musings from the road: The Norm

Nashville, TN: I must be honest. Catholic guilt is a real thing. As explained in Urban Dictionary: "if you're Catholic, you understand." Though I've already visited a Catholic church on The Great Church Search, I hadn't visited one in Nashville, so I figured I should. And by "should," I mean... I have to ("should'ing" on ones-self is direct product of guilt). However, I was happy to spend time with my friend Trisha, and explore her beloved church home.

Aesthetics: Christ The King is located on one of my favorite Nashville streets - Belmont Blvd. It's in the area I would have lived in if I had gone to college at Belmont or if I had a white picket house with a husband and four children. Both that didn't or won't happen, but fun to romanticize every now and again. There is a tall steeple, rows of uniform wooden pews and stained glass windows that lead up to a gigantic cross with a oversized crown above it. While, in theory, seems pretty extravagant, it actually reminded me of the beautiful church I attended growing up.

Greeting: Inside the small entryway, I received an enthusiastic "welcome!" and an oversized bulletin by a female teenage greeter. On the other side of the double doors to the sanctuary was a male teenage greeter. I'm pretty sure that in between their greetings, they snuck in mutual innocent glances at each other. Another reminder of sweet memories of ICC.

Community: The 11am service held around 400 people, most Caucasian families. However, I noticed at least one member from other nationalities: Hispanic, Indian, African American, Asian, etc. In the midst of Olympic madness, it felt very patriotic to have representatives from various backgrounds.

Music: A cantor lead traditional hymns, accompanied by a grand piano, flute and acoustic guitar. The music, though lovely and haunting, did little to rouse my spirit.

Service: It's hard to describe a Catholic service in a blog like this is because the best word that comes to mind is "normal." And for those that didn't grow up in the faith, what does "normal" actually mean? To me, it means very methodical, yet rhythmic. There's a certain flow of stand up, sit down, kneel, respond. And although I can recite nearly the entire mass in my head, word for word, the new responses caused me to have to read along with the cheat sheet provided in each pew. Though slightly annoyed with the seemingly random changes ("and also with you" goes to "and with your spirit" - why the change, exactly?), I did notice it made me pay more attention than my normal reciting-out-of-repetition.

Message: As compared to other denominations, one thing I noticed about the Catholic homily (or the "sermon," to non-Catholics) is that they seem to talk more about religion / living out faith in a broader sense, versus speaking directly to the bible verses that were read in the first two readings and gospel. A little Google research described it as the following: "a sermon is more about 'doing' than 'thinking about.'" As a do-er AND a thinker, I'm torn between knowing what to do and simply reflecting on things. However, I was pleasantly surprised when the priest quoted from the Big Book, a resource I am becoming familiar with, thanks to friends in recovery and my work at Thistle Farms. Though he didn't actually cite the reference, I recognized where it had come from and it made more sense than the general overview of the teachings in the Catholic tradition:

"When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation—some fact of my life —unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment."

Denomination: I gave a general overview of Catholicism when I visited another Catholic church for Easter. Though I respect the religion and doctrine, I struggle with some of its rules and regulations; most recently: the reprimanding of women religious. I could literally feel the pain in Sr. Pat Farrell's voice as she wrestles with the rules set in place by Rome versus her personal journey of faith. She says:

"One of our deepest hopes is to create a safe and respectful environment where church leaders along with members can raise questions openly and search for truth freely."

Amen, Sister.

Overall: Christ The King is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, with an upcoming community festival, featuring games for the kids and a dunking booth for the priest. I love that it is rich in history and offers a great sense of community. And while I think it is a beautiful church filled with families upholding Catholic traditions, I still yearn for a location that stirs my soul.

That being said, sometimes it's nice to be able to come back to the norm.

Reflections on the Journey Thus Far: When I was in Poland earlier in the year, I remember Jakub, my tour guide, telling me that there are as many bars as there are churches. I asked him, "what type of churches are they?" He looked at me, kind of crazy, and asked, "what do you mean?" Thinking that the language barrier must have been confusing, I tried to clarify, "you know -- Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist...." My voice trailed off as he scoffed his response. "They are Catholic, of course." When I pressed him further, he said, "Everyone here is Catholic. It is a cultural thing. They may be spiritually shallow, but everyone here goes to church on Sundays." As crazy as that might sound to non-Catholics -- I get it. There is something beautiful about upholding cultural traditions and participating in a weekly rituals. But I have also noticed in other areas of the world, the same sentiment holds true: for some, going to mass each Sunday provides more significance -- or simply enough -- than searching for a deeper spiritual life. Which, to me, is the essence of having faith.

One More Thing: What I love about Trisha (besides her being a cool / funny / kick ass woman) is that she converted to Catholicism as an adult. She was raised Southern Baptist but wasn't connecting with the denomination as an adult. During her RCIA training, she said she "fell in love" with the Catholic faith. I love that she was brave enough to search for truth, in spite of her upbringing. And I love that this particular denomination -- that for those of us who grew up with it, simply think of it as "the norm" -- captivated her in a way that most seekers dream only about.