tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post3151090221008584209..comments2024-02-07T11:31:44.141+03:00Comments on On Life in St. Petersburg: When You Don't Want To Go To Church (Part 1)Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283395756742923658noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-40164053092443227262013-10-31T00:14:47.834+04:002013-10-31T00:14:47.834+04:00That's funny, because as I was thinking about ...That's funny, because as I was thinking about your comment, I realize that it can go both ways. I challenge myself on purpose so I'll meet people. Although going with a friend might help you network, I often end up hiding behind whomever I came with, depending on who is the more talkative one! Especially if you're in a big girl group that likes to stick together. Sticking yourself in a row with all strangers is a sure way to meet somebody new. But I agree that once you are making return visits it is important to see some familiar faces. No one wants to feel like a constant stranger.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15283395756742923658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-15293566000925973642013-10-31T00:09:16.572+04:002013-10-31T00:09:16.572+04:00"mention it""mention it"Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15283395756742923658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-81655635539122368442013-10-31T00:08:36.699+04:002013-10-31T00:08:36.699+04:00I hadn't thought of that. Now that you mention...I hadn't thought of that. Now that you mention, I know several people who work at one church and attend another. I know you've been through a difficult situation and it isn't that you are picky about choosing where to go. I guess it isn't always a discipline issue but can be one of intimacy. You can be "friendly" with people at both churches, but are there people in at least one of the congregations who really know you and what you're going through? I mean, I'm sure there are people who travel/commute and have to go back and forth, but handle the church commitment question in different ways.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15283395756742923658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-22399557743374697032013-10-30T05:52:34.109+04:002013-10-30T05:52:34.109+04:00I had a realization in college---if you go to chur...I had a realization in college---if you go to church alone, sit alone...etc, it's hard to continue! I did it once...but the other times I went with or sat with people I knew:)<br />The Herdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04472507772885670488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2949422246633548404.post-65480631920731074802013-10-30T02:21:31.536+04:002013-10-30T02:21:31.536+04:00Well, this is an interesting topic. Right now I g...Well, this is an interesting topic. Right now I go to one church, and work at another. The one I work at is the one I used to - well, not just "go to" but almost live at. It was the center of our lives, absolutely. Then, it merged with another nearby parish, threw our lives into turmoil, and hurt a lot of people we loved and considered family. It was horribly painful. Obviously, I hung on, but I really do not like worshiping here. I do it when it is the most convenient Mass to attend, and as far as being a member of it, and involved in it - of course I am! Actually it is only the Sunday Mass that is somehow hard for me. At the other parish, I feel much more a dynamic worshipper, but I am not involved in anything else (yet, because I know a lot of the people and stand around after church talking for an hour...it sort of seems like I am)... So, my situation may be unique, but I bet everyone's is. There are some things that resonate in one place, and other things in another. I guess I wouldn't think it optimal, but since a lot of people don't go to church at all, I wouldn't quibble!Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12623179886908222942noreply@blogger.com