When was the last time you went into a church?

I haven't been since I spent the month in Italy in '99. At this point I am mostly interested in the buildings, the spaces, the art, the quiet (outside of services), even the spaces outside, the role of churches in towns and cities. There's a piazza in Rome where the surrounding buildings have the same shapes as the baroque church facade. I try not to disturb anyone there with my looking. I used to be a fervent catholic, and when I left I was pretty angry, but all that was back in the early sixties and the anger against religion is gone, though I've mixed feelings about its effect on humanity and the earth - but it's made by humans and will continue to exist.

I still like gregorian chant, and remember organ music on easter well - and know (once knew better) about the role of religion in some developments in music.

On that Italy trip, I probably went into twenty churches, chasing Caravaggio and Rafael and Michelangelo and lots of others, but also, chasing the spaces and the quiet.

I like that.

people certainly project being their best when at church, I'll give you that

What was your favorite?

I'll have to think about it. I've some favorites from before too.


Ok -
There are two jewel boxes (San Carlo Borromeo and Sant'Andrea Quirinale (right next to each other, one by Borromini and the other by Bernini) but ... for some reason I really liked Sant'Agostino's. And then there's Santa Maria del Populo, my early and maybe still favorite.
And I'll throw in the Pantheon when it's just about empty.

How about you?

Never been to Italy, alas.

Oh, George, I bet you'd like it.

Someday . . .

If and when, pm me. Not that I'd think of telling you what to see, but if you have questions.

Nobody has to go to church if they don't want.
Jesus said-"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matt 6:6)

And if a church is full of crackpots we should definitely stay clear-
"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbss 13:20)

Instead, we should stick with people who make us feel good-
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17)

And it's perfectly alright to meet in each others homes instead of in a church. All the early Christians began as "Home groups"..

Fer Services? I flipped through a TV service last sunday---they were talking about this guy named jebus.

In a Church? Almost weekly--they're dumpsters overflow with recyclables. That jebus is a wasteful kinda guy--throws away a bunch good stuff.

Rap

What kinda good stuff have you gotten rap?

Last Sunday.

It's been too long! I'm not opposed to going to a Church, Synagouge, or Mosque but my philosophy is that contemporary faiths today and subsequently their members simply make me unattracted to the idea of stepping footing into a "House of God."

This Sunday turned out to be not so back-to-normal after all. We had
visitors, two busloads of young people from Toronto. Young men from
St. Michael's and young women from Holy Name of Mary. The latter were
a choir and they sang during communion. Wonderful!