I have seen a lot of posts about what attracts or turns off first time visitors tochurches lately. I must admit that I am confused about the focus. One article spoke of doing a survey to find out top turn-offs to visitors. The results of the survey were all related to very superficial things such as poorlydone websites, signage, volume of music, perceived friendliness and maintainance of facilities. I simply don't believe that these are the types of things we should be most concerned about offerring. This list could easily be applied to a restaurant chain or gym. Having read several articles and seeing no mention of anything spiritual, I have to wonder what churches are hoping to offer.
First, I think that how people are attracted to church to begin with needs to be explored.
Are people simply showing up because the church is well advertised and looks like a fun place to go? Is that going to bring people in with a mindset that encourages faith?
Are people showing up because churches are promising to be accepting? Does this tend to bring people who are prepared to repent and allow God to change their lives?
Are people showing up because of an air of affluence? Does this tend to bring people who are generous?
I may be wrong, but I believe people should come to church because they have a desire for Christ. Church members should be living godly lives. Christians should be kind, generous, patient, honest and hospitable. They should be the kind of people who draw their friends and family to the church by drawing them to Jesus who is living through them. Discipleship should happen organically as christians share their lives with their friends and family. In short, people should walk through the doors of a church for the first time because a christian friend or family member has evangelized them.
While I realize that some people will show up out of curiosity, that should be the exception rather than the rule.
People should be choosing to stay or go based upon sound doctrine and authentic christian love. The superficial reasons only guarantee that visitors have been entertained and made to feel good about themselves. This is no guarantee that they have been attracted by the gospel of truth.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
What We Agree About
It has often occurred to me that Protestants and Catholics seem to be in perpetual conflict. What exactly do we have against each other? To put it imprecisely, the majority of things we come into conflict about are either misperceptions or semantic disagreements. The truth of the situation is that the majority of theological values are beliefs we hold in common.
Let's start with a little ancient history. When Jesus was resurrected, He spent forty days teaching his disciples how to be His Church. These first century Christians, who called their movement The Way, carried on the work that Jesus had begun. News of the gospel spread far and wide, and soon the church Jesus established began to be referred to as Christianity. The Church had as its head Peter, whom Jesus had given the authority to preach, teach, heal, forgive sins and to lead. The rest of the twelve, with the exception of Judas, had received all of the gifts Peter had except for the position as head of the Church. As word spread and more and more people converted to The Way, the Apostles appointed faithful men to teach the new christians how to be The Church. There were issues that had to be settled when misunderstandings about doctrines and practices arose, and Peter had the final word. After the death of Peter in Rome, the Bishop of Rome (a man who had learned directly from Peter or one of his students) held the position of primacy in the Church. Thus each successive Pope (Bishop of Rome) is the successor of Peter. The Church is a human institution as well as a divine one, and through the centuries there have been good and bad, sinful and holy men and women in The Church. Regardless of the personal sanctity of its members, the core teachings of The Church and the Holy Scriptures have remained intact for two thousand years. When the Protestant Reformation began, these teachings were intact within the Church, though they may have been sometimes obscured by leaders who behaved badly. The most famous of the reformers, Martin Luther, was actually in agreement with The Church's magisterium. In fact, he had been a vehement supporter of orthodox teaching. Initially, his primary bone of contention was with the selling of indulgences. Church scholars of his day were apt to support his contention. Martin Luther lost his temper, and then his supporters within the church when he refused to submit to the authority of those over him. This made him a vow-breaker. From the point of his excommunication forward, his anger toward the leadership of the Church foments. He worked at revising the Bible and removing passages and even whole books that did not fit his personal views.
Fast-forward nearly five hundred years, and there is still the Catholic Church, still teaching the core Christian principals and still observing the worship described in the New Testament, but there are also tens of thousands of Protestant denominations. What Martin Luther could never have guessed or foreseen is that once the interpretation of scripture becomes an individual exercise, the Church is no longer unified. When scripture is proclaimed and studied within the context of the Church, it is more difficult for errors in understanding to persist. Someone who correctly understands is prone to say "that is not how the Church has always taught it".
With that said, there are things which every mainstream christian church hold to be true. The Apostles' Creed is one important example. The canon of scripture that Protestants use comes entirely from the Catholic canon. The practices of Communion and Baptism are common. The belief that christians receive the assistance of the Holy Spirit is also held in common. The understanding that we foster an intimate relationship with God through prayer, scripture study, obedience and meditation on scripture is also a common belief. These common beliefs in the gospel mean that at the core, we hold the most important concepts of the faith in common.
We agree on far more than we disagree. Here is the bottom line: Jesus said that He was leaving one Church. If we cannot agree to be unified into a single Church, let us at least agree to be unified enough to stop tearing each other down!
Let's start with a little ancient history. When Jesus was resurrected, He spent forty days teaching his disciples how to be His Church. These first century Christians, who called their movement The Way, carried on the work that Jesus had begun. News of the gospel spread far and wide, and soon the church Jesus established began to be referred to as Christianity. The Church had as its head Peter, whom Jesus had given the authority to preach, teach, heal, forgive sins and to lead. The rest of the twelve, with the exception of Judas, had received all of the gifts Peter had except for the position as head of the Church. As word spread and more and more people converted to The Way, the Apostles appointed faithful men to teach the new christians how to be The Church. There were issues that had to be settled when misunderstandings about doctrines and practices arose, and Peter had the final word. After the death of Peter in Rome, the Bishop of Rome (a man who had learned directly from Peter or one of his students) held the position of primacy in the Church. Thus each successive Pope (Bishop of Rome) is the successor of Peter. The Church is a human institution as well as a divine one, and through the centuries there have been good and bad, sinful and holy men and women in The Church. Regardless of the personal sanctity of its members, the core teachings of The Church and the Holy Scriptures have remained intact for two thousand years. When the Protestant Reformation began, these teachings were intact within the Church, though they may have been sometimes obscured by leaders who behaved badly. The most famous of the reformers, Martin Luther, was actually in agreement with The Church's magisterium. In fact, he had been a vehement supporter of orthodox teaching. Initially, his primary bone of contention was with the selling of indulgences. Church scholars of his day were apt to support his contention. Martin Luther lost his temper, and then his supporters within the church when he refused to submit to the authority of those over him. This made him a vow-breaker. From the point of his excommunication forward, his anger toward the leadership of the Church foments. He worked at revising the Bible and removing passages and even whole books that did not fit his personal views.
Fast-forward nearly five hundred years, and there is still the Catholic Church, still teaching the core Christian principals and still observing the worship described in the New Testament, but there are also tens of thousands of Protestant denominations. What Martin Luther could never have guessed or foreseen is that once the interpretation of scripture becomes an individual exercise, the Church is no longer unified. When scripture is proclaimed and studied within the context of the Church, it is more difficult for errors in understanding to persist. Someone who correctly understands is prone to say "that is not how the Church has always taught it".
With that said, there are things which every mainstream christian church hold to be true. The Apostles' Creed is one important example. The canon of scripture that Protestants use comes entirely from the Catholic canon. The practices of Communion and Baptism are common. The belief that christians receive the assistance of the Holy Spirit is also held in common. The understanding that we foster an intimate relationship with God through prayer, scripture study, obedience and meditation on scripture is also a common belief. These common beliefs in the gospel mean that at the core, we hold the most important concepts of the faith in common.
We agree on far more than we disagree. Here is the bottom line: Jesus said that He was leaving one Church. If we cannot agree to be unified into a single Church, let us at least agree to be unified enough to stop tearing each other down!
Friday, July 25, 2014
Why We Should Live a Moral Life
As I interact with friends and family and each of us matures, I find an interesting trend in the way people think. For me, my faith has deepened and I feel that I want to do right because it is a small burden in comparison with the burden taken on by Christ. I know others whose faith has developed and matured along the same lines. For me, when faith and reason came together, it was the beginning of a whole new way of life. Others seem to have settled either into a happy dichotomy between faith and reason or they have taken a reasonable approach to dealing with tenets of faith that they feel defy reason. Thus, there are three responses I see to religion and faith in mature individuals; a strong faith which is centered in sound reason, a strong faith which is centered in ignoring reason, or a strong morality based upon reason alone (abandoning faith).
Even those who have abandoned faith and religion can see that there are benefits to living a moral life. The question I pose is, "What reward is there for living a moral life? Why should we bother?". I believe I can offer a satisfactory answer, at least to those who live morally for the sake of faith.
First, I wish to point out that those who are "saved" are those who are truly converted to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not merely the intellectual assent of saying the sinners prayer, this is a continuing conversion of one's way of life which must continue until the last breath." Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10" Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12
These passages make clear that the crown of life is a reward for perseverance.Therefore, our conversion must be a lifelong exercise in being the best that we are capable of being, of doing the work of God in this world.
Jesus told his followers that they must be perfect to enter the kingdom of heaven. Examine his words at the end of his famous Sermon on the Mount discourse (after the Beatitudes);" 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [ap]be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise onthe evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore [aq]you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5
"How can we possibly be perfect?", you may ask yourself. The answer is that we are being made perfect as we cooperate with God's grace. Cooperating with grace means, along with belief in God, living moral lives, and not just lives which are moral in comparison to others, but lives which are perfectly moral. This would seem a tall order if it weren't for the fact that God offers us grace to enable us. By baptism, we are freed from original sin, and we can live according to the perfect nature man was created with and Jesus restored to man. This is where many have decided to abandon faith. It seems too hard, and they don't see the point. Many have been told that their salvation is sure if they have just prayed that sinner's prayer and acknowledged Jesus as the means of salvation. They see no point in living righteous lives, because they fear no punishment. This way of thinking is dangerous and detrimental to the souls of these people who began with sincere faith, only to have it extinguished as they watched the lives of professed Christians who repeatedly sin with impunity.
Now I get to the real point: there is punishment for failing to live morally and there is reward for living morally. There is loss for the unfaithful and gain for the faithful.
Repeatedly in scripture, we see that there will be a judgement day. Every person will be judged. That judgement will ultimately result in death(eternal separation from God, who is the source of life) for those who do not trust or acknowledge God and life (eternal joy in the presence of God) for those who trust Him. That is the ultimate destination of souls, it does not take into account what must happen between living an imperfect life and becoming perfect in order to joyfully enter the presence of a holy God. The scripture deals with this as well. In I Corinthians 3 it says "10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, [d]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [e]the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
As this passage points out, the works of Believers will be tested so that only the pure ones remain. Everything we do, then, will be tested by fire so that we can enter the presence of God perfect. This is why Catholics believe there is Purgatory. Purgatory literal means "a place of purging". We believe that everything in our lives which is imperfect must be purged after our death so that we can enter into the presence of God with joy rather than fear. We see this as a grace from God, allowing us access to His presence in spite of our failings.
There is a converse of this also. Those works which were right, good, and from pure motives will remain and cannot be taken from us. If we endure in our attempt to live righteous lives to the end, we will receive the crown of everlasting life. I think it is very important for Christians to recognize this reality and not to fall victim to false teachings which will rob them of eternal joy.
We cannot live as if there is no God. We cannot live as if He is not holy and just. We cannot live without grace, for without it we will continue to fail miserably.
Depending on God's grace, given to us by the Lord Jesus through His Church, we can live morally good and righteous lives. I encourage all who read this: Endure to the end!
Even those who have abandoned faith and religion can see that there are benefits to living a moral life. The question I pose is, "What reward is there for living a moral life? Why should we bother?". I believe I can offer a satisfactory answer, at least to those who live morally for the sake of faith.
First, I wish to point out that those who are "saved" are those who are truly converted to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not merely the intellectual assent of saying the sinners prayer, this is a continuing conversion of one's way of life which must continue until the last breath." Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:10" Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12
These passages make clear that the crown of life is a reward for perseverance.Therefore, our conversion must be a lifelong exercise in being the best that we are capable of being, of doing the work of God in this world.
Jesus told his followers that they must be perfect to enter the kingdom of heaven. Examine his words at the end of his famous Sermon on the Mount discourse (after the Beatitudes);" 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may [ap]be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise onthe evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore [aq]you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5
"How can we possibly be perfect?", you may ask yourself. The answer is that we are being made perfect as we cooperate with God's grace. Cooperating with grace means, along with belief in God, living moral lives, and not just lives which are moral in comparison to others, but lives which are perfectly moral. This would seem a tall order if it weren't for the fact that God offers us grace to enable us. By baptism, we are freed from original sin, and we can live according to the perfect nature man was created with and Jesus restored to man. This is where many have decided to abandon faith. It seems too hard, and they don't see the point. Many have been told that their salvation is sure if they have just prayed that sinner's prayer and acknowledged Jesus as the means of salvation. They see no point in living righteous lives, because they fear no punishment. This way of thinking is dangerous and detrimental to the souls of these people who began with sincere faith, only to have it extinguished as they watched the lives of professed Christians who repeatedly sin with impunity.
Now I get to the real point: there is punishment for failing to live morally and there is reward for living morally. There is loss for the unfaithful and gain for the faithful.
Repeatedly in scripture, we see that there will be a judgement day. Every person will be judged. That judgement will ultimately result in death(eternal separation from God, who is the source of life) for those who do not trust or acknowledge God and life (eternal joy in the presence of God) for those who trust Him. That is the ultimate destination of souls, it does not take into account what must happen between living an imperfect life and becoming perfect in order to joyfully enter the presence of a holy God. The scripture deals with this as well. In I Corinthians 3 it says "10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, [d]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [e]the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
As this passage points out, the works of Believers will be tested so that only the pure ones remain. Everything we do, then, will be tested by fire so that we can enter the presence of God perfect. This is why Catholics believe there is Purgatory. Purgatory literal means "a place of purging". We believe that everything in our lives which is imperfect must be purged after our death so that we can enter into the presence of God with joy rather than fear. We see this as a grace from God, allowing us access to His presence in spite of our failings.
There is a converse of this also. Those works which were right, good, and from pure motives will remain and cannot be taken from us. If we endure in our attempt to live righteous lives to the end, we will receive the crown of everlasting life. I think it is very important for Christians to recognize this reality and not to fall victim to false teachings which will rob them of eternal joy.
We cannot live as if there is no God. We cannot live as if He is not holy and just. We cannot live without grace, for without it we will continue to fail miserably.
Depending on God's grace, given to us by the Lord Jesus through His Church, we can live morally good and righteous lives. I encourage all who read this: Endure to the end!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
What I Have Gained by Faith
The last two posts I wrote were pointing out logical errors. I decided that this one should be more positive.
I love the scriptures. The Bible is wonderful to me. The more I read, the more I understand, the more I want to know. My love for the scriptures started on my father's knee. He would put my sister on one side of his lap, me on the other, and read tales from our big story Bible before he sent us to bed. I cherished those times, and loved wrapping myself up in the artwork and imagining being present for the events of the stories. When I was in 3rd grade, I went to a tiny country church and had Sunday School classes with a lovely elderly teacher named Mrs. White. Mrs White spoke of the Bible with a gleam in her eye that told us how dear it was to her. She was a wonderful woman. She cared for her ailing husband, gardened, canned things and gave food to her neighbors and the poor and needy from her produce. She always had something handy to feed guests who dropped in to talk to her because she was an excellent listener. I wanted to grow up to be like Mrs White. As I got older, I never stopped loving the Bible or wanting to know more. I read my parents' Bible study books when they weren't looking and when my mom took a Church History course, I read her textbook.
I always had a basic faith. In my late teens and 20's, I started to do whatever I felt like doing and I rationalized that it was okay. I got a huge wake-up call toward the end of my 20's. I realized then that I had been fooling myself into thinking I could be a Christian and do what I wanted without consequences. Once saved, always saved, right? WRONG! I changed my way of living completely and I wanted to live right.
When my husband and I married, we started looking for a church that we felt we could grow in. We found a medium sized Southern Baptist Church that seemed to fit the bill. For a long time, we were happy there. Then there were some major changes in the staffing. Initially we thought it would be good, but we began to see favoritism and poor judgement, especially from the children's pastor. At the same time, I was struggling because I felt there was no real call to live a righteous life coming from the leadership. I knew that there was more to it than assenting intellectually and then waiting for the trip to the great beyond. My husband began teaching Church History, then a detailed class on the scriptures. He spent a great deal of time researching the context and culture of the scriptures so that he could give his class an accurate sense of what they meant. That led him to the Church Fathers, which led him to desire a return to the Catholic Church, something he did after many conversations with a patient priest and with the pastors of our church. During the process, I became alarmed, having been misinformed about what the Catholic Church teaches. I prayed and I studied scripture. There I found the truth about Communion. I realized that the Catholic Church was the only place I could truly receive Jesus in communion and I wanted to. That Fall, we signed ourselves up for adult initiation into the church and our children into catechism classes and began attending mass every week.
I learned so much that year. The scriptures were opened to me in a new and exciting way. I felt great elation to realize that I was being asked to engage my reason in learning the faith rather than suspending reality. I began to see the interconnection between the testaments of the Bible. It was thrilling.
During Lent, I said my first confession. As I prepared for it, the Holy Spirit revealed to me things I needed to let go of to be healed. When I came out of the confessional, I was full of joy and thanksgiving. God is so very merciful! I finally believed in the deepest part of my soul that I was forgiven.
When I received the Eucharist for the first time, it was an amazing experience. I realized more than ever that Christ had come to live in me. I desired to live rightly because I loved Him more than ever. I found that as I went to confession on a regular basis, I had less and less to confess. In fact, I very rarely get further than thinking as I should not anymore. That isn't because I am something special. It's because I recognize God's grace in my life and I expect Him to help me fight temptation. He always does.
My prayer life changed dramatically since becoming a Catholic. I have a more regular and stronger prayer life than ever before. I don't need to know what to pray about, I can begin with a contemplative prayer like the Rosary and pray about what is on my heart from there. I also read the Bible more and contemplate the scriptures more. I read books that help me understand deeper truths. When I was a Protestant, Bible Study books were pretty shallow. The books written by Catholics like Fulton Sheen, Pope Benedict, Thomas A Kempis and Therese of Liseux are full of incredible depth. I find myself continually amazed as I learn more about Jesus. Every single thing He did and said was significant.
I have gained a new perspective on suffering as well. When I was going to the Baptist Church, I was made to feel as if something must be wrong with my spirituality because I had chronic pain. I knew it wasn't true, and yet it made me doubt and I became very depressed. When I started formation classes in the Catholic Church, my godmother sent me materials to help me in my spiritual growth. Two things she sent to me had a profound impact on me. One was a pamphlet that showed how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I came to love that prayer. It touched me deeply and I prayed for everyone I could think of as I worked my way through my rosary beads. The second thing was a magazine. The magazine contained an article about a quadriplegic woman who offered up her sufferings for others with miraculous results. I began to pray for others, offering up my suffering for them as I prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet. As I did so, my pain eased and my depression lifted. I could do things I had been physically incapable of before. I began to play music and sing more. I began to enjoy things more.
Soon, I was asked to help with things at the Church. I began teaching children's classes on Sunday mornings. I coordinated the parish picnic. I became a cantor.
Being a cantor was such an amazing thing for me. Singing in the Cathedral is a wonderful experience, and I have had the honor of being accompanied by the concert pianist who was my piano professor in college. That was something I had hoped to one day do twenty years earlier. I have become my true self again. I feel so free to live. I have no desire to do things that are wrong and I desire to be a better person every day.
I truly believe that every prayer I ask of God will be answered. Virtually everything I ask of God in prayer is given to me.
I share what I have learned and what I have gained every chance I get. I am truly content and happy. Faith in Jesus Christ has given me all of this.
I have passed from despair and depression to joy and hope!
I love the scriptures. The Bible is wonderful to me. The more I read, the more I understand, the more I want to know. My love for the scriptures started on my father's knee. He would put my sister on one side of his lap, me on the other, and read tales from our big story Bible before he sent us to bed. I cherished those times, and loved wrapping myself up in the artwork and imagining being present for the events of the stories. When I was in 3rd grade, I went to a tiny country church and had Sunday School classes with a lovely elderly teacher named Mrs. White. Mrs White spoke of the Bible with a gleam in her eye that told us how dear it was to her. She was a wonderful woman. She cared for her ailing husband, gardened, canned things and gave food to her neighbors and the poor and needy from her produce. She always had something handy to feed guests who dropped in to talk to her because she was an excellent listener. I wanted to grow up to be like Mrs White. As I got older, I never stopped loving the Bible or wanting to know more. I read my parents' Bible study books when they weren't looking and when my mom took a Church History course, I read her textbook.
I always had a basic faith. In my late teens and 20's, I started to do whatever I felt like doing and I rationalized that it was okay. I got a huge wake-up call toward the end of my 20's. I realized then that I had been fooling myself into thinking I could be a Christian and do what I wanted without consequences. Once saved, always saved, right? WRONG! I changed my way of living completely and I wanted to live right.
When my husband and I married, we started looking for a church that we felt we could grow in. We found a medium sized Southern Baptist Church that seemed to fit the bill. For a long time, we were happy there. Then there were some major changes in the staffing. Initially we thought it would be good, but we began to see favoritism and poor judgement, especially from the children's pastor. At the same time, I was struggling because I felt there was no real call to live a righteous life coming from the leadership. I knew that there was more to it than assenting intellectually and then waiting for the trip to the great beyond. My husband began teaching Church History, then a detailed class on the scriptures. He spent a great deal of time researching the context and culture of the scriptures so that he could give his class an accurate sense of what they meant. That led him to the Church Fathers, which led him to desire a return to the Catholic Church, something he did after many conversations with a patient priest and with the pastors of our church. During the process, I became alarmed, having been misinformed about what the Catholic Church teaches. I prayed and I studied scripture. There I found the truth about Communion. I realized that the Catholic Church was the only place I could truly receive Jesus in communion and I wanted to. That Fall, we signed ourselves up for adult initiation into the church and our children into catechism classes and began attending mass every week.
I learned so much that year. The scriptures were opened to me in a new and exciting way. I felt great elation to realize that I was being asked to engage my reason in learning the faith rather than suspending reality. I began to see the interconnection between the testaments of the Bible. It was thrilling.
During Lent, I said my first confession. As I prepared for it, the Holy Spirit revealed to me things I needed to let go of to be healed. When I came out of the confessional, I was full of joy and thanksgiving. God is so very merciful! I finally believed in the deepest part of my soul that I was forgiven.
When I received the Eucharist for the first time, it was an amazing experience. I realized more than ever that Christ had come to live in me. I desired to live rightly because I loved Him more than ever. I found that as I went to confession on a regular basis, I had less and less to confess. In fact, I very rarely get further than thinking as I should not anymore. That isn't because I am something special. It's because I recognize God's grace in my life and I expect Him to help me fight temptation. He always does.
My prayer life changed dramatically since becoming a Catholic. I have a more regular and stronger prayer life than ever before. I don't need to know what to pray about, I can begin with a contemplative prayer like the Rosary and pray about what is on my heart from there. I also read the Bible more and contemplate the scriptures more. I read books that help me understand deeper truths. When I was a Protestant, Bible Study books were pretty shallow. The books written by Catholics like Fulton Sheen, Pope Benedict, Thomas A Kempis and Therese of Liseux are full of incredible depth. I find myself continually amazed as I learn more about Jesus. Every single thing He did and said was significant.
I have gained a new perspective on suffering as well. When I was going to the Baptist Church, I was made to feel as if something must be wrong with my spirituality because I had chronic pain. I knew it wasn't true, and yet it made me doubt and I became very depressed. When I started formation classes in the Catholic Church, my godmother sent me materials to help me in my spiritual growth. Two things she sent to me had a profound impact on me. One was a pamphlet that showed how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I came to love that prayer. It touched me deeply and I prayed for everyone I could think of as I worked my way through my rosary beads. The second thing was a magazine. The magazine contained an article about a quadriplegic woman who offered up her sufferings for others with miraculous results. I began to pray for others, offering up my suffering for them as I prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet. As I did so, my pain eased and my depression lifted. I could do things I had been physically incapable of before. I began to play music and sing more. I began to enjoy things more.
Soon, I was asked to help with things at the Church. I began teaching children's classes on Sunday mornings. I coordinated the parish picnic. I became a cantor.
Being a cantor was such an amazing thing for me. Singing in the Cathedral is a wonderful experience, and I have had the honor of being accompanied by the concert pianist who was my piano professor in college. That was something I had hoped to one day do twenty years earlier. I have become my true self again. I feel so free to live. I have no desire to do things that are wrong and I desire to be a better person every day.
I truly believe that every prayer I ask of God will be answered. Virtually everything I ask of God in prayer is given to me.
I share what I have learned and what I have gained every chance I get. I am truly content and happy. Faith in Jesus Christ has given me all of this.
I have passed from despair and depression to joy and hope!
Monday, June 9, 2014
Fallacies easily identified
I recently ran into a very interesting fallacy. I think that it is somewhat common, yet it begs several logical questions. A particular group makes the following claims 1) the Bible refers to the 66 books beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation, as they were originally written. 2) That the 1611 authorized King James Version is the only completely correct version of the Bible. 3) that the Bible is the complete and final word on how to live life.
The fallacy I first noticed was in looking at the first two of those points together. You see, the 1611 version of the King James Bible contained 81 books. This included the Deuterocanonical books (therein titled the Apochrypha). Which books are divinely inspired? 66 of them or all 81?
The next fallacy is the issue of authority. What makes King James worthy of making scripture authoritative? Where did the scriptures that were translated into English in 1611 come from? Where did the idea that certain books belonged in scripture and were the inspired word of God come from? Historically, the Catholic Church preserved, translated and disseminated Holy scripture. For many centuries, copies of scripture had to be done by hand and they were rare and valuable. When Catholic missionaries translated the scriptures into local tongues, it took time to copy them and receive authorization from the Church to use them in the churches. With the invention of the printing press, every guy and his brother wanted to produce a copy of the Bible. Numerous mistakes cropped up in the plethera of unauthorized versions of the Bible that cropped up. The King James itself had problems where obvious errors made it into the published books. Can the 1611 version of the KJV be trusted as containing the scriptures perfectly translated from the original words and maintaining the original sense of the words written by the authors of thousands of years prior? I would say no.
If my heart were not broken for these dear, misinformed people, I could find it laughable.
I think that any group that expects you to turn your brain off and stop thinking for yourself is a cult. One thing I love about my church is that I am invited to apply faith and reason. Things have been carefully studied over the course of centuries and given expression in ways that many can connect with.
I hope that those involved in these groups will pray the Holy Spirit open their eyes to truth as they read scriptures. Even the flawed KJV contains enough of the truth to inform one seeking Christ earnestly.
The unbiased, Spirit led, reading of scripture taught me truths I had previously denied and I experience a fullness of faith I never did before I came full circle to the faith of my childhood, the Catholic Church. I don'T
The fallacy I first noticed was in looking at the first two of those points together. You see, the 1611 version of the King James Bible contained 81 books. This included the Deuterocanonical books (therein titled the Apochrypha). Which books are divinely inspired? 66 of them or all 81?
The next fallacy is the issue of authority. What makes King James worthy of making scripture authoritative? Where did the scriptures that were translated into English in 1611 come from? Where did the idea that certain books belonged in scripture and were the inspired word of God come from? Historically, the Catholic Church preserved, translated and disseminated Holy scripture. For many centuries, copies of scripture had to be done by hand and they were rare and valuable. When Catholic missionaries translated the scriptures into local tongues, it took time to copy them and receive authorization from the Church to use them in the churches. With the invention of the printing press, every guy and his brother wanted to produce a copy of the Bible. Numerous mistakes cropped up in the plethera of unauthorized versions of the Bible that cropped up. The King James itself had problems where obvious errors made it into the published books. Can the 1611 version of the KJV be trusted as containing the scriptures perfectly translated from the original words and maintaining the original sense of the words written by the authors of thousands of years prior? I would say no.
Contrary to what most have been led to believe, there were English Bibles which were authorized by the Church prior to the reformation and prior to the flood of unauthorized Bibles which came onto the market in the 14 th and 15 th centuries. Many felt that the Catholic Church had been too slow to produce a printed version of the Bible in English, but one must keep in mind how very seriously the Catholic Church takes Holy Scriptures and orthodox Christian teaching. The version which finally came out, the Douay-Rheims was a very accurate and carefully done translation. It also had as source material more ancient extant copies of scripture than other versions of its time. From the time of the Ascension forward, Peter was the recognized leader of the Christian Church, and his descendants ( that is those who studied under Peter himself and those he had taught directly) continue to fill this important function of protecting the faith that Jesus taught to Peter and the restof the Apostles. The gospel tells us that Jesus established a Church, a living body of believerswho would carry out His Work. Should we trust the authority of an organization which kept the scriptures inviolate for 1500 years before it was questioned, or should we trust the Johnny-come-lately English King who was known for displaying homosexual tendencies
By the way, this group completely condemns homosexuality in any form, yet somehow givethe arguably homosexual king who authorized their version of scripture a pass.If my heart were not broken for these dear, misinformed people, I could find it laughable.
I think that any group that expects you to turn your brain off and stop thinking for yourself is a cult. One thing I love about my church is that I am invited to apply faith and reason. Things have been carefully studied over the course of centuries and given expression in ways that many can connect with.
I hope that those involved in these groups will pray the Holy Spirit open their eyes to truth as they read scriptures. Even the flawed KJV contains enough of the truth to inform one seeking Christ earnestly.
The unbiased, Spirit led, reading of scripture taught me truths I had previously denied and I experience a fullness of faith I never did before I came full circle to the faith of my childhood, the Catholic Church. I don'T
Saturday, March 8, 2014
One thing that I frequently see in social media is botched scripture references. Maybe it's my Baptist upbringing (sola scriptura, emphasis on scripture as authority) or maybe it is my Catholic devotion and reverence for Jesus, but it really bugs me when people misquote scripture.
There are several ways this occurs. Some people pull scriptures out of context and use them to support ideas that the original author never intended. Some people almost quote scripture and it sort of sounds right, but turns out to mean something entirely different. Some people selectively use scriptures to support a personal agenda that is not necessarily correct. Some people simply don't know they are using scripture improperly.
The proliferation of information means that a Bible concordance is easy to access. Finding a scripture verse with the key phrase you are looking for is simple. The presence of that key phrase does not guarantee that the passage means what you think it means, however.
When looking up scriptures using a concordance, it is important to go and read the entire passage in which it is contained. If the passage expresses the point you are trying to support, quote away. If the passage does not support your point, don't quote part of it, hoping no one will notice. Invariably, a sceptical person like myself will come along, read the whole passage and point out your error. It is much better to do a little more homework and find the right passage of scripture to use. You may even learn something new in the process.
I will discuss other modes of misquote in future posts.
There are several ways this occurs. Some people pull scriptures out of context and use them to support ideas that the original author never intended. Some people almost quote scripture and it sort of sounds right, but turns out to mean something entirely different. Some people selectively use scriptures to support a personal agenda that is not necessarily correct. Some people simply don't know they are using scripture improperly.
The proliferation of information means that a Bible concordance is easy to access. Finding a scripture verse with the key phrase you are looking for is simple. The presence of that key phrase does not guarantee that the passage means what you think it means, however.
When looking up scriptures using a concordance, it is important to go and read the entire passage in which it is contained. If the passage expresses the point you are trying to support, quote away. If the passage does not support your point, don't quote part of it, hoping no one will notice. Invariably, a sceptical person like myself will come along, read the whole passage and point out your error. It is much better to do a little more homework and find the right passage of scripture to use. You may even learn something new in the process.
I will discuss other modes of misquote in future posts.
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