Today I went with J to the general Protestant mass at our main chapel. It is held 90 minutes after the Catholic one started and since J is Episcopalian it was time again that I tried out one of the protestant masses on post. They don't have Episcopalian services mind you.
After the children were called downstairs to Bible study and Children's church the preacher began his sermon. I was expecting something entirely different than what he was going on about. He contradicted himself, acted like a misogynist, and treated us like children without reason of our own.
Finally he says that during the closing hymn anyone is invited up to pray with him personally. Well no one went up. Any wonder why? Well he did wonder why. When the closing hymn was finished he chastised the whole congregation for not one of us going up there. He said that many of us were there just to fill pews.
Maybe some of you will know and some not that the preachers for the post chapels are actually Army. So perhaps the chaplain would be better off filling out a Hurt Feelings Report rather than holding hostage the congregation to vent his bile upon.
In my opinion someone should try to remember that not everyone is comfortable with coming up in the front of the chapel to pray with the preacher since the mass is a general service for all Protestant faiths. Some Protestants just don't do that in their own traditions. I haven't seen it done in Episcopalian or Lutheran services but I'm sure there are some out there that do have the preacher pray with them.
Wow, that really does sound awful. You shouldn't try to emotionally blackmail someone and shame them into belief.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteWow that is absolutely unacceptable for him to chastise you all for not going up there. Just awful!
ReplyDeleteI'm just hoping that he was having a bad day.
DeleteWhat? That seems a little un-Christian...
ReplyDeleteYes, I know.
DeleteEeew. I was raised Congregationalist, and we just don't do that touchy stuff. Stuffy New Englanders, we are.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the hands off approach myself.
DeleteGood grief! What was he thinking? Ministry is not supposed to be about bullying people into faith.
ReplyDeleteI've seen different versions of the "hurt feelings report" and it always makes me laugh!
Visiting from ICLW.
Exactly.
DeleteSounds like this guy needs a new job. Special prayer time like that is always optional. He needs to realize that Protestant encapsulates PLENTY of different sects, not just the one he's closest too. Yikes, I wouldn't have enjoyed that.
ReplyDeleteSounds like retirement should in his plans soon though he didn't look all that old.
DeleteSounds more like a Southern Pentecostal preacher than an Episcopalian priest to me. I am an atheist but my father is an Episcopalian Deacon and their church services are warm and reserved in a welcoming way (I know that doesn't really make sense, think you wander into the service off the street. People will nod and smile but no one will jump you, be overly chatty, ask you to testify, etc. If you choose to stay for coffee hour and make friends great, if not, that's fine too.) Asking people up to pray in front of the congregation would never even be thought of. Please don't think what you witnessed is anything like a "true" Episcopalian service.
ReplyDeleteI have been off post to a few Episcopalian services with my spouse last year and before we moved out here. I agree nothing like what I sat through yesterday.
Delete