Elected limiting the number and filtering the quality of members?

  • Thread starter Thread starter contemplative
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

contemplative

Guest
What would you do if you suddenly found that you belonged to a simple Catholic prayer group that had decision making council members (elected) that made a decision to limit the number of new members in the group and filtered for and favored quality members that are people with higher education and status and power bearing occupations?

What is your reaction based on this information only?
 
My first reaction would be to say it is sketchy, but it really depends upon the purpose of the group, and why they feel it is necessary to limit membership.
For example, a Catholic ‘club’ that has as its ministry visiting those who are homebound may legitimately give preference to members with RN or LPN background. Perhaps that have a certain number of clients, and want to make sure the clients only contact a small group of people so they can form a relationship.
 
Concerning the limited number of new members - the only reason given thus far is the concern that older more established members might feel pushed out under the weight of new members.
 
40.png
contemplative:
Concerning the limited number of new members - the only reason given thus far is the concern that older more established members might feel pushed out under the weight of new members.
Click to expand...
In principle, I don’t see a problem with wanting to keep a private prayer group small for the purpose of fellowship and a more intimate atmosphere of prayer; however, when our human natures get in the way and we start “qualifying” people, using any human measuring stick, problems are inevitable. The spiritual “quality” of a person is rarely discernable without getting to know the person, and it is rarely related to affluence, status, intelligence, or any other human measuring stick. In fact, many of the great saints were rejected by their contemporaries because they didn’t measure up. Sounds to me like, even if the intention is pure, the logistics will be problematic.
 
40.png
contemplative:
What would you do if you suddenly found that you belonged to a simple Catholic prayer group that had decision making council members (elected) that made a decision to limit the number of new members in the group and filtered for and favored quality members that are people with higher education and status and power bearing occupations?

What is your reaction based on this information only?
Click to expand...
Personally, I’d find a new group. There’s no such thing as a “simple Catholic prayer group” that also has a “decision making council”. That’s crazy.

At most a prayer group has a leader/facilitator not a board of directors. I was a leader of a group at my old church-- as leader my job was to bring cookies and get the key to the room we used at the church… not to decide who can come and who can’t.
 
40.png
1ke:
Personally, I’d find a new group. There’s no such thing as a “simple Catholic prayer group” that also has a “decision making council”. That’s crazy.
Click to expand...
At first I felt I could tolerate a core group making decisions for all but when I heard ‘limiting new members’ and references to ‘quality members’ my spirit backed off.

Oh well…nothing - it seems lasts forever. 😦
 
40.png
contemplative:
God is most important and He definately moves me where He wills.
Click to expand...
Maybe you could start a new prayer group with the “rejects”. It might be a more humble group of folks.
 
I am reminded of the story, from the mid-20th century, of a black man who was refused admission to one of the fancier churches in town.

He prayed to the Lord about it. Jesus told him, “Don’t worry, I’ve been trying to get into that church for years. They won’t let Me in either.”
 
What your prayer group is doing sounds like a direct violation of James’ admonition:

James 2:1-7

1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
 
Concerning the limited number of new members - the only reason given thus far is the concern that older more established members might feel pushed out under the weight of new members.
Click to expand...
If there’s getting to be too many members wouldn’t the correct procedure be to split not limit? Rather than being in a relaxed atmosphere you’d be breaking off into groups with new people who have different life experiences which could help members get new perspectives into their Faith.

For example, wouldn’t a cradle Catholic learn more if he was put in a group of protestant converts, jewish converts, and converts from athiesm than if he was put in a group of soley cradle Catholics?
 
40.png
contemplative:
What would you do if you suddenly found that you belonged to a simple Catholic prayer group that had decision making council members (elected) that made a decision to limit the number of new members in the group and filtered for and favored quality members that are people with higher education and status and power bearing occupations?

What is your reaction based on this information only?
Click to expand...
I would wonder what the heck I was doing there to begin with since by this criteria, I fail on all counts. 😦
 
40.png
Della:
What your prayer group is doing sounds like a direct violation of James’ admonition:

James 2:1-7

1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
Click to expand...
Agreed
 
I would really consider leaving such a group because of the reasons for “a smaller Prayer group” would bother me so much I would not be able to concentrate on anything else except for this situation. As someone said earlier, I would speak to other members who feel they way you do and start a new Group.
 
I have a hard time imagining a “prayer group” so big that they need an elected decision-making council, after much more than a dozen, how is there time for all to share? As others have mentioned, branching off rather than limiting membership would seem to be a better thing to do. I do see several problems with “favored quality members that are people with higher education and status and power bearing occupations,” although you are not giving much info here. I do think education is often a legitimate criterion to include when branching off. I’ve been in a faith-sharing group that felt more like a catechism class; every week we had to go over fairly simple questions, and the momentum of the group was lost. In my current faith-sharing group, I am the only person who has not yet earned a Ph.D. (yes, I live in an academic community!), and even though I think I “keep up” fairly well, I think it would be fair for the group to decide that a doctorate was required for membership, because while spiritual the discussion is complex and wanders through history and philosophy in several languages. I hate this whole concept of “high-powered” people, that kind of networking is appropriate for business and politics, but not for church.
 
40.png
kaymart:
I would speak to other members who feel they way you do and start a new Group.
Click to expand...
This will be my second and final time I bring this topic up for discussion in the group. I spoke my heart about it a year ago and thought I was heard.
Uncharitableness has reared it’s ugly head again.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top