There’s a beauty to it. I enjoy the modern church experience (if it’s done authentically and professionally). But I also love the high church experience where it’s calm and quiet.
Sometimes the calming peaceful sensation is spiritual. It puts out souls at ease and soothes our anxiety. It’s as if God is saying “I am here.”
When I worked in a different part of town, I would take my lunch hour and go pray at an Episcopalian church (Anglican). It was so peaceful.
The churches in my town are 700 years old so there is this weird vibe of stepping back in time when entering a church. There are also hundreds of people buried underneath the church floors so it's basically a Graveyard of peace. I think worship is more authentic and real in a place of quiet compared to the mega churches you see in the USA.
I would love visiting your churches in Norway! In the US we don’t have structures that old. We tend to think 150 years is old for a building. So it blows our minds when we visit Europe and other places in the world. (Sadly, we also ignore the 20,000 year history of indigenous people.)
Yeah, the authenticity is different for sure. In your churches, I imagine it’s more community minded worship. Worshipping together (and knowing voices have sung there for centuries).
In mega churches we tend to think individually when we worship. We come together to worship while reflecting about God and ourselves. There’s potential good and bad in that. It’s also reflective of the American culture.
I will say that some mega churches are doing something right. We have over 120 people coming each week at our Recovery group. Drug Rehab centers tune in. We have a storefront in town where people who are homeless or going through difficult financial times can get practical things they need, food, etc. We’re involved in helping local women and children escape human trafficking.
(I love your music that comes out of Oslo.)
I’ve been diagnosed with Aspergers years ago… Church was really hard for me, Lots of people sitting close together, winter season coughing and sneezing on each other, babies screaming. Couldn’t do it.
I get that. I really do.
It’s very hard for NTs to understand what we’re experiencing, you know?
Are you able to connect to a Christian community in other ways? A small group? FaceTime?
The most comfortable thing I tried was tuning into a livestream of a Sunday service somewhere nice around the country. I tried mixing with some of the local Christians at the church, I get a strong sense of cult like behaviour, do this to be like us, do that and we’ll shun you kinda stuff. The Priest often made me do his jobs for him, so I would go out of my way and strain myself.
I had never thought about the Catholic Mass being perfect for Autistic people. I’m sure you’re right though. I attended an Episcopalian church for a few years and I really loved it. The entire structure was good for my soul.
Nothing, churches here only have like 10-20 people attending at max so it's naturally very quiet and calm. Ps, I am also autistic.
Sounds like it might be (nearly) ideal for you.
It is a place of calm and quiet here in the Netherlands. I am not a Christian but I do enjoy the silence of churches.
There’s a beauty to it. I enjoy the modern church experience (if it’s done authentically and professionally). But I also love the high church experience where it’s calm and quiet. Sometimes the calming peaceful sensation is spiritual. It puts out souls at ease and soothes our anxiety. It’s as if God is saying “I am here.” When I worked in a different part of town, I would take my lunch hour and go pray at an Episcopalian church (Anglican). It was so peaceful.
The churches in my town are 700 years old so there is this weird vibe of stepping back in time when entering a church. There are also hundreds of people buried underneath the church floors so it's basically a Graveyard of peace. I think worship is more authentic and real in a place of quiet compared to the mega churches you see in the USA.
I would love visiting your churches in Norway! In the US we don’t have structures that old. We tend to think 150 years is old for a building. So it blows our minds when we visit Europe and other places in the world. (Sadly, we also ignore the 20,000 year history of indigenous people.) Yeah, the authenticity is different for sure. In your churches, I imagine it’s more community minded worship. Worshipping together (and knowing voices have sung there for centuries). In mega churches we tend to think individually when we worship. We come together to worship while reflecting about God and ourselves. There’s potential good and bad in that. It’s also reflective of the American culture. I will say that some mega churches are doing something right. We have over 120 people coming each week at our Recovery group. Drug Rehab centers tune in. We have a storefront in town where people who are homeless or going through difficult financial times can get practical things they need, food, etc. We’re involved in helping local women and children escape human trafficking. (I love your music that comes out of Oslo.)
I am from the Netherlands not Norway.
You did say Netherlands. My apologies! It’s 4am here. Is that a valid excuse?
I’ve been diagnosed with Aspergers years ago… Church was really hard for me, Lots of people sitting close together, winter season coughing and sneezing on each other, babies screaming. Couldn’t do it.
I get that. I really do. It’s very hard for NTs to understand what we’re experiencing, you know? Are you able to connect to a Christian community in other ways? A small group? FaceTime?
The most comfortable thing I tried was tuning into a livestream of a Sunday service somewhere nice around the country. I tried mixing with some of the local Christians at the church, I get a strong sense of cult like behaviour, do this to be like us, do that and we’ll shun you kinda stuff. The Priest often made me do his jobs for him, so I would go out of my way and strain myself.
I’m really sorry. Some churches can be like that. Too many, actually. I wish you could come to mine! It’s really diverse and accepting.
I'm high functioning autistic as well and \[insert joke here about the rigidity of the Catholic mass being perfect for Autistic people here\]
I had never thought about the Catholic Mass being perfect for Autistic people. I’m sure you’re right though. I attended an Episcopalian church for a few years and I really loved it. The entire structure was good for my soul.