclaiming the word, and perhaps raise the general level of enthusiasm by your own activity.

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Thank you very much for your helpful advice.

This process has been very hard for me. Becoming catholic has cost me a lot. career…friends…family…I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t KNOW I was making the right choice. I know the beliefs are right, but the fact that I can’t raise my hands in worship to the King, and give myself over to him in an energetic and spirit filled worship service is really starting to wear me down.

I also can’t begin to mention my frustration at the “homilies” that exist. Usually it’s just a priest blandly rambling off some story about someone thousands of miles away and has little to NOTHING to do with my current situation. Most of them talk about being a parent. I am not a parent and that is something that has always been lacking severely in my life. I am used to hour and a half expositions on scripture that will elicit a life change every time. sigh

Also…don’t even get me started about the poor…no…detestable music quality. If I hear “Let Us Build the City of God” One more time, or another plainly 70’s song I may be sick. I just feel dry and empty anymore. I am just finding the Catholic church, as right as she may be, a very very unwelcoming comunity for a 23 year old female convert. Maybe if my husband and I had a kid things might be a little different, but God hasn’t chosen to give us a child just yet. (Which only adds to the sting of the pressure they heap on me to reproduce…)

 

[Bob_Crowley]

Hang in there. Part of being a Christian is putting up with the difficult times.

One of my concerns is that I had an old, wise, if sometimes discouraging Protestant pastor commenting to me in his office that he sometimes wondered if Protestants get into heaven. I suspect he was right, since I don’t think God is very impressed with man dividing His church at a cost of millions of lives, and then ridiculing the Mother Church.

However the Mother Church doesn’t do much to make Protestants feel welcome, and in my opinion is stuck in the doldrums. It hardly evangelises, the music is half hearted as you say, the homilies are very weak (I’ve been Catholic now for over a decade, and in all that time, after attending probably 400 to 500 masses, I can honestly say I have never heard an outstanding homily. Not one.) and the enthusiasm is just not there. So from time to time I feel like going back to the Protestants. But I know that I’d be making a mistake if I did.

But if you have a difference of opinion on a particular church teaching, you’ll be shouted down by the “infallibility” traditionalists, who fail to realise that if the church makes a mistake, it can now only change a decision or ruling at the risk of its own reputation. It’s boxed itself in. It can’t possibly be wrong.

It’s pretty slack in a lot ways, really.

But hang in there.

 

[1ke]

I love God. I love the Catholic church. I fully believe in the Catholic church and her teachings. I am wondering how inappropriate it would be to attend a contemporary charasmatic protestant service during the week so I can still remain a very active member in my parish. I would not take communion, and I would hold fast to the Catholic church. I am talking about going just for the musical worship parts. I so greatly miss that, and it feels like part of me is dying without it. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I started listening to those old worship choruses on my iPod.

I think it would be a big mistake. What are you going to do, go to this church forever?

That’s not the answer.

The answer is to focus on building **Catholic **spirituality into your life. Catholic spirituality is more than just the Mass. It is the devotional life of the Church through the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, and others. Explore the spirituality section of a Catholic bookstore. Explore devotions and find one that suits you. Explore all the treasury of music the Catholic Church has to offer-- chant, for example.

If you like contemporary Christian music, then listen to those CDs as well-- Michael W Smith is a Catholic.

The answer doesn’t lie in going to this other ecclesial community and building your social life there. It will likely draw you away from the Catholic Church and stunt your growth in Catholic spirituality.

You’ve only been Catholic a short time. What you have to discover is that there are **Catholic **ways to fill the needs you have. Look around your area for other Catholic parishes with a different demographic. Start your won charismatic prayer group (there are charismatic Catholics, you know).

So, would be be sinning or cut off from the church if I went to an adult contemporary, charismatic protestant worship service, but refuse to take communion or become a member of that particular church?

You would not be sinning, depending on the circumstances. The Church has several documents dealing with ecumenism. We are not to regularly attend non-Catholic ecclesial communities and services. We are not to participate in leadership ways in their services. Certainly we are not to take communion. Our reasons for attending must be along eccumenical lines, not regular worship.

This may also prove an effective way to meet christian friends of my own age (something I am desparately in need of).

Which, as I mentioned earlier, is more problematic than I think you realize. Don’t build your social network in a non-Catholic community. Build it in a Catholic community. If there aren’t any people your age, make friends with people in other age groups-- you will learn a lot from them. Look around at other parishes, see what activities you can start yourself such as bible study, prayer and praise group, etc.

 

[1ke]

Thank you very much for your helpful advice.

This process has been very hard for me. Becoming catholic has cost me a lot. career…friends…family…I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t KNOW I was making the right choice. I know the beliefs are right, but the fact that I can’t raise my hands in worship to the King, and give myself over to him in an energetic and spirit filled worship service is really starting to wear me down.

Did you ever pause to think that it’s not the Liturgy that is boring, but you that has the wrong idea about it?

Why must one jump around, shout, and sway to worship Christ the King? The Mass isn’t focused on what YOU get out of it. It’s focused on Christ, present on the altar and given to us in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. That is not a jumping around occasion-- it’s a solemn occasion, one that calls for reverence, silence, and adoration.

Is not participating in the Heavenly Liturgy enough? The Mass is a revelation of what worship in Heaven will be. The angels sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might…” They aren’t singing Michael W Smith songs. The heavenly worship is the Catholic Mass. If you haven’t read Hahn’s The Lamb’s Supper expanding on Revelation, I suggest you do.

The things you describe are best for a prayer service, a prayer group-- you can praise and worship in that way… but that is not the focus of the MASS.

I also can’t begin to mention my frustration at the “homilies” that exist. Usually it’s just a priest blandly rambling off some story about someone thousands of miles away and has little to NOTHING to do with my current situation. Most of them talk about being a parent. I am not a parent and that is something that has always been lacking severely in my life. I am used to hour and a half expositions on scripture that will elicit a life change every time. sigh

Again, that is not the focus of the Catholic Mass. The protestants, as you know, focus on the Word in their services because it is not the Sacrifice of the Mass that we have. The source and summit of our Faith is the Eucharist. That is the purpose of the Mass.

a very very unwelcoming comunity for a 23 year old female convert. …)

I was a 25 year old single, female convert.

I think you need to focus more on what the Catholic Church has than what you miss from your former church. There are ways to bring those elements into your prayer life, your devotional life, and your family. But, again, I think it’s unwise to try to attend this other ecclesial community for this spiritual nourishment. You can’t do it forever, and building a non-Catholic social and spiritual network would be a mistake. You will not grow in Catholic spirituality if you continue to resist it and reject it as something uninteresting. Your old way isn’t the only way, and you can find great joy and peace in Catholic spiritual devotions.

 

[kage_ar]

Let’s look at it this way.

I dated this fun girl for many years.

I then fell in love with a devout Catholic girl, and we got Married. While I get a great lift out of having sex with my wife (who wouldn’t), I don’t get the buzz I had with fun girl.

Many times I find myself staring at the picture of fun girl and missing the fun exciting times we had.

Would it be okay or would I be cutting off from my wife if I started dating fun girl again, I would refuse to have sex with her, we’d just go have fun and I’d get that buzz again.

How would you answer that person?

The Church is the fullness of truth, have you sought out the Catholic Charismatic groups? Here is a link to the State Conference in my home state, they could get you in touch with a group where you are.

arkcc.org/

 

[GraceDK]

Thank you very much for your helpful advice.

This process has been very hard for me. Becoming catholic has cost me a lot. career…friends…family…I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t KNOW I was making the right choice. I know the beliefs are right, but the fact that I can’t raise my hands in worship to the King, and give myself over to him in an energetic and spirit filled worship service is really starting to wear me down.

I also can’t begin to mention my frustration at the “homilies” that exist. Usually it’s just a priest blandly rambling off some story about someone thousands of miles away and has little to NOTHING to do with my current situation. Most of them talk about being a parent. I am not a parent and that is something that has always been lacking severely in my life. I am used to hour and a half expositions on scripture that will elicit a life change every time. sigh

Also…don’t even get me started about the poor…no…detestable music quality. If I hear “Let Us Build the City of God” One more time, or another plainly 70’s song I may be sick. I just feel dry and empty anymore. I am just finding the Catholic church, as right as she may be, a very very unwelcoming comunity for a 23 year old female convert. Maybe if my husband and I had a kid things might be a little different, but God hasn’t chosen to give us a child just yet. (Which only adds to the sting of the pressure they heap on me to reproduce…)

Oh dear… honey, you are NOT alone.
You just wrote down my own story.
After Christ converted me to Himself, I was soon thereafter becoming Catholic, because the books through which my eyes were opened were written by an orthodox who wrote about the Eucharist. I was hungry for the Bread of Life and I have not been disapointed. Because He is my Strength…
It was so wonderful… because in the beginning especially there is also much grace within. But one day a friend of mine suddenly became a believer - on an evening meeting in the Pentecostal Church down the road - and I went for his baptism. After that I was hooked. I was, in love with their way of having church. Here was the enthusiasm that I had myself and which I needed to share with people my own age so much… and here were people who took me in like one of their own. They were thrilled to have a Catholic in their group. They were truly Christians, in their faith and in their way of life.
Sometimes I went to three different services in one Sunday… one Mass and then service in the Pentecostal Church and then their evening youth meeting. I was so blessed through it… but it eventually became a great struggle. I felt more at home in that Pentecostal Church than in my own church… the teaching and preaching, the joy and the wonderful singing, the ministries and the dedication and fellowship. Had they had the Sacraments I would have joined them.
At one point I was really ready to up and leave the Catholic Church, I went around weeping. Even heroes in the Catholic faith said: go and have rest in the Pentecostal Church. But I experienced that God held me back… He gave me just enough to survive a while longer, He even answered clear questions I had on theology.
My Catholic parish was and is so dry like a desert. I have heard the worst nonsense from the pulpit. I always felt the sermon is the most important part of a service or mass, so this disturbs me so much.

But I have been away pretty much over the last three years, living in Jerusalem where I attend a much, much better Catholic Church where the priests are awesome, the preaching is great, I feel home and was warmly welcomed when I came since day one.
I still sometimes go to the Messianic church down Hillel Street to sing and dance with the joyful crowd that celebrate their Messiah there they also preach so that you dont forget their preaching for a long time.

Sometimes I feel that many Catholic priests dont know the power of the Word. Many also overlooked the passage in the epistles where Paul spoke about ministries in the assembly.

A concrete advice: go whereever you need to go in order that your spirit does not fall asleep. God has no favourites. Wherever two or more are gathered… remember?
Better a burning double-dipper than a half dead Catholic. What use are you to the rest of the Body if the salt in you looses its salty taste?

Jesus said: “Come to me all you who are weary…” Come then, wherever you find Him, whereever you feel closest to Him. That will never be wrong.

Peace be with you dear sister in Jesus. :hug1:

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Thank you guys for those of you with kind and understanding words on this.

The basic idea is not to leave the church by any means. But to attend a protestant worship service once a month or so get fed on a more spiritual level. shrugs I am trying to reach out for answers.

I looked up Charismatic Catholic services in my area. The nearest one is closer than the traditional church…an hour and 15 minutes away…with no traffic. One way. sigh

I have actually not been spending my last 2 years as a catholic as a bump on a log expecting to be spoonfed. I’ve attended stations of the cross, said rosaries (hard for me), and mainly focused on the divine mercy chaplet (had more relevance to me, given my background). I am volunteering as a cantor in my church, sing in the choir, and have been debating taking on a children’s ministry (I am currently working towards becoming a schoolteacher, and have a passion for children). I (used to) attend mass frequently, and even as a last-ditch effort to force myself to feel spiritual, started attending daily masses. I did this for about 6 months.

See, it’s an odd position for me. When I was coverting I lived in a different area. I was 20 minutes from the Cathederal, and I attended mass there frequently. I felt…HOME. I am a very “cathedral” kind of catholic, I guess, as far as my worship style. It is there you truly worship with all 5 senses. I also have NO problems with ANY of the church’s teachings. NONE. I am having problems with some of it’s more stuck up members that insist that I change so as not to rock their boat. (some people even here on these very forums exemplify that). WHen I moved to get married, I moved to an area where all the parishes have adopted a very…ah…“protestant” style with their services. Statues have been ripped out of the sanctuary, there is a bland vapid attempt at “moden” music, and the result of this has been a lifeless congregation.

I remember one discussing I had, in utter frustration, with the music director at the parish I attend. I remember talking to her about wanting to start a “praise team” for young adults in the parish. We’d pull out some of the new stuff by Steven Curtis Chapman, Delerious, Mercy Me, and Michael W. Smith (who is NOT catholic by the way) and using guitars, drums, and a keyboard. This was met with a “oh, like a contemporary mass!” I explained that “No, this would be a praise time. Basically where people get together and worship God through music, and would not take the place of a mass. (personally, I’d like to see that mass take a more traditional form! Bring back the choirs PLEASE!) Just music. Maybe a short devotional at the end.” That was met with shocked looks and a “We don’t do that.” I started demanding why, and pointed out that it violates NO canon laws, and may be a great way to attract more people to the one true church. Especially young people who are chased away in DROVES from the church. No dice.

Basically, I am having a hard time adapting to the culture, and am desperatly trying to figure out how to keep MY fire alive through all of this, as there have been very strong symptoms lately of me losing this.

 

[GraceDK]

Thank you guys for those of you with kind and understanding words on this.

The basic idea is not to leave the church by any means. But to attend a protestant worship service once a month or so get fed on a more spiritual level. shrugs I am trying to reach out for answers.

I looked up Charismatic Catholic services in my area. The nearest one is closer than the traditional church…an hour and 15 minutes away…with no traffic. One way. sigh

I have actually not been spending my last 2 years as a catholic as a bump on a log expecting to be spoonfed. I’ve attended stations of the cross, said rosaries (hard for me), and mainly focused on the divine mercy chaplet (had more relevance to me, given my background). I am volunteering as a cantor in my church, sing in the choir, and have been debating taking on a children’s ministry (I am currently working towards becoming a schoolteacher, and have a passion for children). I (used to) attend mass frequently, and even as a last-ditch effort to force myself to feel spiritual, started attending daily masses. I did this for about 6 months.

See, it’s an odd position for me. When I was coverting I lived in a different area. I was 20 minutes from the Cathederal, and I attended mass there frequently. I felt…HOME. I am a very “cathedral” kind of catholic, I guess, as far as my worship style. It is there you truly worship with all 5 senses. I also have NO problems with ANY of the church’s teachings. NONE. I am having problems with some of it’s more stuck up members that insist that I change so as not to rock their boat. (some people even here on these very forums exemplify that). WHen I moved to get married, I moved to an area where all the parishes have adopted a very…ah…“protestant” style with their services. Statues have been ripped out of the sanctuary, there is a bland vapid attempt at “moden” music, and the result of this has been a lifeless congregation.

I remember one discussing I had, in utter frustration, with the music director at the parish I attend. I remember talking to her about wanting to start a “praise team” for young adults in the parish. We’d pull out some of the new stuff by Steven Curtis Chapman, Delerious, Mercy Me, and Michael W. Smith (who is NOT catholic by the way) and using guitars, drums, and a keyboard. This was met with a “oh, like a contemporary mass!” I explained that “No, this would be a praise time. Basically where people get together and worship God through music, and would not take the place of a mass. (personally, I’d like to see that mass take a more traditional form! Bring back the choirs PLEASE!) Just music. Maybe a short devotional at the end.” That was met with shocked looks and a “We don’t do that.” I started demanding why, and pointed out that it violates NO canon laws, and may be a great way to attract more people to the one true church. Especially young people who are chased away in DROVES from the church. No dice.

Basically, I am having a hard time adapting to the culture, and am desperatly trying to figure out how to keep MY fire alive through all of this, as there have been very strong symptoms lately of me losing this.

:sad_yes:
I know what you mean.
Don’t let people tell you there is no room for praise and worship time in the Catholic Church. Talk to the priest about it
Your description of your church sounds like mine. Mine however is so liberal that the priest called me “radical” and really seems to think people who are protestant should just remain so.
I also become tepid… I would not blame it on my church… its more like… in my low times there is nothing much there to lift me up… rather I am sometimes cast further away.

I wish you were in my church. we could make something together. Actually my church is just seeing the dawn of a youth group where we sing new songs and pray and worship in our own words… but I have waited so long for this.
.
Try to start something in your church. If they are totally dry and unwilling to open up, then I suggest you move to some other place. This is no small issue.

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

Thank you! It ISN’T a small issue. I get a lot of attitude that people think I should have just STAYED lost in the protestant church. lol

I have an appointment to talk to a priest. I plan to air all of this to him, and see what he suggests. I may leave my parish anyway, because there are a lot of political things that are going on as well. They are starting to move all masses to bilingual, so now not only am I lost on a spiritual/musical level, they are about to abandon me in the dust linguistically. It just feels like my parish goes to mass out of obligation, not because anything spiritual is going on. That’s why they are so complacent about no longer being able to understand HALF of the freaking mass!

 

[GraceDK]

Thank you! It ISN’T a small issue. I get a lot of attitude that people think I should have just STAYED lost in the protestant church. lol

I have an appointment to talk to a priest. I plan to air all of this to him, and see what he suggests. I may leave my parish anyway, because there are a lot of political things that are going on as well. They are starting to move all masses to bilingual, so now not only am I lost on a spiritual/musical level, they are about to abandon me in the dust linguistically. It just feels like my parish goes to mass out of obligation, not because anything spiritual is going on. That’s why they are so complacent about no longer being able to understand HALF of the freaking mass!

I hear you.
Don’t you also just think the concept “Mass obligation” is an embarrassment?

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

I really do. People should be going to mass because they want to, not because they are afraid of commiting a sin if they don’t. Reminds me of the bibe college I went to. They’d kick you out of school if you missed too many of their chapel services. Made for a very…negative environement there.

I also think that if you have to put a rule saying you HAVE to go, right there is a good sign that something isn’t quite right. Although a lot of this is, I think, a transitional problem. It seems like the catholic church is trying to be more relevant to the culture, and because it’s a totally new concept, they are lost and struggling in it. THe result is the mass we have at my parish. 70’s songs played ad nauseum due to the lack of a better option, while trying to maintain something somewhat familiar to the old ways. I really think you can’t have it both ways. I really think that they need to return the mass to the old traditions, and create a wednesday night contemporary praise night or something. A lot of traditional protestant churches do this as well, and have had tremendous success!

 

[1ke]

I hear you.
Don’t you also just think the concept “Mass obligation” is an embarrassment?

Why would it be an embarrassment?

When the Church speaks of “obligation” with regard to Mass, it is from the Latin *obligationem *which means “an engaging or pledging” and is related to the concept of Sacrament-- in Latin *sacramentum *and in Greek mysterion– which also mean oath or pledge.

At Mass we *pledge *our sacred oath. In other words, we renew our covenant through participation in the Mass and specifically in the Eucharist.

Nothing embarrassing at all about that.

 

[GraceDK]

Why would it be an embarrassment?

When the Church speaks of “obligation” with regard to Mass, it is from the Latin *obligationem *which means “an engaging or pledging” and is related to the concept of Sacrament-- in Latin *sacramentum *and in Greek mysterion– which also mean oath or pledge.

At Mass we *pledge *our sacred oath. In other words, we renew our covenant through participation in the Mass and specifically in the Eucharist.

Nothing embarrassing at all about that.

We have a LOVE-duty to do certain things and avoid other things.
However, many Catholics say:" I have fulfilled my Sunday-obligation", meaning they sat in Church and then they went home afterwards.
When using the word obligation about religious rituals there is a grave tendency that this leads to some kind of new law, in line with the old one where you were justified through certain foods, ablutions, clothes etc… this brings with it also a false certainty, which was also a trait in the Jewish leadership in Jesus’ day.

I have nothing against Sunday Mass at all. But I have something against the moment where you say: " Come or be condemned".

Imagine your mother said to you: “I command you to love me!” the moment she said that you and her would have a strained relationship…

 

[GodIsGracious]

Whitacre_Girl, I’m going to finish reading the rest of the thread, but this thought occurred to me.

Have you considered the possibility that maybe God is asking you to consider having a quiet devotion to Him? That maybe, perhaps, to learn a new way of devotion and prayer that isn’t all “raise the roof” like?

When I read your post the thought occurred to me that maybe this is a way of showing you a different way of praying. It may not be. You may simply not be getting what you need out of your parish. But I do wonder … perhaps this is a time to show you a different way of praying to God.

I’ve never been to a Protestant worship service so I cannot speak to that. I do completely understand having a craving for a particular type of Mass than what is close by. I drive 30 to 45 minutes to a particular church that is far more somber, quiet and subdued, as well as the feeling of being more “traditional” to me. Because THAT is what I crave. I don’t do well with kumbaya and “raise the roof” type Masses. Can’t stand them, personally. I know that for me, there are Masses that I prefer but they’re a ways away. I look at it as God saying, “Ok. Prove it. Prove you want to be with me. Here’s what you want. But work for it.”

Now, it may not be the same for you. I don’t know, only you can determine that. I was just wondering and trying to give you a different point of view in that, perhaps this may be a way to contemplate a different way to pray to God.

 

[1ke]

I have nothing against Sunday Mass at all. But I have something against the moment where you say: " Come or be condemned".

Imagine your mother said to you: “I command you to love me!” the moment she said that you and her would have a strained relationship…

And yet, that is the same argument atheists use against God, “love me or go to Hell.” God does command us. We are free to accpet or reject his call. Those are just the facts.

Your argument is with the way in which God established the universe and his expectations of his creation, not with the Church.