How Do you Choose a Church?
I’ve been listening to Sean HAnnity and Rush Limbaugh at work. Why? I don’t know…Maybe I’m just a masochist.
Anyway, one of the things that tI Keep hearing from them and their minions about Barack Obama is that he “Chose to stay at the church for 20 years.”
I can relate.
I’m Catholic. Always been catholic. Went to Catholic school, Catholic Marriage, Baptized Kid #1 who went to a Catholic School.
I sat there in the pews and cringed when the sermons were about abortion, about the need to give to do good works overseas when outside our doors the neighborhood fell apart.Cheered when we finally got a female deacon. and sighed when she left in a year.
But something happened. Our parish was getting smaller. Our Diocese was getting smaller and schools were closing everywhere. there was talk of closing the school, then we kept it open one more year. Then another. Then, when it seemed we would have to close it, another parish closed their school in the middle of the year. The rumor was there was a gentlemen’s agreement in place at the cathedral to only close one school a year.
So the bishop gave us enough money to keep the school open one more year. “Hmmm, I thought. With all the school closings, they only come up with the money now?” Then we tried to rent out the closed convent to a nursing home. The pastor didn’t want to. We tried to rent space in the school to Headstart, after school programs, adult education. You know, the kind of things churches do. Nope. Couldn’t afford security.
But guess what? After the school closed, all these things happened. And the church sex scandal hit, but the internal investigation showed our diocese was clean. Then we found out there was a retired pedophile priest living in a community with a daycare, but that was ok because he didn’t have contact with the kids.
Then there was the capital campaign whose money was to be used for improvements. But nobody knows where it really went.
Then My wife worked at a ministry with no resources, basically a couple who rented an old church, and they managed to do more outreach and giving than our church.
Finally I had enough. I can’t go back to the church. Kid #2 has never been baptized.
I want to find a church, I know they’re out there, but really I have no Idea how to go about picking a church. I’ve been to other services, but they seem weird to me. No kneeling? Over in a half hour? Shouting and raising your arms in the air? That’s not what my church was like.
So, should I go back to a church that was once my home because its familiar? I miss attending mass.
How do you pick a church anyway?
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Well, being too comfortable with what you currently had/have is what hinders change. Come on, the spirit is life so get involved with a church that is always in a state of change.
Look, no church is perfect and there comes a time when you mature spiritually enough to start eating solids. That means not going to church for what it can do for you but what you can do for your church. You make the church.
A churches strength comes from it’s members. A church needs leadership in all it’s areas. Not just from the alter.
Imagine your whole body being paralyzed but with the mind of a genius. Now wouldn’t it be great if at least your mouth could work? Maybe your ears? How about just all the parts on your head? That could help out a lot already.
Anyways, you emailed me about the options theme. I changed it ’cause I ready to style it. Besides, my blog isn’t on the path to riches. No brand, no real niche focus, you know, the kind of blog most of us have.
I want to make money online but them big bloggers telling me not to do it for the money freak me out. In most cases they’ve got it made financially and a blog to them is an outlet to brag some how.
Whatever, thanks for reading my blog but it’s now officially dead. no April fools joke there. My next project will be planned out better for sure.
Gotta get those incoming links to get those incoming bills.