Catholic church feels cold?

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jerel5

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Hello,

I have been going to a plant church with my girlfriend and she has been going to mass with me occasionally. I am no stranger to protestant services or protestant spirituality because most of my family and friends are protestant. My experience in attending these two churches is that the plant church is very active and vibrant and I am encouraged by everyone’s passion and excitement they bring to church. Mass is different, and the protestant services are just bible studies and entertainment but I do feel attracted to their passion and discouraged by my fellow Catholics lack of zeal. Has anyone else had this experience?

thanks
 
I went to a Pentecostal Church for a while as I was making the change from being a Catholic by habit and upbringing, to a Catholic by choice. It was very attractive for a while. But there was little depth for me there. It’s the difference between entertainment and nourishment.
 
jerel5 said:
Hello,

I have been going to a plant church with my girlfriend and she has been going to mass with me occasionally. I am no stranger to protestant services or protestant spirituality because most of my family and friends are protestant. My experience in attending these two churches is that the plant church is very active and vibrant and I am encouraged by everyone’s passion and excitement they bring to church. Mass is different, and the protestant services are just bible studies and entertainment but I do feel attracted to their passion and discouraged by my fellow Catholics lack of zeal. Has anyone else had this experience?

thanks
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Of course. Before my call to conversion I found Mass to be a very dour and empty experience…

But after I was called to convert I wouldn’t trade any level of entertainment and fun for the Mass.

The Mass is how it is for a reason… we are participating in the sacrifice of our Lord at Mass. It is a very sober thing. It’s not a time for joyous music and dancing in the aisles. The crucifix has pride of place for a reason.

That said, I do miss Protestant services every now and then. It was fun to have that upbeat music, to clap your hands and laugh with your friends… to participate in worship and just uplift your heart to God… but it was empty. It lacked something. Something I never understood then but something I understand completely now.

Furthermore, how do you know your fellow Catholics lack zeal? They may not be clapping their hands and shouting to the Lord but that doesn’t mean they are not on fire for the Lord!!! You cannot judge the state of anyone’s heart simply by their actions.

In the Protestant churches I attended, the kids who were the most zealous within church were the same kids who went out and partied with their friends with drugs, alcohol… the same kids who went out in the week and slept around with multiple partners…

you cannot judge someone’s heart by their actions within church or within Mass. You just can’t. Some people put on a show, some don’t…

I’d encourage you to stop seeking what ‘feels good’ and focus on the Lord and the Lord alone.
 
@Jerel5
Have you tried services of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal? My husband goes at times. I have been there as well and it does have some elements of the kind of zeal you are after, but being more traditionalist it was not my cup of tea.
 
My former church was warm and welcoming, but had doctrinal issues. The church family there was hard to leave. It was always noisy before the service and there were gatherings afterward. The Catholic parish I attend is quiet before Mass and has no gatherings (like pot luck dinners) after Mass. People tend to leave quickly after Mass, it gets over at about 12:15, to go to lunch. It was different at first, but I have always loved the silence before Mass. You can change the “feel” of your parish. You could talk to the priest and set up coffee and doughnuts after Mass or something. We can each play a part in how our parish “feels”.

There are somethings that we cannot change, but we should improve the ‘welcome’ that new people get. We can’t expect people to flood through our doors if we don’t make them feel welcome.
 
The Roman Catholic faith is the one, true faith, but this doesn’t (AT ALL) guarantee that those who profess the faith keep it - commit themselves to a life of charity and goodness.

I find it helps to keep my focus entirely on the Eucharistic presence of our savior and to “not care” how I’m treated by others in any given parish.
  • Matthew W.
 
I am also a former Lutheran protestant. So I might know of something what you mean, but for me those services were empty as they celebrated Holy Eucharist only as a symbol of the Last Supper. When I first went to Catholic mass I got enchanted of the beauty of the tradition and of the priests words when he lifted the host and said ‘‘This is my Body’’. The thought of Christ really being in the sacrament and not having just a remembrance is something that I am still at awe about. :harp:
 
I believe the Lutheran believe in the real presence don’t they? 🙂
I mean you wer Lutheran you should know, but I thought they did.
 
You are so right. I was in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Sunday for the Mass and I had to wear my coat the whole time. You’d think they could install central heating or something.

😉
 
Nope, no real presence and other Papal nonsense 😛

Copy the fact that sometimes the churches really are cold especially on top at the organ empore where the choir sings :winter:
 
jerel5 said:
Hello,

I have been going to a plant church with my girlfriend and she has been going to mass with me occasionally. I am no stranger to protestant services or protestant spirituality because most of my family and friends are protestant. My experience in attending these two churches is that the plant church is very active and vibrant and I am encouraged by everyone’s passion and excitement they bring to church. Mass is different, and the protestant services are just bible studies and entertainment but I do feel attracted to their passion and discouraged by my fellow Catholics lack of zeal. Has anyone else had this experience?

thanks
Click to expand...
While I have no problem with the new mass every once in a while I will “treat” myself to a traditional latin mass. You can experience zeal for the lord everywhere but, at least at the TLM parish near where I live, you can feel the overwhelming reference and zeal that congreagation has for the mass and the Eucharist without any of the hand clapping and bass guitars. I suggest you try one out. It is truly “otherworldly”

Also, maybe you should try thinking of ways for having your zeal rub off on your fellow parishioners. Start a club, pot luck, evengelization group etc… or even join one of the ministries. You will find a lot zealous people associate with those.
 
jerel5 said:
Hello,

I have been going to a plant church with my girlfriend and she has been going to mass with me occasionally. I am no stranger to protestant services or protestant spirituality because most of my family and friends are protestant. My experience in attending these two churches is that the plant church is very active and vibrant and I am encouraged by everyone’s passion and excitement they bring to church. Mass is different, and the protestant services are just bible studies and entertainment but I do feel attracted to their passion and discouraged by my fellow Catholics lack of zeal. Has anyone else had this experience?

thanks
Click to expand...
Forgive my ignorance but what is a “plant church” exactly?
I do appreciate your difficulties, but we can’t build our relationship with God on the responses(or lack thereof) of others. In the Mass we meet Christ in a particular and real way. As far as I’m concerned nothing on earth can compete with the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist for excitement value.

While I can’t comment on your ‘plant church’ I have found that my experience of protestant events(since its not a service I’m not sure what it is exactly) is that the activity masks an underlying lack of depth of belief, and beliefs, its good for a while, but I need more. Full-fat Christianity as it were.
 
Luvtosew said:
I like the mass as quiet as possible.🙂
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👍

It’s so much easier to pray and focus when it’s quiet. Our Bishop just asked that we be quiet before Mass and it’s the most wonderful gift he could have given!!! Before our choir would practice prior to Mass and I found that horribly distracting. It just made it so hard to pray before Mass and get my head in the right place but now the silence is a blessing.
 
My suggestion is that you get to know other Catholics through the various programs that your Church does have (RCIA, greeters, volunteer programs, etc.)

Ask to see if your Church has a photo directory of people in the parish.

Little by little, people “warm up” to each other through these activities.
 
It’s weird but I’ve been to one Protestant service in my life. It was Presbyterian and my boyfriend was of that faith. I found that service to be very, very cold - in a spiritual sense. It was like going to the movies or to a speech. The first thing my boyfriend did was put his arm around me and pull me close. He wanted to cuddle with me!

It didn’t feel right. People were talking loud, having private conversations, laughing. From the little I can remember there was something like a talk by the minister and that was that. I would never go back. I felt ashamed with myself for even walking into that building and angry at myself because I didn’t go to Mass that day. I remember kneeling and praying and I think that must have embarrassed my boyfriend.

Now I approached this as a “not quite fallen but in deep trouble” Catholic seeing the Protestant world for the first time.

There was so much that was missing. Mass is a celebration but a very sacred, serious one. We are partaking of the actual Body and Blood of God. That is amazing. I don’t know about the joy present in Protestant churches but I do know one thing. When I receive the Body and Blood of Jesus I cry for joy. I’m quiet about it but I can’t help it. I feel a type of ecstasy and I want to die right then and there and be with God for eternity.

My experience is limited as are the Masses in the little church I attend. There is a folk-type vigil Mass on Saturday and a non folk-type Mass on Sunday. One. I love the folk-type Mass. It’s a personal preference. I love the singing and the guitars and flute. I feel a greater sense of community with those around me.
 
Most everyone from Catholics, Mulsim, Jews, Protestants believe they have truth on their side. Go with your heart and passion.
 
I was born and raised Catholic, but I did attend a presbyterian church mass once, and to me it was completely a gathering to worship God. That was about it. I didn’t feel it was a mass. There is a lot of worship, and it is good to sing and praise the Lord. However, the Lord loves His celebration of Mass as well. I mean, we sing, and proclaim our love for God, but we must also participate in the Eucharist.
 
There is a night and day difference between Catholic churches in affluent, poor, Suburban, inner City , Polish, German areas, etc.

Try another RC church till you find one that is right for you.

God Bless on this journey,
 
triumphguy said:
I went to a Pentecostal Church for a while as I was making the change from being a Catholic by habit and upbringing, to a Catholic by choice. It was very attractive for a while. But there was little depth for me there. It’s the difference between entertainment and nourishment.
Click to expand...
^This 👍

Yes, with what they know, they do a lot with it. We, however have a depth of truth that they do not. It’s like going to swim in the kiddie pool vs. the deep end. When you first start out, it’s lots and lots of fun playing around in the kiddie pool, but after you get used to it, you yearn to delve into the deep end of the big pool. You will always want more.
 
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