The contents of this post speak from my experience as a practicing Catholic though this may be true of other denominations and religions for that matter. Religion to my knowledge has the objective of bringing the individual closer to God through 'goodness' guided by certain guiding beliefs specific to that religion. In an ideal world this would be a win-win for all with all religions competing for the 'goodness' they strove towards but when the details of the path taken override the end objective things become...........well....hypocritical and comical.
Let me explain.
Last Christmas we attended a morning service. We were not late but nor were we early and the seats were all taken. An unknown young man rose from his rather remote seat and offered it to my father who is no longer young. That set me thinking, observing and reminiscing.
From the moment we entered the church to leaving it, how much of what is Christian drove our thoughts and actions, let alone what we do outside Church.
1) People driving to Church with no effort to be early
2) People dressed for church to exhibited their bodies/opulence and other vain attributes that would be better suited to a pub, film awards night, etc
3) As they entered the Church, it is a practice to bend on the right knee as a mark of reverence for the Holy Eucharist which is Christ itself. You have nothing holier than that. Yet, almost everybody (excusing those who cannot for health reasons) did not find it necessary to bend the knee all the way to the ground. An awkward bob was what most afforded the Lord of the Universe resident in the tabernacle. And yet often we see the same people prostrating themselves before statues or before the local Bishop all of which are but mere dirt compared to the Lord we believe is resident in the host.
4) When looking for seats everyone will comfortably seat themselves which is fine. Except that when people are standing it is not fine to allow a seat for your bag whether Gucci or Ganshyam. It is not fine to have your whole bench that should seat 6, seating 4 just because you won't sit closely unless asked to. In true Christian spirit the bench should seat 7 !
5) So you managed to get the last of the hymnals. That is great. What is not great is that you got one for every member of your family too. Your kids who don't sing, your maid who cannot read and other random people who will not use it. How about showing some real Christian spirit that does not even need you to read for your wallet and try sharing the hymnal with the person on the side whether it is your spouse or not. One hymnal that you use less is one more hymnal for the next person
6) From the subject of hymnals, do sing, even if you sing really badly. There are few forms of praise and thanksgiving that can match a song. Often even people who know the hymns will not sing for no specific reason at all. Remember if you are going to worship indifferently it defies the purpose of getting together to pray.
Let me explain.
Last Christmas we attended a morning service. We were not late but nor were we early and the seats were all taken. An unknown young man rose from his rather remote seat and offered it to my father who is no longer young. That set me thinking, observing and reminiscing.
From the moment we entered the church to leaving it, how much of what is Christian drove our thoughts and actions, let alone what we do outside Church.
1) People driving to Church with no effort to be early
2) People dressed for church to exhibited their bodies/opulence and other vain attributes that would be better suited to a pub, film awards night, etc
3) As they entered the Church, it is a practice to bend on the right knee as a mark of reverence for the Holy Eucharist which is Christ itself. You have nothing holier than that. Yet, almost everybody (excusing those who cannot for health reasons) did not find it necessary to bend the knee all the way to the ground. An awkward bob was what most afforded the Lord of the Universe resident in the tabernacle. And yet often we see the same people prostrating themselves before statues or before the local Bishop all of which are but mere dirt compared to the Lord we believe is resident in the host.
4) When looking for seats everyone will comfortably seat themselves which is fine. Except that when people are standing it is not fine to allow a seat for your bag whether Gucci or Ganshyam. It is not fine to have your whole bench that should seat 6, seating 4 just because you won't sit closely unless asked to. In true Christian spirit the bench should seat 7 !
5) So you managed to get the last of the hymnals. That is great. What is not great is that you got one for every member of your family too. Your kids who don't sing, your maid who cannot read and other random people who will not use it. How about showing some real Christian spirit that does not even need you to read for your wallet and try sharing the hymnal with the person on the side whether it is your spouse or not. One hymnal that you use less is one more hymnal for the next person
6) From the subject of hymnals, do sing, even if you sing really badly. There are few forms of praise and thanksgiving that can match a song. Often even people who know the hymns will not sing for no specific reason at all. Remember if you are going to worship indifferently it defies the purpose of getting together to pray.
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