Something seems to be rotten in the mission nearby

The rate of so called non-believers in my country is probably the highest in all Europe. This has some historical roots linked to the Middle Ages but has something to do with communist brainwashing as well. Nowadays, many foreign Christian groups are convinced that the situation is sort „out of joints“ and came to show us the only truth about God. One of this missions is situated as a crow flies from where I live and I visit this place from time to time. There is one American, one Canadian and some tens of Czech people. Once or twice a year a small group of Americans came to help with their job.
Their church is located at the edge of a really huge housing development with almost 100 000 people. About 90 per cent of them are not used to visiting a church and most people still remain intact wanting to have nothing to do with any church. Guess why.

I was there lust Sunday and the ambiance of this place made me sort of unhappy. All the people there are nice but seem sort of too worried about… if I only I knew what they are worried about.
Once I was in a church in Canaria Islands (Spain). The place was far away from any tourist destination, there were just ordinary people there and the church was full of them. It was so crowded that it was hard to get to the altar. Suddenly, someone began to play the guitar, two three chords, and - all the church was like a storm. The people were singing with such a joy, trully from the bottom of their hearts, loudly and lovely, as if they wanted to cry: Hey Lord, we are here and we love you. Come to us, be with us! I was just stunned hearing those thunderous choir of untrained voices, expressing their souls and believes and their common joy. They trully made my spine tingle. Unlike the people from the local church.

The joy and sparkles have sort of disappeared
I have always thought being close to God is a joy. That people congregate in order to by close to God and feel God's presence as it is something cheerful, in my eyes. Unlike in the eyes of people at the local church. They sing, they pray, listen to the sermon, persuading themselves that their belive must be stronger, deeper and more sincere over and over again. OK, nothing against asceticism and living in a humble way but the joy has just disappeared, gotten lost for all those worries about the thousands and thousands inhabitants living around in their non-Jesus way. You can hardly observe any spark in their eyesight. No real enthusiasm, no brightly burning flame, just nothing being able to blow up the sparkles of those „infidels“ living nearby. If I were one of those thousands and experienced that wishy-washy meeting with God I would never come back.
I guess they are not aware of it, still convinced they are right but yet feel that something is wrong with their mission. It may be this imbalance that makes them sort of depressed, so worried that they have forgotten what it is like to feel the joy of God's spirit around them.
The preacher had his birthday on Sunday, 65, so many congratulated him speaking about all the highly spiritual stuff. Must they really be so serious? None of them mentioned something like good health or those tiny pieces of happiness that are able to make our day. So I did. And I am afraid this was my last perform at this place.

Save your soul, do not care about life
There was a girl two weeks ago, sitting in a wheelchair. She cried when she was talking about how some bad events were expecting her. I was moved, close to tears, she was so immediate, so true and clear, full of humility. I have had to think of her all the time. I wanted to tell her I have been thinking of her, just to say some words of relief and support, but she was missing this Sunday. Some people mentioned that she has been facing a really hard part of her life, probably being in a hospital, perhaps fighting to stay alive. They prayed for her to come to terms with God because she allegedly still has some tiny doubts. Dammit, none of them expressed their burning desire for her to get over her illness and live without pain and tears as happy as possible, either with her doubts or without them. Everyone was just trully concerned about her faith as if her mundane life was nothing for such a young girl. They just prayed for her eternal life but not for her life itself. Dammit! Something seems to be rotten. Maybe I am too hursh on them but have to admit, this was the last straw.

P.S. Carol, you were the one huge and nice exception.