Another one came in the mail yesterday. It was our third.
A postcard with a cool graphic and non religious-y buzz words.
"Modern"
"Elevate"
"High Energy"
"Dynamic Videos"
"Engaging Music"
One's goal is to be "the funnest place on Earth." Another promotes it's subwoofers and media.
But I'm going to ask you a question, the same question that was asked of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb on the very first Easter Sunday. "Who are you looking for?" (John 20:15) And along with that question I ask you, "What are you looking for?"
Are you looking for Christ? Are you looking for the Church He founded? Are you looking for Truth? Are you looking for answers to questions like "What is the purpose of life?" and "Why do we suffer?" Are you looking for an encounter with the Creator, the Savior, the Holy Spirit?
Are you looking to be entertained? Or are you looking for God?
Jesus Christ told us that He was the manna sent down from Heaven and unless we ate His Flesh and drank His Blood we would not have life within us. (John 6: 43, 53) We believe that on Holy Thursday Christ fulfilled those words by instituting the Eucharist (the consecrated Host) at the Last Supper. We believe that on Good Friday Jesus the Nazarene suffered and died by crucifixion, a punishment He took on to save us from our sins. We believe that on Easter Sunday Christ rose from the dead, conquering death and sin. We believe that Jesus established a Church and that Church still exists today. (Matthew 16:18-19)
I invite you to join Catholics around the world this Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Experience the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. He loves you and He is waiting to have a personal encounter with you through the grace-filled Sacraments of the Catholic Church. If you are looking for God this is where He is.
I don't have a bunch of buzz words to throw at you about how awesome your experience will be at Mass. In fact, depending on your local parish the music may be horrible, the architecture ugly, and the preaching uninspiring. But that doesn't change the fact that God is waiting for you in the tabernacle. His grace is waiting for you in the Sacraments.
If you are looking to be entertained, well, go ahead and attend one of those other churches. But if you are looking for God and Truth and His Church then come home to the Catholic Church.
Image by Simeon Muller
Love this. You describe a lot of the reasons that I decided to join the Catholic Church even though I was raised evangelical and still have a lot of love in my heart for them.
ReplyDeleteYes!! A million times YES! This past Christmas, my "former Catholic now evangelical non-denominational" sister-in-law busted out her iphone to show everyone a video of a rock band like performance from their Christmas Eve service and told us "this is why our church is cooler than yours" - it really made me sad because she is totally missing the point.
ReplyDelete*facepalm* I'm not even Catholic and that offends me.
DeleteDitto the facepalm. I know that these churches are reaching a demographic of "unchurched"people and I know that the pastors and staff love God very much. But yes, it's not about being cool, it's about knowing, loving, and serving God in this life so we can be happy with Him in the next.
DeleteYes. The ones we've been getting have been focused on "come as you are" and the sound and lights show. It makes me sad. And so very thankful for being Catholic.
ReplyDeleteYes...we haven't gotten any quite like that, but we have had some experience at protestant churches with some sports my kids have done. The most recent one was...interesting. Their end of year service was in their children's area. There was skee ball and video games and in the "worship area" there was pumping bass music and star wars ships swinging from the ceiling. And I thought..."This is so depressing. It's Chuck E. Cheese. What happens when they outgrow this? Is the "adult church" this stimulating? When and where do you hear God?" I have a lot of love for Protestants. Catholics could take a page out of their books in many areas. But the mass...nothing compares.
ReplyDeleteYES x a million Bonnie!!!
ReplyDeleteYou've seen this YouTube video, right?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys4Nx0rNlAM
I find it hysterically funny after having been part of "big box" evangelical churches in the past.
Haha! I've never been to a service like that but our AHG troop used to meet in a church that looked *exactly* like the church in the video. My daughters went there for months before realizing it was an actual church. They were so confused about why there were drums but no tabernacle.
DeleteHa! Yes. That is my experience with those churches, too. The same ones who are sending us these invitations.
DeleteBig old heart eyes. <3
ReplyDeleteThis is so offensive to me as a Christian sister. The very meaning of catholic tells me the church is all of us who put our faith in Christ. Do I like the glossy 'mile wide and an inch deep' churches? No. But many unchurched have began their faith walk there, so I refuse to criticize. You should join me for worship someday, you might be surprised when you encounter God in the service and in the lives of His Protestant children.
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
DeleteRe-reading the post I can see how you would interpret my words to mean that I am questioning the faith and sincerity of people not attending Catholic Churches. That was not my intention, but rather to point out that God is ALWAYS present in Catholic churches - even outside of worship services - because we have the Eucharist.
You are right to praise these congregations for wanting to reach the unchurched and I think the Catholic Church can learn from them. But God was not found in the earthquake or the fire. God was in the gentle whisper so maybe they can learn from us, too.
Debbie, as one of God's Protestant children, what are you protesting about? This isn't a flippant remark on my part, it just struck me while reading the last part of your comment.
Delete(Edited for clarity)
DeleteAlso, it would probably be hard for me to go with you to your worship service as I have many old and painful wounds from attending various ones through the years. I have encountered and continue to encounter Christ in the lives of His Protestant children but overwhelmingly my experiences at those services were the opposite of the personal connections. Maybe you have had similar experiences with Catholic parishes and I apologize for that. We should have done better.
Perhaps your congregation is different, and your invitation is from a desire to share something beautiful and good with me. I appreciate that.
debbie, my faith walk was enhanced by the evangelical church i attended in college. the leaders of the college fellowship were wonderful people who came up on campus weekly to eat with us in the dining hall, had games nights/study halls before finals where we could bring our friends and also get help from them depending on the subject, they were at all of our college graduations, were at my wedding, and the sanctuary of the biggest church in town was packed full when one of them was murdered 2 1/2 years ago. i am so incredibly grateful for them and for their witness and for the church which enabled them to have the faith to help us strengthen ours.
Deletehaving said that, it doesn't have the depth of my episcopal church where i started my faith journey and where i am now as i discern the rest of my journey to rome. (long story.) the worship songs are pretty superficial and have nothing on the ancient hymns that have been sung for hundreds of years and which convey deep theology in their words. i hear far more scripture on a given sunday in the readings and in the liturgy than i ever heard at my college church and i love the mystery of the eucharist.
i am grateful to my college church for nurturing my faith and for giving me the ability to understand my evangelical siblings in Christ, but it isn't where i feel like i should be long term.
This is SO good. Your writing really inspires me to be candid in my own Bonnie. Thank you for sharing the truth!
ReplyDeleteAnyone looking for "fireworks" should just come to the Easter Vigil Mass. My husband, a devout Baptist, who really, really did not like the Catholic Church too much. On one of our first dates I invited him to go to Easter Vigil with me, which he hesitantly did. I don't know if it was the bonfire, the candles, the part where the lights flashed on and everyone started singing, or just how much Scripture, etc. that he saw there, but he was dazzled. It still took a couple years and a Green Scapular...but two years later he converted and came home. A week later we were married. :-)
ReplyDeleteYes. I've seen it done on the puny side but I've seen it done so amazingly well. It's glorious.
DeleteWell said. This is beautiful and honest Bonnie, and I love it!
ReplyDelete