Church

It's a rift in the family sometimes. I grew up Catholic and some of my siblings still go to the church of my childhood. I go to church and sing in the choir of a church that is a better fit for me. Here are some things I love about my church.

1) Lots of people attend every Sunday - its always a full house
2) I am greeted every Sunday with a smiling someone saying hello
3) People laugh and applaud and sometimes cry during mass (yes - I said mass)
4) Everyone is included - no one has to skip communion because they are not Catholic
5) My feelings at the conclusion of the mass include: elation, belonging, happiness, responsibility, joy, peace, wonder . . .

Sometimes my parents join me at my church - but they still belong to their other church.
It's as if they feel guilty about being happy about going to a different church. Standard Catholic guilt I guess. Me, I just feel glad that I found SJA. And that it has let me blossom.

I wonder why people go to churches that are exclusive and depressing. That's not for me. Would Jesus be proud of our churches? Probably not. But He wouldn't point it out - that was never His style.