Christian chat thread continued

[Dutchoma]

A place to share and chat about our funny (and not so funny experiences) in and out of church.
Did anyone say coffee? That would be good

@bathsh3ba no but that sounds exciting!

I just feel like the more I do the more I'm magically involved in. We have a large congregation but there's definitely a group of doers and then the rest.

I'm in a bit of confusing situation, I really feel let down by my faith, plus let down by my church. I've felt a calling for some time, something I set my heart on wasn't to be, then I found myself presented by chance this alternative.

I also had a dream, it was a bit weird, I was late to a service, something was going on, I was handed Communion, I took it, but in a different way to what I usually would. I don't know if this is significant but the 'host' was broken into 3/4.

I'm wondering what that could mean. I'll try and remember more about the dream.

Have any of you in your older days changed church?

From what I can remember I entered a church with the intention of confession, I was wearing a long white dress, there was a left side of the door and right side. I was sat on the first pew of the right side. I kept saying you don't understand I need confession, I was told you don't need confession. I was handed a host that was broken into 3 or 4 segments. I think it might have been 3.

I tried to tell them I don't usually touch the host but it was placed in my hand and I took it and ate it. Then this woman from the left side came with a piece of discarded host half chewed and asked if it was me, I said no I took all of the host.

Then I was in this building, I think there were Nuns there. I was in a corridor waiting.

Then I woke up.

Hi Daisy
In my experience, God-sent dreams are instantly comprehensible, you know what they mean. I think this dream just represents your current confusion about your faith and is your subconscious' way of dealing with the anxiety. Maybe the 3/4 host combined with the refusal to offer you confession means you don't feel worthy?
I assume you are Catholic given the reference to confession and I am Anglican so don't really understand how that works. What is it you are feeling confused about?

@DaisyInTheChain exactly what @bathsh3ba said, if it's from God. You'd understand. I think it's a dream manifestation of what IOU are concerned about. Have to taken time to pray?

You not IOU

I think it's that I feel let down by my church and that I've never really fitted in. As I became Catholic. So after Mass you have people all chatting away as they've known each other so long. I guess I feel a bit lonely especially since I've mentioned to my Priest I felt a calling to a vocation.

I could move to the Anglican side and be so much more.

I've never really believed in female priests, but this is the calling I've had since I was little. I brush it off with ah if only I was a guy, but I was on Twitter and I found out about Anglican Nuns & Monks, then Anglican Priests. It was all by chance. I wondered if that was another sign.

When I was C of E I didn't like certain aspects of my local church, but at least people made an effort to make me feel welcomed.

It's the second time during Lent I've thought about going back. The last time was about 5 years ago.

At our CofE church we have a female vicar and she is fantastic and very well liked. I am sure I found a useful article one day about interpreting the parts of the Bible that appear to bar women from priesthood. I will try to find it for you.

Welcome Daisy. I agree very much what Bathsh3ba and Dragonnoodle said.
It sounds to me that you are just confused about church and faith as you yourself recognise.
To me the solution would be to get back to the basis of your faith, which is Jesus. Concentrate on Him in these last few days of Lent and then into Easter. I think it might be good if you went to a church where you feel welcomed, whether you have been there before or not. Denomination does not really matter.

And it may be good to worship with that church for a while (maybe for as much as a year) before you thought about further ministry. There might be cell groups in the church you choose to attend and opportunities within the church to serve God.

You need the discipline (discipleship) of Bible reading and prayer as well as worship and some guidance of a fellowship.
I would hope that things become a lot clearer for you in time.

Thank you Dutch & Bathsheba.

That's what I was thinking, I read the bible Daily, really the gospels are just a snap shot of Jesus' life. There's so much more I'd love to know about Mary & Joseph, so much more about Jesus' interaction with women like Mary Magdalene.

I recall being told that Jesus set up the rules on marriage, as in those days the woman wasn't thought of, so he said what he said so women weren't seen as something you can merely discard and never pay heed to again. Which is how it was when he was about.

If you consider patriarchy has been around so long, it's only in the last 100 years or so women have had a voice.

I don't want to be an old lady that thinks, oh if I'd done something different then I could have fulfilled what has pretty much been a life long thing. I don't think God would put these ideas into your head so you'd think, if only I was a man. I don't think he works that way.

Sorry and DragonNoodle.

I recall finding out a person I thought was a Priest was actually Anglo Catholic. He was really respected by the Catholic community. It's only really the traditionalists at the Vatican that stop things moving forwards. This guy is married, only a few men are permitted to transfer from being say Anglican to Catholic whilst married.

A Catholic friend on the Internet highlighted this page where women and priests tell their stories about not falling off the wagon, but realising how important it is to experience having love and all that. Ultimately both get really hurt as the woman is deemed a temptress and man has to undergo treatment at a centre, where they're counselled back to celibacy.

Some men even leave the church to pursue their lives with their partners.

Myself I've been married, at present I don't know what direction I'm being routed to. But my faith has always meant the world to me.

There was talk of women Deacons, people actually inferred that Pope Francis was Satan in St Peters chair, for wanting to bring the church to modern day standards.

One route I looked into and thought was my destiny was squashed because I know I can't commit to going to Mass every day of the year. I'd rather be honest with myself about that, than fail and think I've let people down.

You can have Tertiary Nuns, they live in the community, I basically do everything, Daily Bible Reading, Daily Prayers, Daily Reflection. Most of my time is spent praying in my head. They have to go to church Daily. For saying where I'm from is sizeable, there's no groups or anything for prayers, bible study, just like minded women getting together.

The objections to women in leadership of the church are different from the RC and conservative Protestant traditions. In the RC tradition women cannot be priests because the RC church says they can't. This could change overnight but is unlikely to. From the conservative Protestant point of view there are some Pauline texts ( not all written by Paul) about women leading or speaking which are about a time and a place but are taken to be for all time and all situations.

The Holy Spirit calls who the Holy Spirit calls into priesthood, leadership, preaching, lay ministry and sometimes it takes the church time to catch up. The decision is then whether to,stay in a denomination that does not recognise that you can be called or test that vocation in a denomination that is prepared to work with you to find out what it is. In theory that CofE high church grouping would accept women priests when the RC does as one of their main objections is that women priests impair our communion with Rome. Some Anglican priests left the CofE when women could be ordained priests but not many.

Welcome, Daisy. It does sound like you're in a time of questioning and uncertainty, and also possible excitement about what your calling is for the future. I don't know much really about the RC church, I'm also in the CofE, but I agree with greenheart. God calls who God calls, and it sounds like you are sending that call, and it is worth looking further into - but I can appreciate that's unsettling, too. I'm another who reads scripture as completely supporting women in leadership, incredibly so for the time it was written. There are some great books and articles if you want to explore further.

Welcome bathsh3ba! And yay to street pastors. :-)

DoubleG, how are you and that squishy baby? 💓

What are your churches doing for Easter? Can't believe it's next week.

*sensing not sending.

I've been listening to this on repeat, how beautiful.

Love that, Cish. I saw Philippa Hanna's live the other week, she was brilliant. Her songs really touched DD, she was in tears, she has an amazing gift. thanks for sharing that!

That must have been amazing MHD I must admit I shed a tear or two when I heard it. She certainly does have an amazing gift.

Happy Easter all x

Happy Easter!

Dawn service done. Parish breakfast served. Bit of a sit down before main Sunday service then stop.

Happy Easter to you all too 💛

Looking forward to celebrating at church later and decorating our cross with spring flowers.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all! He is risen indeed, Alleluia! Such a wonderful main service today - more than twice our normal congregation, and two adult baptisms. Joy abounding! But now I am completely knackered after a gruelling Holy Week in which I preached five times. So looking forward to having most of the next week off!

That Easter Sunday feeling, when you have attended 4 services, a walk of witness, 2 rehearsals for services, set up hall for shared table meal, eaten the meal, and organised an egg hunt, all in 4 days.

Happiness, relief, exhaustion, and feeling very blessed.

Happy Easter folks,
Christ is risen.

Happy Easter. I missed out on Holy Week because in was staying with the in-laws so couldn't go to church, and we travelled back on Good Friday. But it was so lovely going to the service today.

Happy Easter everyone!