Posted on 08/14/2005 9:17:15 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
I'll apologize in advance for this vanity post but I need to get this off my chest:
At our 10:30 a.m. mass this morning, our pastor was the celebrant. Today's Gospel was the story of Christ's meeting with the Canaanite woman and the eventual healing of her daughter. Our pastor then followed with his homily where he first related the plight of the Canaanite woman with a woman he knew who called him requesting prayers for an illness in her family which we could relate to since my wife and I are both contending with (minor, we hope) health issues.
The nest thing we know, the pastor is relating this to the "lady camped out in Texas asking for healing AND ACCOUNTABILITY" (the emphasis is my own). We sat there and listened through the sermon as he returned to the Sheehan story a few more times asking us to imagine an Iraqi woman who lost children in the same position.
Thankfully, it was pretty short and we stood for the Creed but then, immediately before the intercessions, the pastor returned to the topic.
This was too much for us so we turned and left, commenting to those around that we don't come to church to hear politics. I handed the usher my offering as we exited.
This is the first time something like this has happened in this church we have attended for the past twenty years or so and I feel pretty horrible about the whole thing.
It's really difficult when we see theleadership as a bunch of dumb f***ks.
You did the right thing.
"I always know something is wrong when the person addressing me thinks fairness is a vice and not a virtue. If we can't even agree that fairness is a virtue, the chance of any intelligent conversation is about nil."
I always know I am being addressed by a noncommittal, squishy personality when he speaks in platitudes, avoiding all specifics. I also always know there's no chance of having an intelligent conversation when he just starts making crap up: I did not say that fairness is not a virtue.
Thank you, FRiend.
Exactamundo!
Which means: Rely on the old guys for wisdom and guidance--or even just common sense! And take hope in the young crop coming up.
He needs to be reminded that there are no politics from the pulpit. The church could lose their tax-exempt status. You should have sent your offering to one of the groups that helps the troops families and children like the one Hannity supports. It's on his website.
If I may bud in to your thread, as a former Catholic. I think Quix's point is being made from a scripture perspective rather than a denominational perspective. I see the point since I tend to view things from a scripture base. I see alot of "religion" off tract. I know and am related to many Catholics that I will call Christians even though they refer to themselves as Catholic before Christian. Some, and I say some, Catholic churches do not encourage Bible Study.
I just had a conversation with a Catholic friend last week who refered to the Bible as "just a book", and said her faith was based on the tradition of "The Church".
Very well put, imho.
THANKS MUCH.
PLEASE butt in on any of my threads or posts, any time.
You didn't walk out on God; you walked out on a man who is easily deceived. No reason to feel guilty.
I have respect for the Mass, and in being in the presence of His Holiness; but not for political liberal-minded priests injecting UNTRUTHS into a sacred Mass.
Don't you? The efficacy of the mass is through the Eucharist. How does a priest prepare a congregation for the Eucharist? By telling them lies?
IMHO, this is not conducive for proper "In Remembrance of Him". Can have a tendency to make the "host" stick in one's throat, going down. IME, of course.
I have witnessed the abuse of propoganda in the church through the ordained clergy, and I've seen exactly how your side of the aisle plays on this matter of "efficacy" ad nauseum. Knock it off.
Have virtually always made a special effort when talking about RELIGIOSITY, TRADITION vs TRUE SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP
to castigate my Pentecostal traditions about as much, equal or more than any other tradition.
It is really a phenomena independent of denomination.
It is an off-shoot of being human as well as in-group/out-group stuff.
We find the delecate, challenging dance with God to be too demanding so tend to resort to traditions of man. IT HAPPENS WITH VIRTUALLY ANY GROUP older than about a year and a half. The phenomena has had a lot of study. I forget what the literature calls the phenomenon.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
If you write to the vestry on this.. well, you can happily be invited to be a part of all church activities, right?
So, either that, or you find a conservative RC Church. There's room at His Table; and His Mansion is quite large -- and not for ONLY the "very good Catholics". :) Be at peace.
The Sunday after Martin Luther King was shot, the new, young assistant pastor at our church started ranting from the pulpit about how the American people should feel guilty for the murder.
I listened in stony silence till he leaned forwards, started pointing to various sections of the pews, all the while saying in a loud voice "YOU pulled the trigger", (moving finger), "And YOU pulled the trigger, (moving finger), "And YOU pulled the trigger"........
I got up and left the church along with one usher and, heheh, the Township Assessor.
The upshot of the story is that there was a storm of protest later. The heavy hitters like the Township Assessor threatened to cut off contributions. The liberal young pastor soon disappeared.
He since has become the administrator of a large church nursing home and retirement village. Now middle age, it's the perfect spot for him. He can put his misguided sense of righteousness and his touchy-feely emotions to good purpose at the rest home.
Years later, my grandma was in the church home. I visited her and Pastor H. came in the room to see her also. We shook hands and had some nice words.
He didn't recognize me as one of the three (out of a morning service of 200) who freeped his sermon before there were such things as freeps.
Leni
Oh yeah, that's me, Mr. Squish. Sigh...if only timidity were truly one of my problems life might have actually been easier on me...but I digress.
I also always know there's no chance of having an intelligent conversation when he just starts making crap up: I did not say that fairness is not a virtue.
You did say, , your thinking derives from the we must always be FAIR to all people all the time philosophy, which is simply an offshoot of political correctness. which sure doesn't look like you're singing the praises of fairness to me. As a matter of fact, it reads to me like you're comparing it to political correctness, which last I knew was a perjorative. Don't blame me for putting words in your mouth when in reality your words are plain and posted for the world to see.
I would like to add to everyone that what we are doing here as much a community of faith according to scripture (Paul's letters) as attending our Church services this morning.
My Catholic friend, her family, my family, and another friend's family were all staying at cabin on a lake that weekend where there wasn't a church within many miles, and we were all of different denominations. We all opted for a bible study that Sunday morning on the front porch over looking the lake. God's beauty and it was wonderful. We studied the 1st Letter of John.
My point being, when I got home I was somehow led to a Home Church website, in looking for material when we are at the lake. It is amazing to see what a trend this is becoming as Christians are gathering together to worship God in sharing, without a paid pastor dictating a theological or political agenda.
I share this with you in case you are interested in looking at these sites. There may be a time you can't attend a service or you may be searching for something else.
Good for you.
Well, um, wasn't that rather counterproductive?
... and didn't the Priest get his "blood money"?
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