Them there Protestants

[Ernie]

Are you comfortable with this list/assessment?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolso ... minations/

Is this a generic you or are you asking for a particular person's opinion?

Generic.

I'm reading the comments right now and find this enlightening.

[Bootstrap]

I've generally given up on trying to classify congregations by denomination. So often, a sick congregation belongs to a denomination with good theology and guidelines. And so often, a surprisingly healthy and biblical congregation belongs to a denomination that has real problems. Go figure.

[KingdomBuilder]

And so often, a surprisingly healthy and biblical congregation belongs to a denomination that has real problems. Go figure.

I'd say I'm in such a church now

[gcdonner]

And so often, a surprisingly healthy and biblical congregation belongs to a denomination that has real problems. Go figure.

I'd say I'm in such a church now

It is true that a congregation often reflects the pastor(s). That is the main reason why there is such a wide variation from one congregation to another in the same denomination. That is true across the board, and I think it would include EO & RC.
What say ye, Max?

[Josh]

And so often, a surprisingly healthy and biblical congregation belongs to a denomination that has real problems. Go figure.

I'd say I'm in such a church now

It is true that a congregation often reflects the pastor(s). That is the main reason why there is such a wide variation from one congregation to another in the same denomination. That is true across the board, and I think it would include EO & RC.
What say ye, Max?

I would say this fairly different with the priest system and how much less influential preaching is in RC and EO.

[gcdonner]

I would say this fairly different with the priest system and how much less influential preaching is in RC and EO.

I think you would be surprised.

[temporal1]

I think you would be surprised.

i certainly have been.
when i am with my family i attend mass with them, not a large church.

the priest is not a "flashy" speaker, at all, but i am impressed with how careful he is in trying to relay his message so that all can understand. it comes across as a personal message, a message he is invested in sharing. .i wasn't expecting that.

during the week, i would ask my (wiggly) grdaughter a couple of informal questions about the message, she would answer without hesitation. telling me he was conveying his message, and, she was getting the message, in spite of wiggling.

i don't mind a little wiggling, as long as it's not disrupting to others. her mother is not so patient. being a grparent is a great gig.

[Josh]

The masses I visit (Catholic) sometimes have a brief homily. The priest is pretty much interchangeable with anyone else.

[KingdomBuilder]

I've been to Greek and Russian Orthodox churches before... let's just say I was tragically confused... the whole time.

[Bootstrap]

The masses I visit (Catholic) sometimes have a brief homily. The priest is pretty much interchangeable with anyone else.

I have been to masses that had excellent homilies, and some parishes are certainly much more effective than others in reaching out to their neighborhoods and showing real love.

In a lot of ways, Catholics are at the opposite end of the spectrum from Mennonites, but priests aren't robots, and some of them are very much servants of God.