Christian Chat

[Shaz51]

Having a quiet weekend my @ENKELI 🥰

Raining and cool here 

Going to visit D1 and grandson tomorrow 

Have fun at Bunnings tomorrow my friend 🧡 

@Appleblossom , @tyme , @Captain24 , @Dimity 

[Dimity]

@Captain24 yes, the sacraments (for nonCatholics they're rites of passage and gateways to being fully fledged practitioners). I was baptised as a baby and thought my godmother"s brother had told me where a few years ago but the parish priest found no record. I made my first communion but wasn't confirmed. Back in the day that was the order you did it in but I hear these days you have to be confirmed before you can become a communicant so I'm confused. Very confused. I've taken communion at a CofE when I probably wasn't entitled, and turned it down at a Church of Christ (where I think it's open to everyone) because I was hung up on the need to find a confessor first. At my aunt's funeral mass I said I wasn't a communicant but that hurt me a lot. 

So there's nothing I can really go back to.  I attended mass locally 2 or 3 times in recent years but felt unwelcome when the priest said in future the timeslot would be a youth service. I went to Anglican services a few times but a lady bailed me up and said I was unwelcome and set a bad example as a middle aged (at the time) woman not wearing a wedding ring. I tried another church that turned out to be charismatic and had conniptions when after a couple of hours they started having visions and calling out. 

There's another local church that sometimes reaches out on Facebook and I've started following their page as I like their values and am impressed by their new assistant pastor, who sometimes posts sermons.

But Dad's family were Catholic.

[Captain24]

I understand every single piece of that post @Dimity. I am confirmed though. Our church still does it the old way. However the local church had their confirmation last weekend and the bishop didn’t come over. I thought that was strange. 

I went to a funeral at CofE and the minister said Catholics were welcome to receive communion. So I’m not sure it’s a standard thing. I didn’t go up as I too hadn’t been to confession. 

My dad’s family is the Catholics. I went to world youth day in Spain 15 years ago to see the Pope. It was a very spiritual pilgrimage. 

I never thought of looking for records but I do have my baptismal certificate. 

I hope you find peace in the church you are following. Hopefully they are more welcoming than your previous ones. 

That was awful of the woman at the Anglican Church. I do find that Catholics and Anglican are different Christian’s to Pentecostal. Not always as welcoming and respectful. 

[Captain24]

Even more than you thought @ENKELI 

Before I was diagnosed. I was the same, drinking, smoking, promiscuous also stealing for me.. I feel as though I have failed with the 10 commandments. I have broken quite a few. I’m not proud of it and I’m not sure that God will be accepting of that. 

I don’t really have any friends. My bestie respects my faith but isn’t Christian herself. So I really don’t have anyone. My uncle (that I’m seeing today) and his wife have their own church on the Gold Coast. He is a minister. I have rang him in the past for support but I don’t do it very often. They were the first ones I told about my bipolar diagnosis. 

Nothing has upset me. If it does I’ll just move past it. 

I do really want to thank you for your support in this uncertain time. 

[Captain24]

I’m hoping I have replied to everything. I’m sorry if I haven’t. It’s not personal it’s just a struggle right now. 

I really do appreciate you all in your support and especially those that understand the way my Christianity has developed.

@Dimity @ENKELI @Appleblossom @tyme 

[ENKELI]

@Dimity I like how you say you don't consider yourself a practising Christian. Being your true self is just as important I think. 

I think sometimes we get caught up listening to preachers/ministers tell us that we must read the Bible each day, we must fellowship with other believers, we must attend church regularly. But what if you can't? Is God going to punish you? 

I often felt guilt because don't read or attend church enough, but now I feel right with God and that in time I will reconnect with a congregation somewhere.

I just checked my phone and I have downloaded 5 Bible apps, but only use 2. I get enthusiastic when I see the ads for the apps, download them and then never use them. I have one I just started that has a verse of the day, a reflection on the verse and a prayer. I also use Bible Gateway.

[ENKELI]

@Captain24 I no longer have a best friend but my closest friend is the same, respects my faith but is not a believer. We met when we were 5 and just celebrated 50 years of friendship but I know I'm not her best friend. It kind of hurts but it's my fault because my ex best friend systematically cut me off from all of my other friends and even family. 

I too don't have many friends. I think I probably have 3 good friends, one of them is Catholic and lives in the US so I haven't seen her for many years. We chat online and via phone mostly. The other 2 are always busy, my closest friend is involved in theatre so she always has plans, plus she socialises a lot with her other friends and never thinks to invite me along. She went out for dinner with a group of her friends for her birthday but didn't invite me. She used the excuse that she didn't think I could afford it but I would have liked to have at least been asked.

God will accept you, just like He has accepted me. I prayed for forgiveness many times but then God told me that I was forgiven and accepted because I asked Jesus into my hear over 20 years ago.

I was baptised as Presbyterian as a baby, then baptised in the Holy Spirit in 2005. 

I understand that charismatic and Pentecostal churches can be disconcerting for a lot of people. I took mum to see Margaret Court preach - the church I was attending is part of her church Victory Life - and mum got really uncomfortable when Margaret started singing in tongues so I suggested we leave. I speak in tongues and have been given other gifts of the Spirit but I am also mindful that not everyone likes that type of service.

I was never comfortable with the idea of confessing to a Priest for example, as it wasn't something we as Protestants did. My dad's family are Catholic and my nana was devout. It brought her so much comfort. 

I am appalled that you were treated that way in an Anglican church, but then I have heard other people say they were treated poorly as well. One of my team leaders when I was at Telstra was Anglican and her fiancé was a divorced Catholic. She wanted to get married in her Anglican church but the minister said she wasn't allowed to because she was marrying a divorced Catholic. She and her fiancé went to a Catholic church they had never attended before and the Priest was more than happy to marry them, the divorce wasn't a huge issue, nor was her being Anglican.

My prayer is that you get to a point of acceptance where you see God truly loves you no matter what 😍

[ENKELI]

Hey my @Shaz51,

thanks 😍 I hope you enjoy your visit with D1 & Gson. Sunday is a good day for visiting I think 

🪷💐🫂

[Appleblossom]

https://www.youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzOmPUu-F_M com/watch?v=qzOmPUu-F_M 

@Captain24 @ENKELI @Dimity @Shaz51 @tyme 

I guess finding support where we actually find it, is key. Shocking bad behaviour by church goers is not good for the reputation and ongoing life of the church. I know many are amalgamating, due to lack of attendance. They will have to face those facts. The important thing is not to let others bad behaviour be internalised. Its hard when looking for community. 

I had a good day playing lots of sacred music. We have a performance tomorrow. I had a social challenge today, and managed it assertively, but it was alright. That seems to be my lesson at the moment.

[Dimity]

Glad the day worked out @Appleblossom 

Assertive... yes. Can take courage.

Thanks for the Pergolesi.