Church....
My hubby and I went to church for the first time in months. I have been going to Bible study and getting so much out of it. I have been praying that my family draws closer to the Lord, so when my hubby suggested he wanted to go back to church, I was really happy. He has been an inactive member of his childhood church. Since our Sunday service is extremely early I said I would like to go to Saturday night service instead.
The service lasted about 30 minutes. It was a few prayers, communion and the shortest homily on earth. In fact it was so short, I didn't realize it was actually the homily that the priest gave. I left so unfulfilled. I asked my hubby if he got anything out of it, or if he felt the same way. He agreed, it was light. Maybe now that we have decided to start back, I'm not giving it a chance, but I remember it being this way before we took a break.
The priest talked for about a minute and said that there is a lot of talk lately about the end of times. I'm thinking, oh good, I want to hear what he has to say. He said that what we read in the Bible is not how it is going to happen. It won't be as bad as what we think. That we were not to take Revelations in a literal sense. He said we are going to read a verse out of Daniel and Matthew about it. He then said that we shouldn't worry, God will prevail. That was it. They had someone read the verses and then they started to pass the collection and I was thinking, what about the homily? When is he going to get into the meat and potatoes of his statement and explain why he said what he said. Hubby said, "that was the homily." I was so disappointed. So empty. I felt like there was so much that could be said about the end of times. So much he could have said to aid in any fears of the congregation. The people of the church needed some explanations to the couple of statements he made and there was nothing. I thought for sure after the readings he would come back and talk about it. Nothing. I couldn't believe he left it like he did.
Am I wrong for being disappointed? Should I shrug this off as maybe just a bad night at church? I personally have never felt comfortable at this church, but I thought maybe it was just me. Now I'm not so sure. I was not raised in this religion, so I always felt a bit out of place. Now I am wondering if my adult children felt the same as they went through years of catechism. Hubby does not want to leave a church he is accustomed to and spent his youth getting his knuckles cracked over. I think he feels that he would disappoint his aging parents if he left to go somewhere else.
I don't think I can go to a church that I get so little out of, nor can I any longer not go to church because he chooses to be inactive in a place he still has such a strong conviction over. I don't like the thought of our family breaking up into different churches, but I'm not sure what else to do. I want to promote church in my children's lives. I would like to help them find a place they can get something out of a service, right along with me. I can't promote this current church nor am I sure I can promote this religion. Their father says he would be disappointed if they went any where else. I feel like he is doing exactly what his parents have done to him. Shouldn't they go where they get something out of it as long as it is a Christian church? I want them to learn, not be afraid of what another mortal person thinks. I want their thirst to be quenched in church and then thirst for more and feel like they are getting somewhere in their journey with the Lord. Not to go to church dehydrated and leave dehydrated. Why are different religious sects so important? Isn't it just important that we believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Isn't it just important that we believe that Christ died on the cross for our sins? Why are people so into Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, etc.? I just don't understand this.
Please pray that our family can figure this out.
The service lasted about 30 minutes. It was a few prayers, communion and the shortest homily on earth. In fact it was so short, I didn't realize it was actually the homily that the priest gave. I left so unfulfilled. I asked my hubby if he got anything out of it, or if he felt the same way. He agreed, it was light. Maybe now that we have decided to start back, I'm not giving it a chance, but I remember it being this way before we took a break.
The priest talked for about a minute and said that there is a lot of talk lately about the end of times. I'm thinking, oh good, I want to hear what he has to say. He said that what we read in the Bible is not how it is going to happen. It won't be as bad as what we think. That we were not to take Revelations in a literal sense. He said we are going to read a verse out of Daniel and Matthew about it. He then said that we shouldn't worry, God will prevail. That was it. They had someone read the verses and then they started to pass the collection and I was thinking, what about the homily? When is he going to get into the meat and potatoes of his statement and explain why he said what he said. Hubby said, "that was the homily." I was so disappointed. So empty. I felt like there was so much that could be said about the end of times. So much he could have said to aid in any fears of the congregation. The people of the church needed some explanations to the couple of statements he made and there was nothing. I thought for sure after the readings he would come back and talk about it. Nothing. I couldn't believe he left it like he did.
Am I wrong for being disappointed? Should I shrug this off as maybe just a bad night at church? I personally have never felt comfortable at this church, but I thought maybe it was just me. Now I'm not so sure. I was not raised in this religion, so I always felt a bit out of place. Now I am wondering if my adult children felt the same as they went through years of catechism. Hubby does not want to leave a church he is accustomed to and spent his youth getting his knuckles cracked over. I think he feels that he would disappoint his aging parents if he left to go somewhere else.
I don't think I can go to a church that I get so little out of, nor can I any longer not go to church because he chooses to be inactive in a place he still has such a strong conviction over. I don't like the thought of our family breaking up into different churches, but I'm not sure what else to do. I want to promote church in my children's lives. I would like to help them find a place they can get something out of a service, right along with me. I can't promote this current church nor am I sure I can promote this religion. Their father says he would be disappointed if they went any where else. I feel like he is doing exactly what his parents have done to him. Shouldn't they go where they get something out of it as long as it is a Christian church? I want them to learn, not be afraid of what another mortal person thinks. I want their thirst to be quenched in church and then thirst for more and feel like they are getting somewhere in their journey with the Lord. Not to go to church dehydrated and leave dehydrated. Why are different religious sects so important? Isn't it just important that we believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Isn't it just important that we believe that Christ died on the cross for our sins? Why are people so into Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, etc.? I just don't understand this.
Please pray that our family can figure this out.
