Aren't Catholics encouraged to become involved in the life of one parish, and not constantly hop from one parish to another?Monica02 said:One Church- Catholic Church - why don't you become Catholic?
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Aren't Catholics encouraged to become involved in the life of one parish, and not constantly hop from one parish to another?Monica02 said:One Church- Catholic Church - why don't you become Catholic?
I still do not quite grasp what is "consumeristic" about it, except that the person is "church-shopping", which oftentimes is completely logical and rational a behavior. I am convinced that God indeed does want us to be "smart consumers" in every way.Crazy Liz said:I think this is probably symptomatic of a problem. It could be any one of a number of problems. If a person is attending different churches just to sample and doesn't want to put down roots, there is a problem (often, but perhaps not always, the kind I described as "consumeristic values.")
Let's kick this one around some more, Liz. I'd like to hear more opinions here, as well as the types of problems you have diagnosed in real-life people you have known that church-hop or church-shop. What if there are specific reasons why someone is not being able to establish roots--such as he or she having nothing in common with the congregation?and if a person fails repeatedly to put down roots, this may indicate other sorts of problems. Hopefully, such a person will try to get some perspective on this from a few brothers and sisters, because such problems are often hard to recognize close up.
indra_fanatic said:My current house of worship (2 years) may occasionally get some things wrong (i.e. like a recent rather legalistic sermon series on health/fitness), but they spend all of their money on the right things--outreaching to the community and directly going into poor neighborhoods with food, toys, etc. and providing free bus rides for poor kids to church functions, so I think I'll stay with them.
Let's kick this one around some more, Liz. I'd like to hear more opinions here, as well as the types of problems you have diagnosed in real-life people you have known that church-hop or church-shop. What if there are specific reasons why someone is not being able to establish roots--such as he or she having nothing in common with the congregation?
A good example would be that of 4 Jacks over in the Marriage forum, who resented that his home congregation was so fascistically pronatalist that he was finding it utterly impossible to get along with people due to the fact that they so passionately disagreed with his and his wife's stance on children.
Exactly!bliz said:What the OP describes is supplementing their home church experience with visiting another church, apparently on a regular basis. They are not leaving the home church to escape a problem or avoid discipline but to find a different kind of worship and teaching experience.
bliz said:this one doesn't preach so much about things that convict me
indra_fanatic said:This [preaching things that do not convict] is what worries me about all megachurches...
Correct...Humbledmac said:If i'm understanding correctly, the reason you r visiting other churches is to get a different fill of a different type of service, correct?
Crazy Liz said:Aren't Catholics encouraged to become involved in the life of one parish, and not constantly hop from one parish to another?
I guess that still doesn't answer my question. Do Catholics view church attendance only in terms of a "Sunday obligation," or is congregational life also considered important?Monica02 said:Yes but different parishes all belong to one Church. Any mass at any parish will fulfill your Sunday obligation.
How are you defining 'congregational life', and where is it said that the Protestant position is that CL is 'more' important than sermons and/or worship experience.Crazy Liz said:Only by putting down roots can they participate in what is even more important - congregational life.
bliz said:It is a worry in every kind of church!
Crazy Liz said:The reason many protestants speak against "church hopping" is that this is a consumeristic attitude - attending church in order to receive a sermon or an experience. Church hopping often indicates this is the only thing a person is looking for in a church. Only by putting down roots can they participate in what is even more important - congregational life.
Just because people 'go to church' or 'come together for worship' doesn't mean that they are doing something wrong. In fact,homerdoner said:church is supposed to be the body of christ..that is 'all of us'. therefore church is living and not something we go to!!! its about relationships and giving and sharing and commitment to others and the community etc etc. jesus didnt go to one church... he lived it
FollowingJesus said:Just because people 'go to church' or 'come together for worship' doesn't mean that they are doing something wrong. In fact,
Hebrews 10 (Contemporary English Version)
25Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord's coming is getting closer. .
No. I was the OP, and posted the topic I was interested in getting feedback on. I'd prefer if the OTHER topics ('what is worship', what is the church, whether or not we should go to church, mega churches are evil, going to church doesn't make you a worshipper, etc) continued on a new post.homerdoner said:would you like to continue in another post then?
Good advice. Thank you for your input!!wild01 said:FJ,
Just my $0.02, I don't think that there is anything paticularly wrong with going to more than one church, however I do feel that it is Very important to make a somewhat permenant decision about which church is your home church. And, barring a complete theological breakdown of that body, sticking with that body. Your first commitment of both time and money should go to your home congregation.
I give this advice for several reasons, firstly-it is unfair to your church and the other churches for you to become spread to thin in church obligations.
secondly, if you have failed to make this decision before attending another church you will be more likely to burn yourself out. (btw in my experience pastors are very understanding of the explenation 'I'm sorry but my home congregation is ____. I need to make my obligations there my first priority')
thirdly and perhaps most importantly, our human nature sometimes causes us to avoid holding ourselves accountable to whatever message we may have needed to hear at our home church if we allow ourselves to just float between congregations. You might find yourself changing your commitments constantly based solely on which congregation made you happiest in the last month.
now this is not to say that you couldn't decide to change congregations. Just that if you keep changing back and forth it's definately a sign of a problem.