Church Shopping
Jennifer Graham recounts her family's experience at their new parish church following a recent move to New England:
I am a ruthless church shopper, not because my family spends so much time in a sanctuary, but because we spend so little. I figure if we are going to spend only an hour or two each week in formal worship of the Almighty, it better be a quality hour, one with a challenging sermon, soaring music and no Game Boys in the next pew.
Her article reminds me of our own experience a few years ago when we decided that we couldn't take our local parish any longer and had to make a switch. Unlike Mrs. Graham, we found ourselves very reluctant "church shoppers." It wasn't the ugly architecture, the banal music, or the shabby (and sometimes scandalous) attire of some of the faithful – though to be sure, we experienced all of the above – that drove us away. Instead, the blatant heterodoxy of both the preaching and the liturgy forced us to make the painful decision to leave. We decided we just couldn't deal with having to "de-program" our kids from what they'd be learning (either by preaching, catechesis, or observation) at church.
In retrospect, our decision to find a new parish was a Godsend. We've found a faithful, orthodox and welcoming community. We've made new friends with fellow homeschoolers. Our spiritual lives, and the spiritual development of our kids, have deepened tremendously. If you're in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay area) and find yourself similarly frustrated, come join us.