Posted by Michele on November 23, 2005, 4:27 am, in reply to "Re: And the Dance goes on..." Have you ever studied Maslow's Heirarcy of Needs? On reading your post I couldn't help but think that yes there is some value in what you are saying and I did notice the missing logic when writing my previous question about an institution being welcoming! What it seems you have challenged me to do, is become one of the welcoming people. I will tell you that in previous years (when I was a practicising Catholic) I have done that and invited a number of people who were not pracitising at the time to participate it or attend Mass with me and encouraged them in practical ways to become part of the Catholic community events. A gentle conversation and oddly enough when I think about it, a couple of times I was turned down but mostly by far, it was received as a welcome intrusion. But as I consider your challenge here today, I am aware that I am not a practising Catholic, I do not attend Mass, I do not "belong" to a Parish and so there is that leap in the "heirarcy of needs" from a sense of belonging to self-actualisation that you are asking me to take without having addressed my need to feel a sense of belonging. And to be frank, if I may, I have been told in the harshest of ways that my skills in liturgical music are not required. My approaches to a couple of local Parishes in the last few years to assist in any way possible have been met with a "we have enough musicians". And so now, instead of focusing on music and my ability to contribute in a skilled way you are asking me to try and change a Church that proves time and time again that it is unwilling or at least resistant to change, to become a welcoming place. Of course, I could always go out and bang my head on a brick wall and have about the same effect. And yes I am aware that those comments sound defeatest but I guess I'm putting them there just to illustrate that I am not at a place where I can be the one who is welcoming! That very much goes against the grain for me but I need to acknolwedge where I am at this point. Regards
Kathy, thanks for your reply and further thoughts.
Michele
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