tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8540233923006986205.post111833309164706099..comments2009-02-28T13:02:34.591-06:00Comments on Thoughts from a Ragamuffin: Experiencing liturgical worshipRagamuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16102860882549986216noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8540233923006986205.post-47184462039002639202007-11-22T23:14:00.000-06:002007-11-22T23:14:00.000-06:00Thanks Heide. I truly appreciate anyone that woul...Thanks Heide. I truly appreciate anyone that would take a few moments to remember me and any issues going on in my life when they are praying.<BR/><BR/>I do agree on one thing with you: if the day ever comes where I "go to Rome," it will be because I'm convinced they are who they say they are. But not a day sooner.<BR/><BR/>As far as the Anglican worship style, I like it. We'll see how the next few weeks go. One thing I hope to do is attend their Christmas Eve service. I can and do enjoy contemporary worship services, but when it comes to Christmas (and Easter), I'm a hardcore traditionalist. I don't like "caroling" services, mushy sentiment sermons, gimmicky programs and other such banal offerings. <BR/><BR/>The trick will be in getting out of the "family" Christmas Eve routine we've done since my wife and I have been married. The way we've done the holiday season has always been that my mom got us (and now our daughters as well) on Christmas Eve during the day. Then, late in the afternoon around 5 or so we'd go over to my dad and stepmom's. Other people from her side of the family would join us and we'd all go to the Christmas Eve service at my dad's church (used to be Assemblies of God, now is Baptist). After that, we'd return to the house for dinner and then open presents. My wife's side of the family got Christmas morning through lunch. At any rate, because we were always coming from out of town and were away from our home church, this wasn't a problem. However, we've moved back home and live in the same town with all the parents, so whatever church we're attending is right there. Second, the girls are getting old enough that I want to establish some traditions of our own as a family. So that means for Christmas morning this year, we'll wake up in our own house and do the Santa and the stockings thing. Later that morning that we'll head up to my wife's parents for the rest of the regular Christmas day routine.<BR/><BR/>The next domino in this establishing of tradition is that I'd like for us to go to our own home church on Christmas Eve, then meet up with the rest of the family and do the regular Christmas Eve afterward. This may cause some friction. <BR/><BR/>So when you're praying, also be praying about that. I don't want to cause a huge fuss, but if I don't carve out some special traditions now for our own family to have here in this first year back in the hometown, it may never happen.Ragamuffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16102860882549986216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8540233923006986205.post-49362355562238674312007-11-20T15:39:00.000-06:002007-11-20T15:39:00.000-06:00Ragamuffin, thank you for sharing the story of you...Ragamuffin, thank you for sharing the story of your first foray into liturgical worship. Having grown up in the Episcopal Church (with the 1928 Prayer Book), it's all second nature to me, but it took me a long time to learn. Now that I have become a Catholic I follow the "dance steps" pretty easily. In fact, I have found some Anglican services are more "Catholic" than modern Catholic ones! Even a year into attending Mass regularly I still want to hit my knees as soon as the priest says, "Let us pray."<BR/><BR/>The bottom line? I miss some elements of Anglican worship sometimes, although I must say, there are some wonderful things happening in the Catholic Church re. liturgical reform. In any case, I went to Rome not because of the style of worship but because I concluded its claims were true. And I've never looked back.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your comments about my blog posting (on Seward's Folly) re. my conversion story. I will keep you and your wife in my prayers as you consider where God is leading.Heidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661155158237286805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8540233923006986205.post-27537804093601792402007-11-16T13:39:00.000-06:002007-11-16T13:39:00.000-06:00Am praying!Am praying!Qatfishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00101588197185665113noreply@blogger.com