Notes from the separated brethren

One day recently I drove by a large "Christian Center" (the new term for what were once called "community churches" or, before that, just plain old stand-alone non-denominational protestant "churches"). It had a large sign out front advertising "Saturday Mass 5:30 pm". That's the first time I've seen this particular deception carried out in English, though it's long been common in Spanish. I hope it hasn't tricked any well-intentioned but ill-informed Catholics.

Recently we got a postcard from a second "Christian Center" advising us of their seasonal activities. They included observances of both Palm Sunday (which I've seen other protestants do) and Holy Saturday (which I haven't seen observed by protestants). Both observances had some serious quirkiness about them.

Palm Sunday had two worship services and a petting zoo. Yes, a petting zoo. Perhaps someone wanted to let these tots know what donkeys really look like. Got me to thinking, though, that a procession through a group of lambs up to the grill where another lamb was being roasted would be pretty appropriate to the message of Palm Sunday - if politically impossible in our bambified society.

Holy Saturday advertised "fish communion". I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean. I couldn't find out from their website www.thepartychurch.com either, although it did convince me that I hadn't fallen for a typo. (My best guess: they're using goldfish crackers in lieu of unleavened bread and sermonizing at great length about the symbolism of fish in the early church and the symbolism of
holy communion. Second best guess: a communion service and fish luncheon with lots of yakking about Luke 24:36ff. I sure ain't goin' there to find out!) The website did let me know that they belong to a denomination. They just don't point that out in their postcard, their name or their URL - which seems almost antithetical to their affiliation, at least to my way of seeing things.

I've been remiss in posting about a third "Christian Center" that uses the ad slogan: "Your SUCCESS is our PASSION". They post their own creed (which cries out for fisking), including: "The believers' redemption from the 'curse of sin'-poverty, sickness, spiritual death." Divites implevit bonis et esurientes dimissit in anes, eh? Follow me and lay down your cross, perhaps? Feh.

Still, we must not only remember the prayer ut unum sint, but work to
make that a reality remembering that the only unity is in Him who first
prayed it.