Ash Wednesday
Feb. 26th, 2004 01:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jlhEvery year on Ash Wednesday I think, "Do I want to return to the church?" Being in a community of people worshiping together has its appeal, of course. But as I was somewhat raised Catholic, I'm very torn. On the one hand, my Franco-American family left the church when my uncle came out, in a sort of, "If you don't want him, you can't have any of us" move when I was seven. (I always picture me, my uncle, my mother and my grandmother standing up as one and leaving a pew.)
The thing is, for this lapsed New England Catholic, most Protestant services feel like a town council meeting. I want the drama! I want the miracle! I want the loopy medieval symbolism! I want the standing up and sitting down and kneeling! I want to feel the state of grace! So as you see, I'm stuck. I'm just going to hang out being the lapsed Catholic that I am, with that personal relationship with the Trinity thing, and really, that's good enough for me.
But on Ash Wednesday, I always give the church the chance to claim me. And it never steps up. The interesting thing is, though, that I certainly have very intensely faith-ful folks on my flist, especially my little gang of Ely, Luna and Crystal. So I do keep thinking about it. And I suppose that, in the end, is what counts.
So if it's not obvious, no, I'm not going to see the movie. First, it's way too violent for me. Second, I'm not so much about the whole suffering part; I dig the message, you know? And Third, but seriously not least, Gibson has spewed enough weirdo Opus Dei-inspired bullshit that I truly have no intention of giving him my money. So, in short, no.
The thing is, for this lapsed New England Catholic, most Protestant services feel like a town council meeting. I want the drama! I want the miracle! I want the loopy medieval symbolism! I want the standing up and sitting down and kneeling! I want to feel the state of grace! So as you see, I'm stuck. I'm just going to hang out being the lapsed Catholic that I am, with that personal relationship with the Trinity thing, and really, that's good enough for me.
But on Ash Wednesday, I always give the church the chance to claim me. And it never steps up. The interesting thing is, though, that I certainly have very intensely faith-ful folks on my flist, especially my little gang of Ely, Luna and Crystal. So I do keep thinking about it. And I suppose that, in the end, is what counts.
So if it's not obvious, no, I'm not going to see the movie. First, it's way too violent for me. Second, I'm not so much about the whole suffering part; I dig the message, you know? And Third, but seriously not least, Gibson has spewed enough weirdo Opus Dei-inspired bullshit that I truly have no intention of giving him my money. So, in short, no.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 11:48 am (UTC)(Says the girl who walked away from Catholicism last fall & has been doing a lot of reading, and gone to a few UU services in the meantime, but still hasn't exactly broken it to her parents.)