Dont know if i want to go back to my church or not

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elohimrules

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Well, so basically I am trying to get to know people in my church because it is a very large cathedral and its easy to go to mass and never get to know anyone. I saw that on Friday nights they have a charismatic prayer group so I decided to go. Well basically I felt humiliated in front of a lot of the leaders of the church. This is what happened. They had a charismatic worship with tongues and all, everyone raising their hands etc. While im a very quiet and reserved person so i didnt join in in all the lifting of hands and mumbling. Some people were praying over others etc. I was just thinking inside my head what do I make of all this. Not saying I dont believe that the Spirit is active today I was just mentally processing it all and not emoting a lot. Well needless to say the leader of this prayer group singled me out. He said he normally doesnt do this but felt led to call me upfront. I went up front and he had everyone lay hands on me. Many people layed hands on me and mumbled etc. I just stood there and did nothing. Then I went back to shyly to my seat. He said he was praying for generational curses to be broken over me, evil broken over me, etc. at the end people gave testimonies and all I thought of was to tell them that sometimes demons attack me in my dreams. I say the hail mary and our father prayers and that usually gets rid of them. Well then the leader says that this points to the moving of the holy spirit. I left and went straight to adoration, kneeling before God I cried. I thought does this man think im evil or something? He never even came up after the service to talk to me after he pointed me out infront of everyone. If he was so concerned for me wouldnt he at least come talk to me? Now I feel a bit humiliated. Im not sure what to do because many of the leaders of the church were there and saw it. So now I feel like im the girl that has evil over her or something. I still dont know what to make of this charasmatic stuff. Im processing it. But I did tell God tonight im not sure I want to go back to that church. My greatest joy is going to adoration. that is how I worship Him by being in love with Him and adoring him, going to mass etc. They prayed over and over fill me with the holy spirit. I mean I thought i am already full of the Spirit when I got confirmed, so anyways sorry to talk so much im just trying to process it all and think about if i even want to go back.
 
I would not go back to that charismatic thing. I wouldn’t let it keep me from going to Mass though!
 
Yeah, I would second that. Avoid that group and find a more reserved group to pray with. That would chase me away fast.
 
Yeah im not going back to that group. I talked to my spiritual advisor tonight and he said the same thing dont go back but continue to go to church. I agreed.
 
How about just relaxing, being grateful for the experience and now let the Holy Spirit guide you? I have been to those also and found them not my style or whatever. But I am open to it once in a while. I think people get carried away by their own emotions and attribute it to the Holy Spirit. Take it to adoration and reflect on it.
 
I’m sorry that was your experience. I do believe you’re misinterpreting the signals of what occurred at the prayer group. I wouldn’t think there was anything “wrong” or “evil” about you — if I belonged to that group and had been there, I might have seen it quite the opposite - that you had received a blessing by being led there to overcome something, to have everyone praying with you.

That said, the charismatic stuff isn’t for everyone; not by a long shot. If you’re quiet and reserved and uncomfortable there, don’t go back to the group. However, please bear in mind that you might be making the interaction into more of an awkward situation in your own mind than how anyone else really saw it. It might even lead people to eventually approach you… you never know. One prayer meeting hardly equates to a social life with anyone.

I sympathize. Keep at it, in your own way and comfort zone, but don’t run away or hide out from embarrassment or anything like that.
 
elohimrules said:
I still dont know what to make of this charasmatic stuff. Im processing it. But I did tell God tonight im not sure I want to go back to that church. My greatest joy is going to adoration. that is how I worship Him by being in love with Him and adoring him, going to mass etc. They prayed over and over fill me with the holy spirit. I mean I thought i am already full of the Spirit when I got confirmed, so anyways sorry to talk so much im just trying to process it all and think about if i even want to go back.
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I don’t like the Charismatic stuff at all.
 
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Keep going to mass and maybe stick to your comfort zone for a bit
 
That is precisely why I’m weary of the Charismatic Movement (not the Charismatic Renewal, they are two different things). I wouldn’t go back either, because this priest clearly has some warped ideas about the Holy Spirit. Try to find a parish more grounded in tradition. I’m very sorry that this happened to you, and I will be praying for your consolation.
 
The theology of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is rooted in Catholic Tradition which began in a very special way at the first Pentecost , often referred to as the Birthday of the Church .
 
@elohimrules , as other have advised continue to go to the church .

I am surprised that you went to a Catholic Charismatic Renewal prayer meeting when you clearly have such an aversion to it .
 
Hi @elohimrules. That was a very bad experience for you, I’m sorry to hear about it. In my opinion the leader of the charismatic group was very wrong to single you out in front of the group. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen before, and it’s bad. Charismatics groups tend to do this, unfortunately. What they should do is give new people time to get used to the group, and check carefully first whether that new person is comfortable before putting them “on the spot” in front of the rest. And it’s bad too that he didn’t come to talk to you afterwards to make you feel better. Again, I’ve seen it before: charismatic groups tend to “test” newcomers, and if you don’t respond just the way they like it, they drop you like a rock afterwards.

It’s perfectly understandable that you don’t want to go back to that particular church. If you have other options, I think it’s quite healthy for you to stay away from the church where this happened. If that’s not possible, perhaps you can go to church when the charismatics aren’t there, or at least are not having one of their sessions. If it’s hard to avoid them and there is no other church that you can conveniently go to, I would recommend to ask someone else for help in this situation (if you feel that you need it). The parish priest might be able to help you by informing the leader that he should leave you alone.

And you make a very good point when you write that you already felt full of the Holy Spirit since your confirmation. Good for you! Charismatics tend to forget that the Holy Spirit does not operate the same way in everyone, and tend to assume that whoever hasn’t joined them has not received the Holy Spirit in its fullness yet. They are quite wrong about this.

I hope you’ll get over this unpleasant experience soon, and that you will not allow this incident to affect your fondness for the Church as a whole.
 
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one of those very students is on CAF,

Her posts are a blessing and a privilege to read.
 
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@elohimrules

good on you for stepping out of your comfort zone and worshiping outside the box so to speak.

first thing I have to say, we have one shepherd, one leader , in our Diocese. That is our Bishop. Our clergy lead worship at Mass. That is it, we are all the People of God, so we are all leaders and followers.

praying in tongues and raising hands at a prayer group is standard, its normal.
You cannot pray in tongues if you haven’t received the gift. Its not mumbling.
If you had decided to mumble, you would not have been praying in tongues, but you know that right?
Praying over others is a normal thing at Charismatic prayer meetings, and also in any prayer meeting, people pray for or pray with or over others by touching them or holding their hand or placing a hand on their back. Nothing wrong with that , right?
It can have an enormous good effect and bear much fruit, healing fruit. Its what the Apostles and Disciples did. And what we do as Disciples too.

The people praying over you were not mumbling, they were praying in tongues.
Its quite ok to just stand there when that happens. No response is expected.
As far as generational curses, well thats his error , and it should be pointed out we dont live with generational curses, it might be worth a word to your Priest about that.

Praying always points to the Holy Spirit moving within us , nothing new there.
This man would not think you are evil, and how can you be evil when you are in Mass and Adoration and want to be there.

You should talk to him and tell him that he should have asked, and not told you to go up the front. And you had the right to say NO.

I am going to disagree with others and say, perhaps go back a few times, get the feel of the thing, participate as much as is comfortable for you. It will diffuse this bad experience for you and show you many of the people there are just like you, worshipping God in their own way.

Be open to wherever God leads.
 
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elohimrules said:
kneeling before God I cried. I thought does this man think im evil or something? He never even came up after the service to talk to me after he pointed me out infront of everyone.
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Sounds a lot like this man got what he needed from your encounter.

We can know others by their deeds probably best of all.

I don’t expect to be made to feel this way at my church and I’m not keen on being frightened by religious people of any kind. They project on to you their own fears and corrupt the spiritual peace we should we seeking through love for God and neighbour.

Perhaps this situation would be best avoided in the future.
 
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Yes I had the same experience in the 1960’s… When I went to a charismatic gathering. This seems weird?

Huh . ? This is worship?
But I learned . and now and how to worship this way.
One step at a time
 
You know I come from a Protestant background and this service seemed no different than a protestant Pentecostal service. I dont want to go back to being protestant.
 
elohimrules said:
They had a charismatic worship with tongues and all, everyone raising their hands etc. While im a very quiet and reserved person so i didnt join in in all the lifting of hands and mumbling. Some people were praying over others etc. I was just thinking inside my head what do I make of all this. Not saying I dont believe that the Spirit is active today I was just mentally processing it all and not emoting a lot. Well needless to say the leader of this prayer group singled me out. He said he normally doesnt do this but felt led to call me upfront. I went up front and he had everyone lay hands on me. Many people layed hands on me and mumbled etc. I just stood there and did nothing.
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Charimaticism is not for everyone. It is wrong for the leader to single you out. To try to publically “peer pressure” you into emotion is so very wrong. Please, speak to your pastor.

I am a very reserved person. I have been where you were (in the Protestant Charismatic world) and it almost turned me off of Christianity forever!! Thank GOD I found the Catholic Church.

Because I have friends in the “Renewal”, I went to a big conference. Thankfully, this group of people is respectful. I stood, sat, knelt, prayed in my own way and no one tried to force me into anything. We would have wonderful talks, I enjoyed singing, listened to talks, made new friends, even won a door prize at that conference!

The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and does not force himself on anyone. I am again so sorry that this happened. Please, speak to the Pastor. This leader was out of line.
 
Please, let’s not get into that again (searches will find that debate has been had a hundred times on this forum). Some people believe one thing, others believe differently. The Church has not made a formal declaration, what has been said can be read by different people to mean different things. It ends up in hurt people and suspensions. Best to say “overt Charismaticism is not for everyone”.
 
The church hasn’t made formal declarations about a lot of things. What we do know is that all of the popes since it started have been supportive of it and the chaplain to the papal household is a charismatic. (Enough about that as we have many threads on this issue already.)

Point is being Charismatic is for everyone who wants it. Many do. Many don’t. It is your decision to make and as someone else said the Holy Spirit is always a gentleman.

I am concerned about a few respondents here who seem to think they know the hearts of the people at the meeting and therefore are qualified to judge their intentions and motivations. I think God is a much better judge of those things.
 
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