Christ and the Ego - St. Thomas More Catholic Parish - Salt Lake City, UT - August 31st, 2014

     Today was a day that captured a lot of the good that can happen in religion, and Christianity specifically. Both came from expected and unexpected sources. I started out the day with a visit to Saint More Catholic Church, it is one of the easiest for me to visit, since they have a lot of service times and are really close to my house. This was good since I'd be spending time with family later. 

     The church is beautiful, it is surrounded by trees and has an interesting design, it's like a pyramid almost and has a school right next to it. The building was packed and I was lucky to find a seat in the back. When I arrived the Hallelujahs began, confession and the readings...which were the same as Saturday based around carrying the cross for Jesus and giving ones own desires up. What I noticed this time though in the Matthew reading were the similarities to Eastern thought. 

   Depending on the interpretation, and I'll be taking that Eastern philosophy interpretation in this post. Jesus wanted the apostles to put their own desires aside and to be as he was. It was similar to the Buddha and the giving up of possessions. He also calls Peter Satan when Peter says he wants him to stay around. Whether Jesus saw the Crucifixion coming or not this line is good at establishing that his teachings were bigger than him as well as his actions. Which makes sense why his followers would see him as God later. How Satan was used here too was as the ego, don't remind me of the things that make me want to live for me...let me live for others, which you should do too. Here God is like Enlightenment, complete understanding and perfect action. 

     Of course this was taken literal, and though I don't agree with that interpretation if it brings you to good action in the world than do it. If you take inspiration from an undefined outside source, than I am happy for you...if it leads you to do good. Which it clearly has done for quite a few people throughout time and up to current day. 

    Late I would head to City Church in Sandy which would have a different theme that is universal while also emphasizing the second interpretation of Jesus as a deity. 

Personal Jesus - Saint Thomas More Catholic Parish - Sandy, UT - May 10th, 2014

  

      What a great service there was today. First, it was a pretty full Saturday, many more people where there than one of the Holy Days. The age range was all over the place, though there were many older folks. The music was the thing that stood out the most, besides the sermon which I will get into later. The music was sung by three women and was one of the best traditional church music I have heard, especially when they sang the psalm, "The Lord is my Shepard," Which was also the theme of the Mass.

    The readings leading up to the sermon were about Peter and how Jesus is the messiah and is there for those who seek him. Later was the reading about Jesus making allusions to being the Shepard and the Pharisees being thieves in the fold.

    What was taken from the readings by the priest was that Jesus is there for those who need him. He didn't take the tact of seeing outsiders and unbelievers as thieves in the fold, which was how an Evangelical church called Blue Sky I went to years ago interpreted it. This fit in with the loving compassionate Jesus that honestly is the one I wish we would see more of in the world.

   What I mean by this is what each person believes God or Jesus wants is different...just like the Bible. Each person interprets it in their own way because there isn't a physical entity that can be judged. We're going off the words of the past and the words of priests and pastors. From that though can come great inspiration for good and for evil.

   My hope is that the inspiration for good that I have seen it (and what Jesus the man means to me) becomes prevalent and not the Dominionist Jesus who persecutes Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender folks and keeps women unequal. Like any idea or like any living person today, how we choose to use that inspiration is entirely in our hands.

Maundy Thursday - Thursday of Holy Week - Saint Thomas More Catholic Parish - Sandy, UT - April 17th, 2014

    Maundy Thursday, the day of Holy Week that celebrates Jesus's foot washing of his disciples and his famous, "Love one another as I have loved you." Essential Christianity and Christianity at its best. The first thing I noticed besides how there were half as many people as Ash Wednesday was the color change. The priests were wearing white and the tapestry was also white a lamb that had a halo around it. The congregation was also quite as the choir practiced. I had come early worrying about getting seating because of my last experience here.

     The service itself was beautiful. It emphasized community and living love out to the world. This was symbolized in the hand washing which was done instead of foot washing...I'm guessing to save time, and feet are something that is pretty vulnerable and hard to share (touching a person's feet anyway) so I can understand why it wasn't done. I don't know how I'd feel having my feet washed by a stranger even if it did feel good and refreshing.

    The hand washing still served the same purpose, it was a small symbolic and kind act to share with a stranger. I had my hands washed and dried off by another and I dried off another's hands too. It made me sad in hindsight that we aren't able to share this a lot of the time with the people we meet because I know I at least can be an island at times and enjoy my space...which makes it hard to reach out to another unless they are already a connection...a friend, partner or family member.

     That is why I think there is power in the "As I have loved you, love one another." To give up the clothes on your back to a stranger, to give up your possessions to service to God and the poor. These are radical life changing things...things I hope to strive for...though I still hold on to practicalness. Money for living, community and self. When the fact is, all that is much bigger than me and what I am aware of.

      One thing I noticed too was the dichotomy surrounding the Eucharist. After the reading about the last supper the priest emphasized we were to eat the bread and wine in memory of Jesus as he asked...there was nothing about him being the literal body and blood, not until we got the Eucharist. It was a realization that the practice of the Eucharist and seeing it as more than just a memory of a supper shared, probably came around later. Since during the supper Jesus emphasized how he was Teacher and Lord (which in the context felt like a Lord and his vassals not God).

   It was a wonderful service, and I once more left before the Eucharist since I'm not a Catholic and I'm not about to eat at someone else's table out of respect unless I'm invited too.

Ash Wednesday Night Mass - Saint Thomas More Catholic Parish - Sandy, UT - March 5th, 2014

       What an experience and way to end the night. To start with, finding the parish was a bit difficult, though now that I know where it is, I don't see myself getting lost again. When I arrived the readings had already been read...since it was the High Church though, it didn't matter as much since they were the same readings at Saint James Episcopal Church.

   Before I get into how the sermons differed though, I want to describe the Parish. The Parish is huge, this is where the Masses take place, but their is a whole other building that I wasn't able to get in the picture due to the lack of light and batteries dying on me. The Parish is simple like the Episcopal Parish, yet grand like any Cathedral. You can see it the design outside and it is inside as well. The tapestries have detail (a purple crown of thorns on a purple tapestry) and a Virgin Mary done in an elongated style (same with the risen Jesus). The Parish is a large congregation, when I arrived I wasn't able to find a seat until a few minutes in. The congregation is also diverse ranging all over the place in age and ethnicity. This is true of most Catholic Churches I've attended I've found.The music was amazing. There was a choir who all different age ranges and the music was traditional mixed with modern (a saxophone player was a part of the band).

    When I received the ash for the second time today, the words were "Repent and follow the Gospel," which was a very different emphasis than "From Dust you came and dust you shall return." The Catholic one had more emphasis on guilt for needing God versus the Episcopal emphasis on mortality and needing God. Both were good in their own ways and add as long as either doesn't consume. Being consumed by any emotion is extremely unproductive in regards to any sort of growth or helping others.  

    Now for the sermon, the sermon emphasized penance and remembrance of Jesus's time in the desert. That we should live on less and give more (as an interpretation that fit perfectly), and that we should not glorify ourselves (which again makes sense as far us not feeding our egos).

    Since I'm not a Catholic I didn't take the Eucharist and left after the song. It was a powerful experience and the Church is definitely worth another visit.