I've tried, but didn't feel right

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traillius

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I’ve tried in the past other forms of christianity, but I’ve never felt comfortable worshipping anywhere but in a catholic church, or in a catholic manner, if not in a church building. What are your experiences and opinions in these matters?
 
I went to a Methodist service with my Dad a few years ago. It felt familiar at first. The hymns were familiar. There was a nice sermon. Then it was over, and I felt a big emptiness. Something was missing - the whole Eucharistic Service! I felt cheated.
 
Yup, there’s always something missing. The Eucharist, usually.

But there’s often something else. Not only do they not feel like Masses (“oh, this is a nice prayer service”), they feel like, well, classroom time. Teacher is at the board and will now explain how this chapter of Daniel relates to that chapter of Revelation, and are there any questions?

Yes, professor, two of them:
1. Will this be on the test?
2. How should I behave and believe, as a Christian?

By the way, the answer to the second question WILL be on the test.
 
I’m sure many ex-Catholics, or non-Catholic Protestants and Orthodox in general might disagree with you here. Everyone always feels “right” in their particular church service. 😃
 
FabiusMaximus said:
I’m sure many ex-Catholics, or non-Catholic Protestants and Orthodox in general might disagree with you here. Everyone always feels “right” in their particular church service. 😃
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I’m not seeking agreement, per se. I am simply stating my experience. I expect, and respect, differences in opinion. While I believe the fullness of truth is in the RCC, I will allow for all to have free will.
 
I honestly don’t think that’s uncommon. I still don’t feel “right” in most Protestant churches. They just seem so empty and sterile. However, Catholic churches don’t feel “right” to me in a sense that I feel as if I don’t belong there. I feel most comfortable outside, in nature, or in my home.

I think that places of worship have very different “feels” to them. A Catholic church has a different “feel” to me than the Buddhist meditation room that’s on the upper floor of a local vegetarian restaurant, and different places aren’t going to feel right to different people.
 
I don’t like talking negatively of other Christian’s worship so I won’t. I will say though that I love the solemn worship of the Catholic Church.

God bless
 
traillius said:
I’ve tried in the past other forms of christianity, but I’ve never felt comfortable worshipping anywhere but in a catholic church, or in a catholic manner, if not in a church building. What are your experiences and opinions in these matters?
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Personally, I love to visit other churches. :o My own church is ‘home’, and it’s great. Visiting another church is often very different, especially if it is a liturgical church, and it can be a bit hard to engage in worship when you aren’t quite sure how things go - what you are meant to say, whether everyone stands or sits for this bit, that sort of thing. However, I’ve had some wonderful experiences at Anglican services. I love the reverance for God that you find in the liturgy. I like things like incense and candles, because there is something physical that helps you connect with the reality of God, and the reality of what worship is. Visiting other churches and experiencing other styles of worship enriches my spiritual life and my relationship with God. My Catholic friend has promised to take me to Mass some time soon, and I’m looking forward to that. :extrahappy:
 
traillius said:
I’ve tried in the past other forms of christianity, but I’ve never felt comfortable worshipping anywhere but in a catholic church, or in a catholic manner, if not in a church building. What are your experiences and opinions in these matters?
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I’ve been to a few different denominational worship services, Lutheran being one of the closest, but none of them had the fulfilling wholesomeness of the Catholic Mass. I especially did not care for one type of Protestant worship service that was all about listening to the Reverand speak, and do altar calls. Their form of “worship” was in singing songs of worship and praise (which the Catholic Church includes in all Masses anyways!).

Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be, so says the Lord…however, it is not the Real Presence that we have and commemorate at Mass. I can be at home with my family or friends praying, and that is what I feel was the same type of atmosphere in some non-Catholic congregations. 🤷 , yet I cannot have the Eucharist, which is only in the Mass.
 
Godith said:
Personally, I love to visit other churches. :o My own church is ‘home’, and it’s great. Visiting another church is often very different, especially if it is a liturgical church, and it can be a bit hard to engage in worship when you aren’t quite sure how things go - what you are meant to say, whether everyone stands or sits for this bit, that sort of thing. However, I’ve had some wonderful experiences at Anglican services. I love the reverance for God that you find in the liturgy. I like things like incense and candles, because there is something physical that helps you connect with the reality of God, and the reality of what worship is. Visiting other churches and experiencing other styles of worship enriches my spiritual life and my relationship with God. My Catholic friend has promised to take me to Mass some time soon, and I’m looking forward to that. :extrahappy:
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Hi Godith,

Bless you! That is wonderful. Please update us on how you felt at the Mass. 🙂
 
I attend a Catholic mass with my Catholic wife and son almost every week. Sometimes my wife can’t make it and I take our son by myself. After several years, it still doesn’t quite feel right to me either, compared to mass at the Episcopal parish. Probably because I can receive the Eucharist at the latter, and not the former. At least I suspect that has something to do with it. For what it’s worth.
 
It’s very normal to feel uncomfortable with something that is different than what you are used to.

People tend to feel comfortable if they grew up with something, or spent many years there.

Or people feel comfortable if they know a lot of people there and trust them absolutely.

When my husband and I first started going to Mass (an OF Mass in a very modern Catholic Church), it felt ancient and ritualistic to us–very very strange. Now after seven years, it feels very normal.

The important thing is, we shouldn’t base our choices on our feelings, but what’s true.

I don’t love the praise and worship choruses in many Protestant churches, but I love the traditional hymns, especially the good, march-tempo German hymns, and also many of the traditional American hymns (e.g., Fanny Crosby) sung in Lutheran churches and in the more traditional Baptist churches. I miss these in the Catholic Church, and I especially miss hearing singing done with gusto and good strong voices. I hate–and I mean to use that strong word–I hate the way Catholics just stand there and don’t sing unless the song meets their personal standards. I don’t feel comfortable when I’m the only one singing. But I sing anyway, and I know that just because the Lutherans and Baptists have strong music doesn’t mean that they are Truth. The Catholic Church is Christ’s Church, bad singing or not.
 
Hard to pin it down from person to person. I seek God not a pretty Mass. The sacrement of confession/communion is most important to me. I chase the State of Grace, the Holy Sacrifice.

I have seen Mass performed in Gothic Cathedrals which were astounding, I have seen Mass performed in basements and rooms in a prison. So you clearly understand. I don’t care how pretty the Mass is, or the building, or the language, or if its performed in a dirty dungeon or in the woods

Where there is no ordained Catholic Priest, I do not worship. Its just my hard fast rule. For all others I pray and would like think they are covered by Gods hand. However I do not know. I follow the Apostolic Succession and would hope all others do also. Be it east or west. Those are the true paths.

Episcopal Church has a pretty Mass, pretty isn’t a requirement, the sacrements are. In fact preconceived notions of pretty are often nothing but vanity. Comfortable? I would rather be uncomfortable and live, than be comfortable and perish.

Peace
 
GaryTaylor said:
I seek God not a pretty Mass. The sacrement of confession/communion is most important to me. I chase the State of Grace, the Holy Sacrifice. Episcopal Church has a pretty Mass, pretty isn’t a requirement, the sacrements are.
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I agree! It’s not about the show…it’s about the graces we receive from the sacraments.
 
traillius said:
I’ve tried in the past other forms of christianity, but I’ve never felt comfortable worshipping anywhere but in a catholic church, or in a catholic manner, if not in a church building. What are your experiences and opinions in these matters?
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I’ll give some simple unsolicited advice about going to the services of other faiths. “Stop doing that!”
 
traillius said:
I’ve tried in the past other forms of christianity, but I’ve never felt comfortable worshipping anywhere but in a catholic church, or in a catholic manner, if not in a church building. What are your experiences and opinions in these matters?
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My honest opinion is you are, then where you ought to be, and may God bless you in word and sacrament there. I love the Lutheran liturgy, our music, and the means of grace we receive through the sacraments and the word. I have enjoyed the Episcopal mass, and feel quite comfortable in a Catholic mass. Were it the case we all were one, I pray.

Jon
 
traillius said:
I’ve tried in the past other forms of christianity, but I’ve never felt comfortable worshipping anywhere but in a catholic church, or in a catholic manner, if not in a church building. What are your experiences and opinions in these matters?
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During the time that I was “trying other forms of Christianity” I was looking for many things that were lacking in my own walk with God. Now that God has led be back to the faith into which I was baptized, I realize that the fullness of the faith was there all along, I was just not apprehending it. Some of that was because I was rejecting the moral teachings of the Church.
 
Okay. Let me be the bad guy. I have trouble feeling at home in the Catholic Church.

Why? Over the years I have done a lot of reading and thinking, and increasingly I have needed the freedom to question, to explore, to be less dogmatic than Catholicism requires. Take transubstantiation. Maybe, but sometimes it can seem superstitious to me, especially Eucharistic Adoration, appearing to worship the body and blood of Jesus, not sure I accept it as such.
Code: 
 Or, Mary. Obviously an esteemed woman. But the teachings that she never committed a sin (was she human or not?), that she was the only person ever born without original sin (a concept that troubles me, like inherited sin?), that she was translated body and soul into heaven (do bodies exist in heaven?) - etc. 

 In other words, I have become uncomfortable attending Mass when it seems to require that I accept all the doctrines that go along with it. And the practices, too, like the forbidding of unapproved birth control, which seems to me to be simply another step in medical progress, and certainly not to be compared for a split second to abortion. That and approved birth control have the same objective anyway - family planning, which can be a reasonable goal. 

 This is not to say that I feel right in many Protestant churches either, especially evangelical ones which also preach a very narrow theology.. What many mainline Protestant churches seem to accept, however, is a difference of opinion among their communicants rather than a 'you must believe this' approach. I find that attractive.

 God bless people of every creed, color, culture and country. We all 'see through a glass darkly" and I don't have a problem waiting until we get to know the truth in the world to come. My guess is that we all are far removed from the truth since our finite minds aren't able to comprehend it. I have trouble understanding what may be a million solar systems out there somewhere, so I've given up on the idea that theologians can understand all that either. My faith is in God, and not in creeds.
 
Every practicing Catholic’s faith is in God. Having faith in what I believe( a creed ) is secondary. God Bless you.
 
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