Why do I get choked up?

[momtoS]

I have recently started attending a church. I really love the Reverend. He is very genuine.

It is a pretty small church......I am going to guess under 40 families.

He will often talk to me. And he will say to me that he is so happy to have me in his church and that I am truly a blessing.

He is sincere....and I get really really choked up. I sometimes can't respond to him because if I do I will cry.

I also often get teary during the service.

Does anyone have any idea why I do this?

[TzippityDoulah]

do you have previous dealing with this or any other church? are you at a volunerable state in your life?

i know sometimes when i am easily chokes up emotionally is when there os a lot pf spiritual growth or change going on in my life. like everything is especially sensitive to me on that level. so few people mean what the say and perhaps your spirit recognizes his sincerity and is blessed by it?

[cappuccinosmom]

Personality maybe? Or the service/the pastor's kindness touches you more deeply than other things do?

There are certain hymns and worship songs that I because if I open my mouth or loosen up enough to sing, I'll bust out sobbing. There's one in particular that I love, but I can never sing it properly because it sets me to crying and choking. Terribly frustrating!

[woodchick]

Is there someone special in your past of whom he reminds you? Father? Grandfather? I am often drawn to certain people due to some resemblance to important people in my life.

[Panserbjorne]

I experience the same thing in church. I have been known to cry at sermons (especially children's sermons) as well as music. There is just a *feeling* I get when I'm there that is overwhelming and terribly suprising to me. I only started going to church recently. It's an odd thing. Doesn't hurt, I don't think that my father is the pastor. That man always gets me.

[hotmamacita]

Is he a kind man? I think kindness really can touch us deeply.

[Panserbjorne]

more than any person has a right to be. It's superhuman.

[MyLittleWonders]

I get this way too, especially with music. But, it can happen to me outside of a religious setting. Dh took part in his school's holiday concert (the band director invited any teachers/staff who could play an instrument to join). I kept choking up there too. Music is extremely deeply moving to me, and I think that combined with the people there participating in the same thing just overwhelms my spirit (in a good way).

And PB, we need to talk! :

[mackiesmommy]

Tugging at your heart

God has a way of touching all of us through different mediums! Many people experience emotions in response to messages that speak to them deeply and personally. As to the Reverend, he is a man of God and God is using him to speak to you. Seek God and pray He will continue to reveal Himself through this man to you. I will be praying for you as well, momtoS!

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

Music is extremely deeply moving to me, and I think that combined with the people there participating in the same thing just overwhelms my spirit (in a good way).

And PB, we need to talk! :

Yes yes and YES! I miss you! It's funny, I was just reading up on a certain remedy and one of it's BIG keynotes is being moved to tears by beautiful music.

[MyLittleWonders]

Originally Posted by Panserbjørne

Yes yes and YES! I miss you! It's funny, I was just reading up on a certain remedy and one of it's BIG keynotes is being moved to tears by beautiful music.

Ooo, that sounds like a remedy right up my alley! I miss you too.

[Lollybrat]

Originally Posted by momtoS

I also often get teary during the service.

Does anyone have any idea why I do this?

The tears that we may experience during prayer or during services are not always our own tears. Catholics believe that the "gift of tears" is a special gift of grace God gives us on occassion. These are not ordinary tears, but are the tears of the Lord that bring us spiritual insight. They are tears of sorrow, of hope, of compassion, of love, and of joy. I have been blessed with this gift a couple of times and it is very powerful. I don't know if this what you are experiencing, but it may be something to pray about.

[heatherweh]

I almost always cry at church. Sometimes just being there, the sermon, the prayer requests, the music, when people do the greetings. I dunno, its an odd and uncomfortable reaction. Its the same way that I get all teary if a group or audience pays attention to what I'm saying. It just makes me weep and obviously is very awkward. I even began weeping uncontrollably at the altar! Also when we had our son baptized! Last but not least, if anyone ELSE cries its all over, I have to join them.

[lilyka]

i got choked up reading your post

I am always touched when people are genuinely kind. like start crying kind of touched.

[NiteNicole]

I haven't regularly attended church in a long time, but it was a big part of my childhood. When I go back to the church where I grew up or even a similar one with a big feeling of community and a compassionate pastor, I get a little teary. It reminds me so much of when I was a child and it was such a sense of safety and belonging and knowing the big people in my life would take care of everything. Now I'm the big person in someone's life and there are things I don't know how to fix but that feeling of being safe and cared for is still there. In my case, the tears are relief.

[amyjeans]

I frequently have to hold back tears when at church. I find our service and the rituals very moving- but honestly, the music gets me.
It's heavy. Sometimes, I would love to be alone in church and just cry, really hard, really loud. I think I would feel so much better if I could.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by Lollybrat

The tears that we may experience during prayer or during services are not always our own tears. Catholics believe that the "gift of tears" is a special gift of grace God gives us on occassion. These are not ordinary tears, but are the tears of the Lord that bring us spiritual insight. They are tears of sorrow, of hope, of compassion, of love, and of joy. I have been blessed with this gift a couple of times and it is very powerful. I don't know if this what you are experiencing, but it may be something to pray about.

this was lovely!

[Tigerchild]

Are you returning to church after an absence or a break with another church?

When I returned to a Christian church after 13 years estranged, for lack of a better term (I walked away from a really spiritually abusive experience and pretty much lost my entire community/was shunned and had to start all over again), when I sat and listened to my now-pastor's sermons I was overwhelmed with happiness at having found this new church, and just as overwhelmed with grief and loss that I hadn't stumbled across the denomination earlier. I sat in the back and cried. I sobbed through all 3 easter services (the retired pastor's wife was very sweet, and held my hand and let me cry on her shoulder without saying much at all). I would get weepy during every sermon (and my poor pastor would get weepy herself! Which would make me get teared up again, it was kind of funny, even at the time!). Luckily I'd shared with her my background in an email, and as it turns out we have a great deal in common (break with another denomination, years of self-imposed exile, and then returning). So she totally understood. And the people of my church are lovely. I don't think I'm the first, nor will I be the last, to have that experience!

But even if you didn't have a break-and-return experience, it's so easy to be deeply moved when you are surrounded by genuinely loving people!! If you're worried, you could always share that with your pastor. Not only will it probably make his day, but then if you get teary eyed you don't have to worry about what he might be thinking, and you can just enjoy being around such loving folks.

[momtoS]

Originally Posted by HennyPenny

do you have previous dealing with this or any other church? are you at a volunerable state in your life?
. so few people mean what the say and perhaps your spirit recognizes his sincerity and is blessed by it?

He helped me a couple years ago....I was stranded with two small children in the cold snow and he helped me (in the cold) home. I was really touched.

[momtoS]

Originally Posted by woodchick

Is there someone special in your past of whom he reminds you? Father? Grandfather? I am often drawn to certain people due to some resemblance to important people in my life.

Nope not my dad....LOL....he insults me NONE stop.

He is built physically like my lovely (now deceased) FIL.