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Sooooo, yall know I don't get personal on here too much, but I am going to violate that rule to an extent to describe a bit of my spiritual journey these last few years
I was raised Catholic. Then when I went to college, I really started questioning everything.
Then I discovered C.S. Lewis, not to mention Chuck Colson. Their writing about Christianity made sense to me. However...
I felt alienated from the Catholic Church. Too many of the homilies had strayed from Jesus's message and onto the priest's messages of individual morality. Specifically I remember them railing against teenagers promiscuity.
I was like 'this has nothing to do with me. I am in my mid-20s.' So going to church had become a waste of time to me
Now my uncle was a Baptist. My family attended a Christmas celebration at his church called 'The Singing Christmas trees.' We attended it for a few years and I enjoyed it.
Soooooo I decided to make the jump. I started attending Baptist services
My first time at a regular service, I remember being struck by the amount of singing these people did at the beginning of their services. At Mass, you sing one song, then the priest addresses the congregation. These people sang one song after another
Anyway, the church I was at is what is known as a 'MegaChurch.' I mean there were so many people in the church. I would park in their parking lot then take a little trolley to take me to church. It was that big
Honestly even though I really liked the minister, this was a problem for me. Simply speaking the church was too big. I felt like it was impersonal...no matter how friendly the attendees were
So the church had a 'satellite church' across town. I went to services there...and now I had found a home. The church was much smaller and it was right for me
And then I had found a Sunday School there which had the best husband and wife team at the head. He really had such insight into the Scriptures...he went to Seminary, and it really showed. All was good
And then things fell apart
Ministers can stay at churches for a while, but they go to other churches as well. We went through a few changes, all was well. But then one time, it didn't go well
The 'new' minister has been assisting the head ministers for a while. When he was selected to be the head minister, it seemed like a logical choice. But we had a committee to vet him, and they gave him a thumbs down.
And then it turned into the worst kind of soap opera. I mean the members of the church REALLY were divided over this. It was ugly
I was like 'hello? We are all Christians, right? We love each other, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, right? Right?
Not this time. I wish I could say the story had a happy ending, but it didn't. The minister was so hurt by the lack of the support that he left the ministry and went into the corporate world.
Quite a few members of the vetting committee left the church as well.
And my beloved Sunday school teacher...who supported the minister...he left the church
The whole experience soured me on the church. But,,,,,a new development.
My mother who was my spiritual rock had never stopped going to Catholic services. She did not mind me going to Baptist services. So long as I was going to church, all good
For the last few years, I had been attending Christmas eve Services with her at her new church. And I noticed that the priests were now sticking to the Gospels in their homilies.
So to begin this year, I returned to Catholic services at my mother's 'new' church..and I felt like I was home again.
I am convinced that if the Sunday School teacher hadn't left, I wouldn't have, but it all worked out
Yesterday we had Thanksgiving services at my church...with a lovely homily. Just...felt like home.
So that's it. I hope this was a reasonably interesting thread. The whole experience reminded me of the maxim 'Christians aren't perfect....just forgiven.'
