Rules are a good thing for God seekers

I know this is weird coming from me, but I think that rules in church are a good thing. I am the last person who you would ever expect to say that because I hate rules. I love doing what I want to do-regardless of what anyone thinks. I like finding answers to my problems for myself rather than asking a leader what they are.

It took observing things that went on in my college Bible study to get me to change my mind about rules. The leader of the Bible study wasn't someone who the minister appointed, but someone who volunteered. Nobody checked to see what the leader was teaching people or how he was conducting the study. He could've taught something that wasn't even in the Bible or interpreted something from the Bible that is out there, and the church would have no idea. Everyone always had a chance to express their opinions during the study, and since everyone could have their own opinion about the Bible, you never knew who was right.

Not only were there theological arguments during the study, but there were also people complaining about who gets to be a cell group leader. The leader of the Bible study gets to pick a cell group leader to lead small groups of people. The leader picked a woman who was rumored to get drunk during weekends and would skip church a lot. Of course, many people felt that it was unfair and complained.

Well all of these conflicts were distracting me from learning about God, which is why all God seekers go to Bible studies. Even though I love finding out about God, I had to admit that this was a waste of my time because I really didn't learn a whole lot.

The Catholic Church is totally different. They had this young adult mass at my church which I attended. We went to mass first and then went out to eat. Not everyone was friends with everyone, but people got along. The mass was only a half hour, but I felt like I got more out of it than the hour in the Bible study.

What was the difference? Rules! Only the priest or deacon can lead the mass-no one else. The priest has to teach according to what the Archbishop tells him to teach. Nobody I saw was arguing with the priest during mass-I guess if they did they wouldn't be able to take the Euchrarist. The priest did appoint someone to plan the parties, but he wasn't teaching people.

Rules free us from conflict and disorder. Because there was order and rules God seekers can go to this mass and find God, rather than being distracted by complaining and conflict.