Thoughtful daily post - Actions speak louder than rituals

St Marys Church

For todays post I am going to share a few shots of St Marys Church in South Dartmouth, I am not sure when it was built, it not s old clearly as some of the older churches here but its a nice church with its pure white paint and steeple.

As part of the Dreemport initiative @dreemsteem selects a challenge each week for members to join if they so wish, and this week the challenge is the Thoughtful Daily Post created and supported by @wesphilbin A person I have known for quite a while on Hive, and one who is very active in many communities, Let me explain the concept in his own words
“The tag #thoughtfuldailypost can be applied to any post that speaks of positivity, uplifting topics, inspiration, reflection (especially self-reflection), deep musings about our human nature, spiritual aspects, and other philosophical inclinations. Despite the word "daily" in the tag, it is not necessary to write a post every day to participate — a single post of a thoughtful nature is welcome any time! We need more positivity and thoughtfulness in the world, now more than ever!”

Now last week I joined this challenge, and thought that would be a once and done situation as I am not confident in my writing, but i got so many positive comments about my thoughts and the post, I thought why not lets do it again

The focus of the photos in this post is St Marys church in Dartmouth, so lets share a photo before I get into my thoughts.


mf St Marys Church.jpg

Sony A7iii 28mm F5 1/1000 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger


Now why a church is the subject of the photos in this post is it relates in part to the thoughts I will share now, and secondly I couldn't think of any other of my photos what would fit.

Thoughtful Daily post content

Actions speak louder than rituals

I was thinking after a situation happened last week about a saying we used a few times to describe a colleague in the field,

They talk the talk but do not walk the walk

I am sure anyone reading this post, has come across people like that they love to talk about what they could do, but never actually do it, and that can be in regards to so many things, but in all honesty they fade from memory fairly quickly.
The people we remember are often the quieter people who just get out there and do it, whether work related, helping with those in need, charity work etc etc.

now the saying that may be more related to this thought is

* Actions speak louder than words*

So why you ask did I choice use the word actions instead of words, well that's where St Mary's church fits into this post, and it relates to any church for that matter.

My Parents were practicing catholics and that's how I was brought up, going to Mass every Sunday and on other special days, but although I do go to church occasionally these days I do not feel the need myself to go every Sunday, and that in part is I saw some in our church growing up, who were I guess one would say Pillars of the Church, up doing readings during mass, dressed all formal in a suit and tie, but when I got older and could go to bars, nightclubs etc, I saw on more than one occasion more than one of these supposed pillars of the church, behaving and acting in ways that is far from what a good Christian should do, I will not go into detail but you may get the point.

I often, if I am out walking and pass by a church that is open, pop in for a minute and say in my own way my prayers, but I am not fixed that it has to be a church of a particular denomination.

So to make a long story short my thought is

Live your life to be proud of what you do any time of any day, from my life experience I have found that the people that do the most, do not feel the need to be telling everyone about it.
I am not saying talking isn't a good thing, to be honest I am not a big talker and often hide in the background in groups, which is also not a good thing, like with many things in life finding a good balance is key

And that's the end of the thoughtful part of the post, lets get back to my normal rambling on about photos I have taken

@samsmith1971 in our comment exchange on last weeks post I mentioned i had done a voice memo of a thought that came to mind at that time and that I referred to in making this post

These shots were taking last year before Lulus broken hip and time in Hospital, you can see her taking photos in this next shot


mf St Marys Church-2.jpg

Sony A7iii 28mm F5 1/1000 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger


That said last year before the churches went mainly virtual masses for a while my wife and I did go to this church for mass once or twice a week.

Ohh did I mention this is a Catholic Church I don't think I did, but now I have :)

My Parents were Catholic so I was brought up a catholic, and that's why when I do feel like going to a service I generally go to a catholic church.
When I worked in NY often on my walks I would pass by churches, and often stop in and spend a few minutes there and say some prayers in my own way.

The one sad thing I have noticed is many churches in various places I find are locked either at all times other than when there is a service, or over night and early morning, and I find that kind of a sad comment on our society these days as I guess that is to stop people from coming in and vandalizing, when I was growing up down Under churches were open 24/7, and it was common for most people to leave there front door unlocked at least during the day, times have changed but not always for the better.


mf St Marys Church-3.jpg

Sony A7iii 31mm F5 1/1250 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger


In my travels around the world I have seen many Churches and cathedrals, so look dramatic and intense and some look calming and inviting, which I think is the case with this church.


mf St Marys Church-4.jpg

Sony A7iii 28mm F5 1/1250 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger


A shot down the side of the church


mf St Marys Church-5.jpg

Sony A7iii 48mm F5 1/1250 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger


Where you can see subtle but beautiful stained glass windows


mf St Marys Church-6.jpg

Click here to view larger



mf St Marys Church-7.jpg

Click here to view larger


I have a few things going on in my life at the moment, that is keeping my mind busy, I won't bore you with the details, so sorry I 'been visiting posts and commenting as much as usual, I do read a lot of post, but struggling to find words to write.

And that’s all folks


unless stated otherwise all photos used in my posts are taken and owned by myself, if you wish to use any of my images please contact me.



TEAMUSA JJ hive.jpg

TeamUSA is a Community for and supporting those from of in the United States, and now is in the process of rebuilding stronger than ever join us on Discord


!pinmapple 41.591965 lat -70.943665 long St Marys Church South Dartmouth MA d3scr

Sort:  

I can only agree with your thoughtful post and my thoughts are: I love your approach to life and the church and to life with the church 👍 ... I know such pillars of the church too, many more than you would think ;)

This wooden church looks beautiful white in white - great photos JJ 😀


Cheers and !BEER
!invest_vote

Wow. That was amazing and I really enjoyed reading your post and I can totally resonate to you because I was also raised as catholic and went to church all the time.
My both grandmothers were also my biggest influencers on going to church without even saying anything about it, by I still remember how important going to church was to both of them every sunday.
I still remember when I used to love going with my grandma on Saturdays, during the summer holidays, to the beautiful small church and ckeaning it and preparing it for the Sundays service. We would always bring flowers from my grandmas flower garden and put it in the vases in church.

Just like you said , I loved stopping by every church I would walk by and pray no matter what time of tge day it was because the churches were open 24/7 and these were beautiful Polish churches with beautiful golden things in it. I miss my Polish churches.

Since I came to Canada, I didnt know english and I couldnt really find catholic church where we lived, but I got a stronger relationship with God just by talking and praying to him daily and I still do that to this day, and I will also try to go to different churches and it doesnt have to be a catholic church, because I believe that having a daily relationship with God is more important than anything.

This white church is so cute and very inviting.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us @tattoodjay. Loved the post.

Oops, I think you meant to comment to @tattoodjay and not to my comment 😉

He will certainly be pleased when he reads your nice nice words.

In the meantime have a little !BEER from me 😁


!invest_vote

@johannpiber denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@johannpiber thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !

Seems we have similar paths in different places thanks for sharing your experiences

Exactly and I guess that is why I really loved your post and so thanks for bringing me back some of my best childhood memories.

What a wonderful comment :) @wil.metcalf will certainly love reading it too :)

I hope you can find the right church soon, do you have pictures of your Polish churches please?

!PIZZA !ALIVE

@joalvarez! I sent you a slice of $PIZZA on behalf of @wrestlingdesires.

Did you know you can earn $VFT through the PIZZA farm? (6/10)

You Are Alive and have been rewarded with 0.1 ALIVE tokens from the We Are Alive Tribe, and it's paid for by the earnings on @alive.chat, swing by our daily chat any time you want.


Hey @joalvarez, here is a little bit of BEER from @johannpiber for you. Enjoy it!

Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your BEER.

Thank you @ beerlover and @ johannpiber. Have a wonderful day.

I do love the old classic cathedrals and their more moody tones, but White on White churches stand out as well

Thanks for your feedback

Cheers and !BEER
!invest_vote

You're most welcome, my friend 😊


Cheers and !BEER
!invest_vote

@johannpiber denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@johannpiber thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !


Hey @tattoodjay, here is a little bit of BEER from @johannpiber for you. Enjoy it!

Do you want to win SOME BEER together with your friends and draw the BEERKING.

@tattoodjay denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@tattoodjay thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !


Hey @johannpiber, here is a little bit of BEER from @tattoodjay for you. Enjoy it!

Did you know that you can use BEER at dCity game to **buy dCity NFT cards** to rule the world.

Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍

Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!

Want to have your post on the map too?

  • Go to Pinmapple
  • Click the get code button
  • Click on the map where your post should be (zoom in if needed)
  • Copy and paste the generated code in your post (Hive only)
  • Congrats, your post is now on the map!


The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the person sharing the post on Twitter as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com.

We don't need to announce to the whole world what we are doing, our actions speak for us.
Action truly speaks louder than voice or words because when you are doing what need to be done Silently, your success will speak out.

Thanks for sharing your thought to us.

And thanks for such a thoughtful comment truly appreciated

@johannpiber denkt du hast ein Vote durch @investinthefutur verdient!
@johannpiber thinks you have earned a vote of @investinthefutur !

Honestly, positivity is what we need around us. Definitely participating in the challenge one of these days

Yes I do agree and its a great challenge,

I love your photography as well as the concept for this post. Actually, one should express and display what and how he feels irrespective of what others feel. The only condition is it should be close to your heart, well done sir!

Thanks for your positive feedback truly appreciated

I would go here, it looks so peaceful and sometimes all you want is a place to get peace.

Yes I totally agree

I usually try to steer away from religious discussions due to how personal they can become. What I can say from personal experience, however, is that I absolutely agree with you that those who "walk the walk" best are those who just quietly go about their business without looking for a lot of public accolades.

When I first met the man who would become my father-in-law, I was a very young man-in-the-rough. I didn't have a father-figure in my childhood to guide me and I really needed some guidance. What I remember most about him was that, when I would go to him for assistance or advice, he would always put whatever he was doing aside and turn to face me, giving me 100% of his attention. That was incredibly striking to me.

He was a Methodist who disagreed with a lot of what the church did and was doing, and certainly didnt' attend church weekly either, but he felt that the best solution was to be a quiet role model for whomever came to him.

I to avoid discussing church

Your father in law sounds an amazing man

He really was. He taught me more about being a responsible adult than anyone else, and I really miss him.

That is a beautiful church. Where I live churches are pretty much shut up all the time except when they are having service too. I'd like to think it is because people realize you can talk to God anywhere, not just inside a church, but I know that likely isn't the reason :)

It would be a nice world if that was the reason 🙂

I think many of us can relate to what you are saying here. Actions speak louder than words indeed.

I like what I have heard someone saying..."Don't tell me what you believe...I'll know what you believe by watching what you are doing"...

I also believe that our relationship with God cannot be contained within or limited to a building. So I have much appreciation for what you say in this regard as well, especially when it comes to our prayer life.

Thank you for sharing this with us and for these great photos. It was very insightful to read your post and looking at these photos.

I love that saying
Don't tell me what you believe...I'll know what you believe by watching what you are doing"...

Thanks for your support

What a beautiful homely little church imbued with tranquillity. The stained glass windows are so quaint compared with the larger ones in cathedrals. I can see why you like going there🙏I think walking the talk is so important and is a big part of why I don't get involved in the outward practice of religion. Too many people sermonising and then doing the opposite every day but Sunday. I don't go to church myself. My God is all around me in everything I do and see and experience in life. I do, however, love going into churches and cathedrals when I am traveling the world. I find them fascinating and full of incredible energy and architectural design. I almost always light a few candles and say a prayer whenever I do visit one. One thing I love to do is to stand still and touch and caress almost the walls of old churches. It feels like in some way I am connecting with the past and the history of a beautiful sacred space and gives me pause for reflection🙏💗Thank you for another lovely Thoughtful daily post @tattoodjay

Thanks for your support

The touching the walls of a church was something I thought only I did

Have a great day

💗the walls are soulful💗

Yes I feel the same some even more do than others some give an overwhelming sense of peace

yes!!! Kindred spirits @tattoodjay 😊🙏 it completely washes over you, hey? especially the old raw stone walls inside churches. They feel cold to the touch but safe and peaceful at the same time.

Yes that’s exactly how they feel

Kindred spirits indeed

I always reflect on all the lives this place of worship has touched, the stories it has been witness to...the people who built them.

Really enjoyed the post and the pictures, I love old churches and they are one of my favorite subject matters in photography. They are much like people all unique and different with their own stories.

I grew up in an Assembly of God church as a kid and my grandmother stopped at our house every Sunday morning and took me with her. I can say to this day that nothing I learned from those many bible stories in Sunday school ever hurt me, and many of the lessons were pillars for the life I lived. Be kind, be humble, care for the poor and the broken-hearted, do unto others, etc.

We have all seen over the years the so called "pillars" of the church disappoint and fail the standards "we" set for them. Over the years my thoughts on this have evolved and changed. I no longer consider people pillars, Jesus is the rock and the only "pillar" worth looking at for an example, men will ALWAYS fail us.

As far as churches go I look at them with same mind set I use in looking at a work place. There are good companies out there and bad companies. Good bosses (pastors), and bad. There are always those rascals that goof off, gossip, are mean and do things that they should get fired for. There are also good workers, those that do their jobs, work hard and go home.

Some work places are just pure toxic, others are great and really care about their employees. We would fair better in our spiritual lives if we learned early that the church is no different and the people there are just people, sinners saved by grace, not yet perfected. I have had bad jobs over the years, I looked for another, and sometimes another after that. Eventually I found a place that treated me well and I enjoyed working at. I've done the same thing with churches over the years.

Some are small mom and pop types of churches, others have been parts of large corporations like the Assemblies. I took away valuable skills from all of them, even the bad ones, much like the jobs I have worked.

Life is called a journey for a reason, it is a road we travel, and why we treat our spiritual life/road any different is beyond me.

IMG_2903-3.jpg

What an impressive comment you raise so many great points
I do like your thought that Jesus is the pillar and not the current members

Thanks

@tattoodjay

I am glad you decided to make another #thoughtfuldailypost brother! And, I can bet @dreemsteem is too! After all, this is a great submission for the #dreemportchallenge! And an added bonus to get to read your post in my community!! I am sensitive to your mindset, in regards to the focus, and title of your blog... Actions speak louder than rituals. I was raised Southern Baptist... Church on Sundays, always Vacation Bible School... I went when I was younger, because... well because Grandma said I had to! 😊 But as I got older, I started to feel the family vibe that was slowly growing on me. But as it does, getting older turns on that "question everything" switch. And as you shared with us above:

...but when I got older and could go to bars, nightclubs, etc, I saw on more than one occasion more than one of these supposed pillars of the church, behaving and acting in ways that is far from what a good Christian should do, I will not go into detail but you may get the point.

I do indeed, get your point. I grew up in a small town. I have said before, you could tell how many neighbors you had, by counting the mailboxes. There was Main Street, and on the said street were the town's shops... and yes, bar. Seeing Brother John Doe slamming shots was not the mindset I felt appropriate when looking at him passing the offering tray around! But then, I did not "really" know what appropriate or mindset even meant back then. Thank goodness for people in our lives that experienced these similar events in life, and can share with others to help us realize..." Hey... I wasn't alone!". As always... beautiful photographs, and yes... wonderful message. You have more power and ability than you give yourself credit for!

Wes...

!LUV !WINE


Congratulations, @wesphilbin You Successfully Shared 0.300 WINE With @tattoodjay.
You Earned 0.300 WINE As Curation Reward.
You Utilized 3/5 Successful Calls.

wine_logo


Contact Us : WINE Token Discord Channel
WINE Current Market Price : 0.260

<><

<><

LUV

Connect

Trade


@tattoodjay, you've been given LUV from @wesphilbin.

Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (3/5)

Thanks Wes so kind of you truly appreciate your support

I really enjoyed reading this post and it truly is a thoughtful daily post. As long as I have known you, from here, Steem and TSU before that - and a few other places, you have been a strong, yet quiet presence. Always. You carry many people to higher places, without taking credit and happily hand out instructions on how to improve a method when asked.

You are what I would call a good Christian. While you may not be one of the pillars of the Church, sad to say, my experience is much like yours, I am glad I am not associated with most of them. Do they not think there will be judgment? First of all, it is a bigger shame on them as they are leading (by example?) and they can't even find their own way.

I love the simplicity of this small, wooden chapel/church. Just the kind I like, where everybody knows your name. Cheers!

Thanks kindly your comment this morning really made me smile and gave me a burst of motivation which I have been struggling a bit with this week

But now I am grabbing my camera bag and heading out the door with a bounce in my step

Pillars are lifeless things. People will be people, we are all flawed.
I believe each on e is trying to live their best life and we sometimes fail.
I find a number of people in the church this way as well.
To keep myself from sinning moire i left the church.
But the church is the believer, you and I
We need to follow the head who is Christ blameless.
Just my thoughts on reading your post, I understands your point of view quite well.
Reached this post through @dreemport.

Thanks for the thoughts
Yes I to like to believe everyone is trying to their best life can ge a struggle

Have a great day

That keeps us happy and believing in the goodness of man.
Honestly you are one of the nicest people I have met on Hive.
Have a great day yourself!

Thanks thats so kind of you to say, I have bene struggling with motivation for a couple of days but your kind words and a couple of others have really helped me get it back this morning

I am so sorry to hear that. I am sure you'll bounce back better than before. Have a lovely day. Bless you!

Thanks and yes i am generally a very positive persona nd I know I will bounce back :)

I know, So I was surprised to hear you sad that. But then we are all human and we have our days. 🤗🤗🤗🤗

I understand what you mean about those pillars. But the thing is, we aren't responsible for them :) It sounds like you have your worship, and likely have private time reading the Bible. You don't have to be there every time they open the doors. Knowing that Jesus died for YOUR sins is really all that is needed. This will show in everything you do (and I suspect without that you wouldn't be popping into churches regularly)

👍🙂👍

Somebody with a post of 1291 words is saying he is struggling to find the words to write 😂.

Time changes and so do the things. I hear the words here that mosques used to be opened 24/7 but now they are opened only during prayers time.

Actions speak louder than words. There can be no argument or disagreement to this. Something that I have observed that the people whose actions are in line with their words automatically respectable. Your heart feel like being compliant to them. Lol. There came some university teachers to my mind, those who followed the rules that they made for their students and those who made rules only for their students and didn't follow them themselves such as being on time in the classroom etc. It is so difficult to remember the double standard teachers with good words. It is almost impossible to learn anything from such people except distrust and hypocrisy.

I am glad to be brought here by @dreemport. It refreshed my memories of student life.

Best wishes for the contest @tattoodjay

LOL, well to be fair, 1291 words is very rare for me, I am normally lucky if I make 400, see what #Dreemport has done to me lOL

I appreciate your feedback and thoughts, seems it is common the world over

Ta da! The dreemport has its magic. Lol. You felt it. Be in alway JJ, but I have to ask @dreemsteem, as I asked before "is there any seat back policy for dreemport challenge as we had in uu parties?". I am getting envious of people who are struggling with the words to write. 😉

Lol don’t worry I am confident I won’t make the list this week

Rofllllll 😄! You were confident last time too.

Best wishes from my side. I am seeing your name in this list 👍

I am 100% confident I wont be in the list this week, you can trust me on that :)

Don't tell me this. I am not believing 😂.

@dreemsteem if JJ wins send his prize to me instead. And also, JJ will be giving me a pizza party 😋😉


Hey @tattoodjay, here is a little bit of BEER from @johannpiber for you. Enjoy it!

Learn how to earn FREE BEER each day by staking your BEER.

Sometimes words get locked inside us not wanting to come to the surface @tattoodjay, and only when they are ready to be spoken then they come out. I find that I need to let my words run around in my brain for a while, like they are composing before I can talk my words on paper.
Loved the beautiful simplicity of the Church. I also was brought up as a Catholic and although now not practising, but when I happen to be passing a Church will stop, walk in, kneel and say some prayers. I even light a candle if there are any to be lit.

Thanks for the insightful comment and feedback

Yes I to light a candle sometimes when I visit a church

<><

<><

LUV

Connect

Trade


@tattoodjay, you've been given LUV from @pixresteemer.

Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (4/4)

!LUV some !BEER now and again

<><

<><

LUV

Connect

Trade


@pixresteemer, you've been given LUV from @tattoodjay.

Check the LUV in your H-E wallet. (1/4)