Some thoughts...

So an actually post about that last week is still to come but here are some of my thoughts about Catholicism and Christianity in general....

While I was in the Catholic service I was so struck with the negative connotations I have previously heard about Catholicism. It all seemed like a big ritual to me that you press repeat on week after week.  Sure this is a generalization as a few people's passion was very obvious but nonetheless this was a general observation.  The chants were all known and everything had its order.  All the images around the church were so dark - either in the picture they portrayed or in the colours.  People were crying, Christ was dying, and a sense of heaviness or sadness could be felt when I looked at them.  I then began to question myself.  Was all of this really just going through the motions?  Where they truly showing a realistic depiction of Christ and do we too often glamorize him?

Maybe we have something to learn as Evangelical Christians from the Catholic church....

Some of the things I saw as empty rituals really make an impact is done in the right spirit.  They treat the host with such respect.  This got me thinking - shouldn't we approach communion with more respect and awe? As a holy sanction? It does represent one of the most meaningful things in the Church after all.  Also, the sprinkling of water at the end of the service was to remind us of our baptism.  Maybe we should go back to our roots.  The big steps we took for Christ but seem to rarely reflect back on.  We need to remember these things as they have such importance.  Yes, their artwork was dark but maybe they are portraying reality.  Maybe we need to learn to take off our church faces - especially while we are at church...

I hate that it is them and us.  We worship the same God, don't we?  Maybe, just maybe, we all should to reevaluate our walks, gain more understanding behind our practices, and make sure we aren't just walking through the motions.