A Mormon service is just different. Mormons have a Eucharist too, (The Sacrament), but they have much less in the way of singing. No candles. Very little artwork in the chapel. The space of worship is bright and well lit. The spiritual focus of the meeting is the Sacrament; the vast majority of the meeting--in terms of time spent--is on sermons or "talks." All in all, it's pretty information intensive. Listen, learn, apply. Listen, learn, apply.
The way I experienced Christianity as a Mormon was very much about learning what I needed to "do." I make covenants with God; he promises to bless and protect me if I am obedient to my covenants. I go to church to renew my covenants (take the Sacrament) and learn what I need to "do" in order to keep my covenants.
Standars are extremely important in Catholicism, too. But the preaching of doctrine and what one must "do," seems to not be the emphasis of the Mass at least. Yes, there is a homily and a few readings. The rest of the service, however, is music, prayer, meditation, and the partaking of the Eucharist. All of this is done in a space with stained glass, lower lighting, candles, statues, and other artwork. A mood is set.
What I enjoy about the Mass is the feeling of losing oneself in a spiritual experience. All the music, prayer, and meditation makes me forget myself in a way that is very soothing. In Mormonism, constant contemplation of what I must "do," made it difficult to let go in that way. I was always very "aware" of myself, and, as a result, my life/ego/day-to-day. The structure of the Mormon service I suppose, made it harder for me to get "in the zone" spiritually. If we define spirituality as getting in touch with a higher power, the Mass really helps me do that.
I'm finding that with all that music, prayer, and meditation comes an amazing feeling of being at once small in comparison to the greatness of God and yet counted for. An awesome paradox. I'm also left with a feeling. This feeling is a mixture of wonder and awe for God, peace at knowing he's there for me, and a feeling of hope and general well-being. And this is where things start to get a bit mystical, lol. What is that feeling? The feeling of being in contact with God? The feeling of letting Him into my heart? I'm not sure, but I enjoy it.
Interestingly, this "feeling" is something I recognize. Honestly, it's the feeling of happiness. A feeling akin to what my favorite music makes me feel. The way it feels when I'm at my most creative and imaginative. The feeling of being curious, fully engaged, refreshed, more fully alive. So, since the feelings are the same, I can only conclude that God is also in those things I enjoy. Suddenly, things feel interconnected in a way that's surprising and amazing.
There's a feeling of God coming out of the Church and into my life that makes me want to nurture the things that make me happy, more. I realize that my "happy place" is God's place. I always stubbornly defended it; knowing that God is somehow involved make me celebrate it all the more.
As far as comparisons between Mormonism and Catholicism are concerned, I've only started to scratch the surface. Comparing the doctrines will be the real test, and I'm determined to study things out and be prayerful.
So far, there are lots of doctrines in Mormonism that resonate, but honestly, for me something is missing spiritually. Perhaps I've just not approached Mormonism in the right way; time will tell.
Catholicism is perhaps less satisfactory doctrinally; for example, Catholic doctrine doesn't account for a pre-existence (so who was I before I was born?) And Catholics believe that Eve was misguided in her partaking of the fruit, whereas Mormons believe "The Fall" was part of God's divine plan.
Doctrinal questions linger, but for me personally Catholicism is more "spiritually" satisfying. Masses are incredibly reverent. I think less about "me" and if I'm "doing" the right things and measuring up. There is more of a focus on the awesomeness of God and less on how obedient I am and whether or not I'm doing what I need to do. Taking the focus off of "me" and "I" really feels good right now.
And, just to bring this entry full circle, returning to the comparatively heavy role of ritual and art in Catholicism. I read that Catholics are passionate about the concept of "Incarnation," or the idea that God took on human form as Jesus. Mormons do not believe in the Trinity and thus do not believe in the doctrine of Incarnation. Catholics do, however, and this makes them passionate about incarnation in other forms. Stained glass, music, lighting, incense . . . these are all physical expressions of the spiritual. Catholicism is keen on making the spiritual physical, just as God became physical.
The Catholic writer who explained this also stated that his concern with Protestantism is it's "lack" of incarnation. The absence of art and ritual makes it difficult, he believes, for the worshiper to fully experience God, to get the full "flavor" of the divine.
Honestly, something about all that ritual and art is working for me.
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