Yesterday, my family went to a Roman Catholic Church for services. This is partially because my husband is still very much a Roman Catholic, but he feels going to church any church is good. I grew up Roman Catholic, also, and changed to Lutheran. So as our children were growing up we went to the Lutheran Church. When the girls were in their younger years, a woman at the church accused my oldest of taking full toilet paper rolls and stuffing them in the box for used sanitary napkins. Knowing my child, I defended her and after that I kept my children very close to me. The problem continued and the woman who made the accusation, never apologized to me or my daughter. Then as they got older, they just wanted to be part of the group, but two older girls (only a year and two older than her) started treating her like a baby and dragging her back to me. I got tired of their condenscending attitude and told them they needed to leave her alone as they are not in charge of her and I had already given her permission to go and do something. Then these behaviors continued, treating her horribly. Treating her sisters horribly. Finally, I had had enough and my kids were not wanting to go to that church. Since we were going alone any more, I told my husband we needed to find a new church. He stated we had to stay in Lebanon for church, so we did. We started searching all the churches, looking for a good fit. We found that at Heritage Baptist Church. It is a good fit for the kids. We went by ourselves to the church and participated when we could in different things. But after my husband's mother passed away, he wanted to go back to the Lutheran Church. It still was not good, for the girls. I was feeling sad going there. The sermons were not very good and I just didn't want to go either. I love many of the people, I just didn't enjoy being there. Eventually, I convinced him that we didn't want to be there. He could go, but we were going somewhere else. He and I agreed, one week we would go where the girls wanted and one week where he wanted. He wanted to go to Roman Catholic Churches.
This brings us to yesterday. We went to a Roman Catholic Church and just as we see every time we have gone, people are in such a hurry to get away from the church that they are willing to run down people trying to come to church. They cannot get out of the church fast enough. I timed the leaving of the people, it is a big church with two floors of pews, and it only took 2 minutes for the church to empty and people to run away to their cars. Then begins the great how fast can I get home, store, etc. Really, folks! You cannot take time to slow down and enjoy all the God has given? You cannot take time to slow down enjoy the people who have come to join in the celebration? If you can't, then why did you bother to come to church at all? Why waste the gas, the time and effort to come to church?
I tell my kids, sit down and wait. We don't want to run out and get into that mess. We take our time and we enjoy the beauty of the church. We take our time and think about what was said during the service. In the event, that we couldn't understand what was said, we reflect on the readings. But we slow down on Sunday. It is a time for thanking God for all that He has given.
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