Although they did it not out of selfishness, but in celebration of their savior's birth, pastors and priests at many churches are now hoping, and praying, that something in their Christmas services was compelling enough to bring the visitors back again.
Makes sense, assuming the Gospel itself isn't compelling. As I've said, this kind of thing always reminds me of Woody Allen's joke about playing gin rummy with the Devil for his soul, at a penny a point just to make it interesting.
Equally important was the feeling or vibe church leaders and members emitted to newcomers, said Paul Wilkes, the author of Excellent Catholic Parishes: The Guide to Best Places and Practices.
"Vibe"? That'll convince our "young people" that the Church is "with it"!
Church shoppers are seeking a place where they feel very welcome, Wilkes said.
And not in the you're welcome to repent sense.
"In the old church, the pre-Vatican II church, the name of the game was to get 'em in and beat them up so they felt so guilty they'd have to come back," Wilkes said. "Now it's 'Glad you've come for the first time or have come home. We're here all the time for you. We're your family. Come on back.' It's a kinder, gentler approach."
You might recall how that "old church, the pre-Vatican II church," reportedly had mass attendance percentages three times higher and ten times as many seminarians.
On the bright side, Wilkes might be the man to write the catalogue for my proposed Museum of Progressive Catholicism.
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