Recommend church for children's Christmas Eve mass

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

Try to welcome them. If they have young kids or are older, give them your seat. If they are kids/grandkids coming for their yearly Mass obligation with the grandparents, smile, welcome them and make room.

Christmas and Easter are both wonderful times to welcome the lost lambs back into the fold. Celebrate the fact that your church is standing room only. It shouod be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11. See those crowded pews as a time of joy and celebration, and make those folks feel welcome so that they might feel a connection and return to church.

You had me until this: "It should be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11." Why should church be packed if there nothing compelling enough for people to come? It's like saying the Kennedy Center should be packed every night even when the performances are average - or below par. Or that restaurants should be packed even if people aren't hungry or the food isn't good. Please consider that not all special occasion churchgoers are lost lambs. They may be just people coming for a good show and you should be nice to them no matter why they are there.

Please don't take my seat or my kid's seat "for a good show." Please go to the Kennedy Center for that. If you are interested in making a connection with God, please come and we'll all make room. If you're coming just for "the show," then please at least put enough money in the basket to cover what you would pay for a show at the Kennedy Center.

Regular churchgoers should only go to give glory to god. They shouldn't get all dressed up to impress each other, or use church as a place to socialize with like-minded people, or a place towrope off their kids on Sunday morning. They should also donate freely to keep up the church and support the pastors salary and to purchase special flowers at Christmas and easter. All for the glory of god, of course, never for the show.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

Try to welcome them. If they have young kids or are older, give them your seat. If they are kids/grandkids coming for their yearly Mass obligation with the grandparents, smile, welcome them and make room.

Christmas and Easter are both wonderful times to welcome the lost lambs back into the fold. Celebrate the fact that your church is standing room only. It shouod be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11. See those crowded pews as a time of joy and celebration, and make those folks feel welcome so that they might feel a connection and return to church.

You had me until this: "It should be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11." Why should church be packed if there nothing compelling enough for people to come? It's like saying the Kennedy Center should be packed every night even when the performances are average - or below par. Or that restaurants should be packed even if people aren't hungry or the food isn't good. Please consider that not all special occasion churchgoers are lost lambs. They may be just people coming for a good show and you should be nice to them no matter why they are there.

Please don't take my seat or my kid's seat "for a good show." Please go to the Kennedy Center for that. If you are interested in making a connection with God, please come and we'll all make room. If you're coming just for "the show," then please at least put enough money in the basket to cover what you would pay for a show at the Kennedy Center.

Regular churchgoers should only go to give glory to god. They shouldn't get all dressed up to impress each other, or use church as a place to socialize with like-minded people, or a place towrope off their kids on Sunday morning. They should also donate freely to keep up the church and support the pastors salary and to purchase special flowers at Christmas and easter. All for the glory of god, of course, never for the show.

Thanks for dictating to people exactly how they should worship....and illustrating the reason why so many people stay away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

Try to welcome them. If they have young kids or are older, give them your seat. If they are kids/grandkids coming for their yearly Mass obligation with the grandparents, smile, welcome them and make room.

Christmas and Easter are both wonderful times to welcome the lost lambs back into the fold. Celebrate the fact that your church is standing room only. It shouod be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11. See those crowded pews as a time of joy and celebration, and make those folks feel welcome so that they might feel a connection and return to church.

You had me until this: "It should be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11." Why should church be packed if there nothing compelling enough for people to come? It's like saying the Kennedy Center should be packed every night even when the performances are average - or below par. Or that restaurants should be packed even if people aren't hungry or the food isn't good. Please consider that not all special occasion churchgoers are lost lambs. They may be just people coming for a good show and you should be nice to them no matter why they are there.

Please don't take my seat or my kid's seat "for a good show." Please go to the Kennedy Center for that. If you are interested in making a connection with God, please come and we'll all make room. If you're coming just for "the show," then please at least put enough money in the basket to cover what you would pay for a show at the Kennedy Center.

Regular churchgoers should only go to give glory to god. They shouldn't get all dressed up to impress each other, or use church as a place to socialize with like-minded people, or a place towrope off their kids on Sunday morning. They should also donate freely to keep up the church and support the pastors salary and to purchase special flowers at Christmas and easter. All for the glory of god, of course, never for the show.

Thanks for dictating to people exactly how they should worship....and illustrating the reason why so many people stay away.

lots of people stay away because they don't believe or just don't feel like getting up on Sunday mornings.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm sorry this thread took such a negative turn. You would be welcomed at my Catholic Church, even if you only come once a year. Not all churchgoers are this judgemental.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am seeking a spiritual connection at this time of the year and I'm sorry it's rubbing some people the wrong way.

I'm doubtful that people come "for the show". Not my idea of a show, and yes I do go to Strathmore or the Kennedy Center The PPs who suggested this are perhaps trying to redirect the frustration they feel when seating and parking are difficult. And sadly I'm not reliving my childhood: my parents never took me to church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am seeking a spiritual connection at this time of the year and I'm sorry it's rubbing some people the wrong way.

I'm doubtful that people come "for the show". Not my idea of a show, and yes I do go to Strathmore or the Kennedy Center The PPs who suggested this are perhaps trying to redirect the frustration they feel when seating and parking are difficult. And sadly I'm not reliving my childhood: my parents never took me to church.

I'm a lapsed Catholic, and yes it would bother me that people who would never bother to attend church would do so on Christmas Eve. I can see where people would rather have you pay for a seat at Strathmore or the Kennedy Center for Christmas carols. That's what I do now with my family.

[Anonymous]

Wow. Such Christianity displayed here.

[Anonymous]

Annunciation has a 3 pm mass on Christmas Eve. It is crowded like all others, but has a children's pageant. Most of the early masses on Christmas Eve have a pageant, but they are the ones most crowded. Now to avoid the crowds, go on Christmas Day. You usually can get a seat then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Charles Borromeo in Clarendon. 5:00 PM Mass. Be sure the kids behave. Warn them that the lights will be dimmed to almost darkness until the Celebrant enters, at which point the lights will be raised and all may pray collectively to commemorate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is this a service geared toward children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please not mine!! I hate how the church is all crowded with random looky-loos on Christmas. It'd one thing if you actually respected our faith and were interested in learning more. But it's s flying spaghetti monster this and pray the gay away that all year and then I have to stand holding my wiggling three year old for an hour on Christmas b/c you need to relive your childhood or something.

Try to welcome them. If they have young kids or are older, give them your seat. If they are kids/grandkids coming for their yearly Mass obligation with the grandparents, smile, welcome them and make room.

Christmas and Easter are both wonderful times to welcome the lost lambs back into the fold. Celebrate the fact that your church is standing room only. It shouod be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11. See those crowded pews as a time of joy and celebration, and make those folks feel welcome so that they might feel a connection and return to church.

You had me until this: "It should be packed to the rafters every week, not just Christmas, Easter or following terrible events like after 9/11." Why should church be packed if there nothing compelling enough for people to come? It's like saying the Kennedy Center should be packed every night even when the performances are average - or below par. Or that restaurants should be packed even if people aren't hungry or the food isn't good. Please consider that not all special occasion churchgoers are lost lambs. They may be just people coming for a good show and you should be nice to them no matter why they are there.

Please don't take my seat or my kid's seat "for a good show." Please go to the Kennedy Center for that. If you are interested in making a connection with God, please come and we'll all make room. If you're coming just for "the show," then please at least put enough money in the basket to cover what you would pay for a show at the Kennedy Center.

Will we get priority parking and seating that way? I'd love to take my kids just to expose them to that world, but the crowds make it unappealing.

[Anonymous]

St. Augustine's has a 4:30 I think, with a pageant during the gospel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Such Christianity displayed here.

I don't get this. You seem to assume Christians should be doormats with no opinions on anything, much less how their Christmas service is run. Not an accurate representation of true Christianity, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cedar Lane UU Church in Bethesda at 4 or 6 pm.

Any UU service is a far cry from what you'd see at a Catholic Christmas eve service. If you're into completely Christian ceremony and music, go with Episcopal or Lutheran if you can't do Catholic.

I disagree. It will be a lovely service. OP doesn't sound like she's hung up on orthodoxy. I think she'd enjoy a UU Christmas service. And she'd be welcome.

[Anonymous]

This past Sunday, the pastor at our Catholic church reminded us that next week there'd be a lot of "non-season-ticket-holders" present. We all chuckled, a bit ruefully, and then he asked us to all be kind to our visitors and to make them feel welcome to be there for Christmas Eve and welcome to come back any time.

Our church actually is standing room only every week and I think it has to do with the attitude of both our present and previous pastors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. Charles Borromeo in Clarendon. 5:00 PM Mass. Be sure the kids behave. Warn them that the lights will be dimmed to almost darkness until the Celebrant enters, at which point the lights will be raised and all may pray collectively to commemorate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is this a service geared toward children?

It's a MASS that EDUCATES the children. Father Planty does not suffer fools, be they "lapsed", "Cafeteria", or "social justice" so-called "Catholics". He's not going to tolerate your kids' books, snacks, toys, and whatever entertainment you think you need.

Father establishes Holiness, the Miracle of Christ as embodied in the Celebrant. That's why the lights are dimmed until the Celebrant enters. That's why the focus is on the Festival of the Nativity, not the vulgar silliness of Xmas.

If you're a good and holy parent, you will attend. Otherwise you're not welcome.