In Theory:

As a parent rejoices when a child who has distanced himself or herself from the family returns home, it is one of our greatest joys when any one of our church members, who has been away for whatever reason, returns to us. “Catholics Come Home” and other such endeavors are not marketing schemes.

Rather, they are expressions of who it is that we are as a church. In order to be authentic, we must not be exclusionary, for Jesus was not. Jesus sought out the stranger and the estranged. We must do as did Jesus. We must be actively welcoming, setting our doors wide and our walls low while holding to the vigor of our faith.

We seek not simply that those who no longer gather with us would return to church services, but that they would return, in a fuller sense, into the community of the church as the Body of Christ.

Catholic life is liturgically centered in the Mass, but Christian faith illumines and graces every moment of our lives.

In those instances in which one of ours has simply drifted away, we want to ease their return so that they will find themselves embraced and cherished.

And in those instances in which the person has departed because of some negative experience, we wish to accept responsibility for that hurt and make amends.

We know that we will be more whole when those who have left us return home. And we believe that those who return will also be more whole. We belong to one another just as we belong to Christ. We miss you.

MSGR. WILBUR DAVIS

Our Lady Queen of Angels Church

Many Jews are coming to Temple Isaiah, old and new ones. Many have fallen away because they have not been personally touched inspirationally. Many attend our Friday night services at Temple Isaiah because it satisfies their needs of the youth participation, singing of the temple children led by Yvonne Jablon, inspirational sermons by me, and the singing of our fantastic Cantor. Many new members have joined and old ones are returning to Temple Isaiah of Newport Beach because of many activities offered here at low cost.

Our temple has many members from other parts of the country and the world of all ages.

This is a draw to our temple, and Temple Isaiah even seeks Jewish-interfaith families. I find as a rabbi, I do many life-cycle events of individuals and their families, because other rabbis and temples have told them no to their request for whatever reason. I have been the rabbi of Temple Isaiah for more than 20 years, and I think this is going to be the most productive year yet that will touch, move and inspire many Jews to flock to Temple Isaiah.

RABBI MARC RUBENSTEIN

Religion burns people because it is a human attempt to prove yourself good enough before God. Scripture tells us that doesn’t work. Jesus tells the religious people in the book of Revelation, “I wish that you were hot (faithful) or cold (denying God), but you are lukewarm (religious hypocrites) and you make me vomit.”

Jesus viewed denying him as more honest than living as religious hypocrites! Wow! God doesn’t want religion because it burns people, and then they blame God for it. Whenever human tradition or preferences overshadow Scripture, religion triumphs, and it happens in all faith systems.

Within the Christian tradition, there are an array of religious systems that burn people from religious fundamentalism (i.e., clothing requirements or limitations based on sex) to requirements for piety or salvation (must speak in tongues or be baptized, etc.).

Yet even when those people are burned, they know the heart of the Gospel is not about religion. They do come back, and our task is to reintroduce them to the amazing grace of God that is not religion at all.

Currently, we offer a 10-week discussion group for “starters, beginners and returners” to safely discuss the real questions of faith, their doubts and why they felt burned by religion in the past.

RIC OLSEN

The Beacon