PRESENTATION OF “WHY I COME TO CHURCH” DVD A pastor wanted to visit one of his parishioners who suddenly stopped coming to church. He was concerned for him, “This is not like Jim. He always loved to be in church, sang in our choir and served as a parish trustee.” When the pastor arrived and rang the bell, Jim opened the door quietly, saying not a single word, but motioned with his hand to enter and sit with him by the fireplace. They sat down and watched as the wood logs were burning. Suddenly, a small piece broke off of a log and flew away from the fire. The piece continued to burn for a few short moments but then it stopped and got cold. The pastor got up from his chair, picked up the piece of the now cold wood and put it back into the fire where it instantly started to burn again. After a short time, the pastor left the home. The following Sunday the pastor was thrilled to see a familiar face. Jim was back in church. After the service, Jim came up to his pastor and said, “Thank you, Father, for visiting me. I saw what you did with the piece of wood. I too turned cold and unhappy after I left the church. I didn’t realize how much I missed my parish. I am overjoyed to be back in church and re-ignited with my faith”. It is very difficult to start and keep a fire going with only one stick. It would not be able to give much light or heat, nor burn for a long period of time. However, if we are to gather a large pile of sticks and logs, imagine what a nice fire it would be! Our spiritual lives are not consistent. We have ups and downs, moments of profound divine experiences followed by periods of indifference or even hopelessness. When we find ourselves in the latter state, it is not because God has forgotten about us or He does not love us anymore. Rather, we may be acting like Jim, quietly distancing ourselves from the practice of our faith, perhaps even no longer going to Church. We forget that the “church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints” (Abigail van Buren). Yet, when we come to a point in our lives when we look for healing for our souls, which have been wounded by sin, and for support and understanding of what we are going through, we can find this in church, where our Divine Physician is ready to give us a remedy. We can find a fellow Christian to help us carry our burdens. We can re-ignite our faith, hope and love for God again. We will then again be burning bright filled with the warmth of life. Remember the two disciples from Emmaus and how excited they were after they met and discovered the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened our minds to understand the Scriptures for us?” (Lk 24:32). Let us rediscover this experience anew through the Holy Mysteries at church! The catechetical office of our Archeparchy has produced a short documentary “Why I Come to Church.” It is a collection of people’s reflections as to why they are attracted and compelled to come to church on Sunday and weekdays. Please pick up a copy of the DVD in your church vestibule and watch it at home with your family. Share it with your children and grandchildren; tell them about your own experiences of God’s presence in your life, your reasons for going to church and why it is so important to you. Consider visiting someone you know who may appreciate seeing the DVD, or someone who may not be going to church lately. Present them with a copy of this DVD; invite them for services, activities and socials in your parish. They may one day thank you like Jim thanked his pastor for visiting him. The prophet Isaiah says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 23:36:55 +0000
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