Can your church get any better?

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I used to complain about the choir…so I joined it.

I complained that the song numbers were in a bad spot and not everyone could see it…I raised money to get a different set up.

I complained about my pastor…then I sat and talked with him and learned so, so much!! (and now I help him out more with little things).

I complained about the altar robes…A group of other people and myself got together and made new ones, much nicer than what can be bought.

I complained that the Catechism classes weren’t good enough…so I started teaching and am now the DRE.

So, my point is that if you have a problem with something in your church, get on the Pastoral Council and make changes. Start committees to help out the pastor with different things. But please do everything with love, not an attitude of I know better than you so I am going to speak up loud and harsh!!! I’m only saying this from experience, because I tried doing everything with that type of attitude and found myself beating my head against the wall. If you have a problem with your pastor, talk to him!!! take him out to lunch or dinner and get him away and talk to him, with love though! Ask him questions if you think he is doing something wrong, you may find out that you are the one that is wrong…so swallow your pride and be obedient!!! But do all this with love, not pride in your heart!!
 
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vrunca:
So, my point is that if you have a problem with something in your church, get on the Pastoral Council and make changes. Start committees to help out the pastor with different things. But please do everything with love, not an attitude of I know better than you so I am going to speak up loud and harsh!!! I’m only saying this from experience, because I tried doing everything with that type of attitude and found myself beating my head against the wall. If you have a problem with your pastor, talk to him!!! take him out to lunch or dinner and get him away and talk to him, with love though! Ask him questions if you think he is doing something wrong, you may find out that you are the one that is wrong…so swallow your pride and be obedient!!! But do all this with love, not pride in your heart!!
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Sigh. If only, if only ----
 
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ChemicalBean:
Hey Paris Blues! I think I know you from another message board.

I think it looks like a picture I saw once of the Cathedral in Los Angeles, but I could be wrong. Sure, it’s not baroquely ornate, but in that 2nd picture it looked like a lofty, open, simple prayerful space. I honestly think I’d prefer that over the picture of the place with all the paintings, moldings, and bows on the pews (I find it more distracting, actually. All that stuff dwarfs the altar!)
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They are photos of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles.

The interior is actually quite gorgeous, although I do not like the roll-bar around the cathedra.

Most of those that know this build have never visited it. Sad.

The altar at the cathedral is nice – it’s also a slab of 10’x15’ solid granite more than a foot thick…
 
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vrunca:
I used to complain about the choir…so I joined it.

I complained that the song numbers were in a bad spot and not everyone could see it…I raised money to get a different set up.

I complained about my pastor…then I sat and talked with him and learned so, so much!! (and now I help him out more with little things).

I complained about the altar robes…A group of other people and myself got together and made new ones, much nicer than what can be bought.

I complained that the Catechism classes weren’t good enough…so I started teaching and am now the DRE.

So, my point is that if you have a problem with something in your church, get on the Pastoral Council and make changes. Start committees to help out the pastor with different things. But please do everything with love, not an attitude of I know better than you so I am going to speak up loud and harsh!!! I’m only saying this from experience, because I tried doing everything with that type of attitude and found myself beating my head against the wall. If you have a problem with your pastor, talk to him!!! take him out to lunch or dinner and get him away and talk to him, with love though! Ask him questions if you think he is doing something wrong, you may find out that you are the one that is wrong…so swallow your pride and be obedient!!! But do all this with love, not pride in your heart!!
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“Altar robes?”
 
Well, my church *looks *gorgeous and fairly traditional. I would only change a couple things: bring the tabernacle back to the altar instead of off to the side. The priests could move off to the side a little.

Get rid of the ridiculous folk mass with all the members playing their electric guitars and such in front of the tabernacle. (luckily, this is only one mass a week but geez.) Bring on more organ and hymns in latin, sung prayerfully and respectfully, no knee slappin’, swaying holding hands type stuff anymore.

Revamp the RCIA programs so converts and reverts would actually LEARN something.

That’s it really. For the most part the church holds to the rules fairly well so I am grateful for that.
 
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vrunca:
I used to complain about the choir…
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All that is fine. And there are people, myself included, trying to make changes (and BTW, I THINK OUR PASTOR IS THE BEST, HE’S JUST OVERWORKED!!!).

BUT…

…When you have a parish that’s over 100 years old, and people, families, get their hooks into something and won’t let go, when some families in the parish tha thave been there give the impression the parish is front for the Outfit and they are all the godfathers, when individual families have vendettas against other families to the point of gestures during Mass…Well, no amount of having a heart-to-heart with Father is going to change it. He’s been there for almost ten years now, and if he can’t change it, the possibilities of others changing it are slim.

Somehow, I don’t think the “talk to them, change things yourself” type of motivation is going to change the mind of a bunch of female Don Vitos.
 
Actually, it is a Cathedral (Los Angeles)!
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I like the walls, and the altar isn’t bad. The crucifix looks like a crucifx, not what I was expecting.

Could they lose the Ikea lights? The ambo looks very expensive, but shaped kind of like a counter at an airport flight gate (or is it the carpeting that’s making it look portable). And the cathedra looks like a wood encased metal detector. And it looks as if I would have to bring along one of those garden pads, due to the lack of kneelers.
 
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OutinChgoburbs:
I like the walls, and the altar isn’t bad. The crucifix looks like a crucifx, not what I was expecting.

Could they lose the Ikea lights? The ambo looks very expensive, but shaped kind of like a counter at an airport flight gate (or is it the carpeting that’s making it look portable). And the cathedra looks like a wood encased metal detector. And it looks as if I would have to bring along one of those garden pads, due to the lack of kneelers.
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The ambo is designed so anyone – even the physically handicapped in a wheelchair can read from there.

Those lights (and middle speakers) were placed at the objection of the architect. Cardinal Mahony wanted more light – they are actually high quality…
 
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OutinChgoburbs:
I like the walls, and the altar isn’t bad. The crucifix looks like a crucifx, not what I was expecting.
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I think the Crucifix is horrid, it looks like they set Jesus on fire and burnt Him to a crisp.

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And Mary looks like a Samurai warrior (I think this is the only example of Mary that I have seen without a veil).

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it is pretty hideous, the burnt corpus look… our cathedral of St Stephen in Brisbane has the corpus hanging from a single crooked cross piece which is as offensive, but in keeping with a vandalised precinct by the modernists.
 
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