 |
| Author | Post |
|---|
Manphibian
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Flintsone, Georgia USA |
| Posts: | 3 |
| First Name: | Matt | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist, Hopefully Soon to Be Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 15th, 2007 01:10 am |
|
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Old Time Religion?
If there’s one thing I hate, it’s drama; especially where things as personal as religious beliefs are concerned. Sure, I love a spirited debate, I’ve even took part in a few. But if we aren’t careful, and we rarely are, these debates can quickly spiral downward into shouting matches, or worse. Tempers can and do flare. It is fashionable and normal for men to discuss the weather, the television programming, anything and everything. It is strictly unfashionable and taboo to discuss "all" things. That is precisely what religion is; "All Things". Our world view is the beginning and end of everything we see, think, and do. Like it or not, it defines who we are. Our world view mandates our actions. It is a huge part of who we are. We can claim to be atheists or agnostics, but that is simply a cop out. It is no more than another way of saying that we are too lazy to think. That we are too self-righteous, too grand ourselves, to imagine a power, or a Being, greater than we are.
God is not the childish fancy of an immature peasant. The fact is that God is there and we need him, instinctively, we desire to know more about our origins and the meaning of our life. No well read atheist or agnostic, if there are any, can muster an argument that holds any weight when contrasted with the argument of a knowledgeable theist or philosopher. I am NOT that theist or philosopher. I am a simple man, though well read. My purpose here is only to tell my story. It certainly will be unique, as all true stories are. It will also be the same as many other true stories, for it’s origin and it’s destination lie in the same thing. The origin being that there is a God, and I am not Him. The destination is simply finding the only place in this life where we can know and be near this God.
This is my story. This is my song.
I was born, luckily, into a God fearing home. We didn’t bust down the church doors every Sunday, and when we did we normally sat as close to the back as possible, but we believed. I can never remember a time in my life when I did not believe that the man called Jesus was the God of the universe. Of course, I had questions, I still do. But my speculations never led to any substantial doubts, because my questions were always satisfactorily answered. Frankly, I could never ask a question that hadn’t been asked before, by many other young men such as myself. My parents were both Christians. To the best of my knowledge all of my family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. were believers. How we lived our faith out in our lives was somewhat different; however the foundation was there; and there firmly.
Most of us were Southern Baptist. When we went to church the congregation mainly consisted of my kinsman. The Baptist faith was the only expression of Christianity that I knew. I heard horror stories about the wackos at the Church Of God, pew hopping and speaking in tongues, about the Methodist all being drunks, and the Catholics going to hell. Looking back, I can see a much younger me going to Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Church Suppers on a fairly regular basis. I really don’t recall picking up any major theological insights, but I gathered enough info to piece together that I was a sinner, and Jesus was the answer.
Around the age of seven I remember praying a "sinner’s prayer" with my mother in my bedroom. She immediately phoned our pastor and we arranged for me to accept the altar call at the next Sunday service. That Sunday, as I walked up that aisle, I cried. Everyone was so proud of me. I believe I was even accompanied by a few other kids my age. Whether they were moved by the Spirit, or just doing it because I did, was never really discussed. If you answered "yes" to the questions that the Pastor asked you, then the deal was sealed. I was "saved" and bound for Heaven. I gave my life to Jesus by "accepting" Him as my personal Lord and Savior. I was baptized a short time later, but only so I could join the church. The baptism didn’t actually do anything, but if I were ever going to be on the membership role, I had to get wet. So, the Saints gathered on the bank of Chickamauga Creek, I went under, and came up a card carrying member or the Baptist church.
Why Walk When You Can Fly?
Time went on, as it always does, and I became a teenager; a pretty rebellious one at that. For one reason, or another, my family had stopped going to church with any regularity. I was exceedingly sinful in my youth. I did a lot of things I regret, but I still prayed from time to time and asked God to forgive me; I knew he would. My closest friend attended another Baptist church in my area and told me I should start going there with him. They had fun, went on trips, attended concerts, and all sorts of things a young man would find joy in. They even let us wear shorts and hats on Wednesday nights! I also had kinfolk that went there. Come to think of it, I think I had relatives at every Baptist church in my small community, and there were a lot of Baptist churches.
So I went. I loved it. There were lots of kids my age, the services had contemporary sounding music, and the atmosphere was a lot looser than what I was accustomed too. They even approved of bibles that weren’t of the King James translation; they had bibles I could actually read! It was at this church that I matured in my faith. I had many adult Christian role models who taught me to study my bible. I was introduced to contemporary Christian music; something I didn’t even know existed. The praise and worship songs were led by a guitar and the atmosphere was electric at times. We were a small country church, and I formed many lasting and close friendships there.
I started bringing my girlfriend, who is now my wife, with me. It was the first time she had heard the gospel message. She was "saved" and baptized at that church. When I was 19 years old we were married in that church. My memories of that time of my life are nearly all good ones. I learned a lot, and feel that I am forever indebted to the pastor, his family, and the faithful that worshipped there.
The contemporary music that I was introduced to their impacted my life in many ways. I discovered a lot of great bands and inspiring songs. I found out about Christian radio and listened to it constantly. I did not know it at the time, but one of the songs we sang together would change my life forever. It was a song titled "Sometimes by Step" by a singer/song writer named Rich Mullins.
This World as Best as I Remember It
I loved to sing along with the church youth group, especially when we sang "Sometimes by Step". I didn’t know who originally sang or wrote the song. I just liked singing the song at church. I got older. I out grew the youth group. I slowly, but surely just about quit church all together, again.
I took a job processing insurance claims at a large insurance company just prior to the birth of our first child, my daughter. It was a pretty easy job. The schedule was flexible, all I had to do was type, and we could even bring a radio to listen too in our cubicles! I brought a boom box from home with a cd and a cassette player. I don’t remember how the subject of Christian music came up, but my supervisor and I started talking about it one day. I didn’t know too much, and she seemed very knowledgeable on the subject. She even gave me a tape by some guy named Rich Mullins. The tape was called "This World As Best As I Remember It, Volume II"; little did either of us know that this token of friendship would forever change my life.
I was awed. I listened to it all day, every day. The lyrics were poetry in motion. The music was incredible. Pianos, hammered dulcimers, heck, he even played plastic cups on table tops! Not to mention the tape had "Sometimes by Step" on it. I finally had a name and a face to go with my favorite praise and worship song. As it turns out, that song was only the tip of the iceberg.
Another song on the album called "The Maker of Noses" reminded me of just how "worldly", or secular, I was on the verge of becoming. I knew I had to get back into church, and I did. Thanks to Rich Mullins. Instead of returning to the church with the youth group and the contemporary worship, my wife and I decided to rejoin the church I grew up in. My mother was going there, along with my grandparents and a few aunts and uncles. The church of my childhood was in need of members. So we joined.
Sadly, Rich had already passed away prior to my discovering his music. I would love to see him in concert; I’m sure I will in Heaven. My love for God and church was a roaring fire, thanks to Rich’s music. I bought every cd I could find by him. I knew, and still know, nearly all of his songs by heart. What I didn’t know was anything about the man. Judging by the depth and content of his lyrics, though, if anyone had it all figured out, it was Rich; I was certain of that.
My brother received a book as a present on his birthday. He read it and then let me borrow it. It was a book about the life and legacy of my hero, Rich Mullins. I devoured it. I read and reread it. Rich was every bit as fascinating a person as was his music. He took a vow of poverty, giving nearly all of his superstar income to charity and living in a trailer on an Indian reservation teaching the bible and music. I learned that Rich contributed articles to magazines and spent a lot of time as a missionary, touching and changing the lives of many people. His prose was as brilliant as his lyrics. One thing, however, troubled me. The more I read about Rich, both in books and on the internet, the more I kept noticing the word "Catholic".
Keep in mind that I’m a good Baptist. I have good Baptist sensibilities. I didn’t even know any Catholics. The only thing I’d ever heard about Catholics was bad. They worshipped the Pope, and Mary. They could buy, or work, their way into heaven, or worse, purgatory. Based on what I knew, I always lumped the Catholic Church under the heading of "Cult", right beside Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses; honestly, I listed the Church of Rome on top of them. I heard the names "Catholic" and "Whore of Babylon" together many times.
What on earth was this brilliant man of faith doing? How could he consider becoming Roman Catholic? Surely Rich had been misunderstood. Maybe he was trying to convert Catholics, not convert to Catholicism. Well, I wasn’t about to spend the rest of my life wondering. I got online and typed "Catholic, Rich Mullins" into the Google search box. I found this article by a guy named Terry Mattingly:
Rich Mullins – Enigmatic, Restless, Catholic by Terry Mattingly
Father Matt McGinness had never heard the song playing on his car radio, even though "Sing Your Praise to the Lord" was one of superstar Amy Grant's biggest hits.
"Gosh, I really like that song," the priest told a musician friend that night back in 1995. "Well, thanks," responded Rich Mullins. This mystified the priest, who asked what he meant. "I wrote that," said Mullins.
McGinness hadn't realized that Mullins was that famous. The priest simply knew him as another seeker who kept asking questions about doctrine, history and art and was developing a unique spiritual bond with St. Francis of Assisi. At the time of his death in a Sept. 19 car crash Mullins was taking the final steps to enter Catholicism.
"Rich had made up his mind and he wasn't hiding anymore," said McGinness, chaplain of the Newman Center at Wichita State University. "But I really don't think it's fair to make him the poster child for Catholic converts. ...The key to Rich is that he was searching for a deep, lasting unity with God. He was such a reflective man and that quality brought him both peace and a great deal of anxiety."
Even friends described Mullins as "enigmatic" and "eccentric" and there was much more to him than hit songs, led by the youth-rally anthem "Awesome God." Grant summed up his legacy during last month's Dove Awards in Nashville, in which Mullins received his first "artist of the year" award.
"Rich Mullins was the uneasy conscience of Christian music," she said. "He didn't live like a star. He'd taken a vow of poverty so that what he earned could be used to help others."
McGinness said Mullins often said he felt called to a life of chastity and service, while staying active in music. It was hard to predict his future. His final recordings are slated for release on June 30 as "The Jesus Record."
"Rich didn't know for sure if he was called to ministry, which in the Catholic context would be the priesthood," said McGinness. "He also feared that converting to Catholicism could mean losing his audience. ... He knew there might be rough days ahead."
It's crucial to remember that Mullins grew up surrounded by fiercely independent brands of Protestantism such as the Quakers and the Churches of Christ, said his brother David Mullins, minister at the Oak Grove Christian Church in Beckley, W. Va. This taught him to fear formality and hierarchies, while also yearning for a faith that united people in all times and places - - with no labels.
"Rich had a very low view of church structures, but he had very high ideals about what the church could be," said his brother. "He was sincerely drawn to Catholicism, but he also wondered where he would fit in the Roman Catholic Church."
Nevertheless, Mullins' recent music was steeped in Catholicism, from his autobiographical album "A Liturgy, A Legacy & A Ragamuffin Band" to his "Canticle of the Plains" musical about a Kansas cowboy he called St. Frank. His greatest-hits set was filled with photos of Celtic churches, crucifixes, nuns and statues of Mary. He quoted G.K. Chesterton and Flannery O'Connor, defended the pope and told one interviewer: "I think that a lot of Protestants think that Pentecost happened and then the church disappeared until the Reformation. So there is this long span of time when there was no church. That can't be if Jesus was telling the truth."
After playing telephone tag for a week, McGinness and Mullins talked one last time the night before the fatal accident. Mullins was going to Mass weekly, if not more often. He was ready to say his first confession and be confirmed. They set a meeting in two days. Others said Mullins was aiming for Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis.
"There was a sense of urgency," said the priest. "He told me, 'This may sound strange, but I HAVE to receive the body and blood of Christ.' I told him, 'That doesn't sound strange at all. That sounds wonderful.' ... Of course, I'll always remember that conversation. Rich finally sounded like he was at peace with his decision."
Sadly, Rich died before his meeting with the Priest. I was stunned. He was serious! But how? I kept the words "Catholic" in the search engine, but backspaced over Rich’s name. Thus began my journey. I was going to prove Rich wrong. I was going to prove that Catholicism was man made additions to the simple, clear message of Scripture. I was going to prove that the Pope was the Anti-Christ.
I was going to be surprised.
Orthodoxy: Freedom Within The Bounds
Though Rich Mullins had passed away, his words and his music stayed with me. I've already talked a lot about his music, I want to briefly mention one of his suggestions. I once read an article about Rich that mentioned his favorite book, a book called "Orthodoxy" by a man named G.K. Chesterton. I went to many Christian book stores and asked around for it, but no one had it. I found out later that Mr. Chesterton was a Catholic, and "Christian" book stores normally don't carry works by Catholic authors. I was also a little put off by the title of the book. Orthodoxy sounded heavy, and not a little bit boring. Nonetheless, I logged on to amazon.com and had it mailed to me. It was the most fun-loving, energetic, and surprising book I have ever read.
Gilbert Keith Chesterton actually wasn't a Catholic when he wrote Orthodoxy. He belonged to the Church of England when he wrote it; which he later admitted was only his own unfinished conversion to Catholicism. He was raised as a Unitarian Universalist. If you are unfamiliar with them, suffice it to say that they are a very liberal, pseudo-Christian church; basically embracing any and all creeds, and feeling free to deny any creed as well. Orthodoxy was his written work expressing the joy and comfort he found in the Truth. He wrote in the introduction:
"I am the man who with the utmost daring discovered what had been discovered before. If there is an element of farce in what follows, the farce is at my own expense; for this book explains how I fancied I was the first to set foot in Brighton and then found I was the last. It recounts my elephantine adventures in pursuit of the obvious. No one can think my case more ludicrous than I think it myself; no reader can accuse me here of trying to make a fool of him: I am the fool of this story, and no rebel shall hurl me from my throne. I freely confess all the idiotic ambitions of the end of the nineteenth century. I did, like all other solemn little boys, try to be in advance of the age. Like them I tried to be some ten minutes in advance of the truth. And I found that I was eighteen hundred years behind it. I did strain my voice with a painfully juvenile exaggeration in uttering my truths. And I was punished in the fittest and funniest way, for I have kept my truths: but I have discovered, not that they were not truths, but simply that they were not mine. When I fancied that I stood alone I was really in the ridiculous position of being backed up by all Christendom. It may be, Heaven forgive me, that I did try to be original; but I only succeeded in inventing all by myself an inferior copy of the existing traditions of civilized religion. The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
There are many websites dedicated to this book's greatness and GK Chesterton's life and other writings. I will simply say that after reading this very small book I was forever changed for the better. I have since reread this book multiple times and many other of Chesterton's works, and I love them all. I can say, without hesitation, that GK Chesterton is, without a doubt, the clearest thinking, most complete thinker that ever lived. His genius dwarfed that of his contemporaries and his 6'4" 300 plus pound frame. He was truly a colossal genius.
It was through this book that I learned that freedom only existed within the boundaries. That Dogma and Doctrine weren't harsh, negative things; but rather the walls around a playground. Once inside you are free to enjoy yourself in nearly anything, the peril lies outside the walls; that is where the danger is.
In the Baptist Church we didn’t have any creeds, except for Christ. "No Creed but Christ" was a favorite slogan of the church. We were also independent. We belonged to the Southern Baptist Convention, but we were free to decide our own matters. The Convention was simply an association that Baptist churches belonged too in order to help spread the gospel and fund missionaries. We were a free church, or so we thought. We made up our own minds on issues of faith and practice. We took votes to ratify or do away with items of contention. We elected our own pastors and voted on what we were looking for in a preacher. He always had to use the King James Bible, we usually wanted a married man, and the other stipulations were left up to the mood of the congregation.
"Orthodoxy" taught me about Truth; truth that didn’t change on the whims of the congregation. Truth that had authority. Chesterton reminded me about the issues I’d always had with church authority, or lack of dogma. It had always seemed odd to me that the church be a democracy of it’s members, when the bible was so clear that the church have authoritive bishops and presbyters. The only thing I never saw change at my church were the deacons. They ran the show. We had no authority but the bible, or more correctly, our interpretation of it. Looking back, it was almost like we worshipped the book.
My eyes were opened to possibilities I'd never before considered, to thoughts I'd never had. My fire was fueled and I began in earnest my probe into the Church of Rome. I had heard many times what the critics had to say about the Church. I wanted now to hear what She had to say for herself.
If anything in the world was as bad as I had always heard the Catholic Church was, dismissing it would be an easy task. I honestly believed that with my Bible and my knowledge of the faith I could deconstruct the pagan dogmas one at a time, and that it would take no more than a short study to do so.
The Problem with Protest
1 Timothy 3: 15 (Saint Paul to his young disciple Timothy) "But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth."
If you had asked me when I were a Baptist; what, for me as a Christian, was the pillar and foundation of the truth? I would have answered, without hesitation, that the bible was that foundation. Yet here, in the bible, we see Saint Paul calling the Church the pillar and foundation of truth. How did I miss that for all those years? I’ll tell you.
As a bible believing member of the Southern Baptist Church I did read most of the bible, at least the whole New Testament, on multiple occasions. I even attended a few bible studies over the years, including a Wednesday night service we had at my church. Our Sunday service would make a good example to help illustrate my point here. On Sundays our worship service consisted of the singing of a few hymns, an opening and closing prayer, a prayer before the offering was taken, and a prayer before and after the sermon. The sermon was the "meat" of the service. It was normally 30 minutes long and, since we followed no church calendar, could be about anything of the Pastor’s choosing. The Pastor would pick a few verses of scripture that pertained to his topic of choice, and talk about the subject. Over time I realized that each Pastor had his "pet" bible verses; those verses that he always used to "prove" his point, or the Baptist point of view, and he used them as he saw fit. I had my pet verses as well. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, unless you use them to the exclusion of other verses. During my personal and group bible studying, whenever I came across a verse, such as 1 Timothy 3:15, that didn’t quite fit with my Baptist interpretation of scripture, I just kind of skipped over it. I figured that since we Baptists had the proper understanding of the bible, that was a given, that my personal interpretation was wrong. Personal interpretation of scripture has been the cause of many problems within the Baptist and other Protestant churches.
When we look around today we see many different Christian sects. At last count there were over 30,000 different denominations; that number does not include Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, only churches proclaiming belief in the Holy Trinity. We have churches that are far left wing with women priestesses, "inclusive" biblical languages, churches where homosexuals are married, and the beliefs and practices are as "open minded" as any liberal could like. We also have right wing churches where only one biblical translation (and a poor one at that) is allowed, where women aren’t allowed to speak, where there are strict dress codes, and the preachers talk more about politics than they do about Jesus. Then we have the middle ground group of churches, some slightly liberal, some slightly conservative.
My point is that any American with opinions about politics, religion, or whatever, can find a church to "fit" them. Do you see the problem with this? The churches of our world don’t change people anymore, they suit them. If a man is not interested in being holy, he can pick a church that teaches "once saved, always saved", where he can just say a sinners prayer once and get on with his life. If a woman is pro-choice she may choose a church that supports her viewpoint. Do you see a pattern here? Modern American materialism and individualism has given us tens of thousands of churches, with as many differing creeds, as anyone could ever want. "Come on in, we won’t try to change you!" is a motto ill suited to Christianity. Instead of molding men, men are molding the gospel.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change based on the modern political correctness of our age. He founded a church to change people. To shape and mold them into saints fit for Heaven. Not a factory where the goals are to get folks saved and on the membership roster. But that is precisely what Protestantism is. It is a protest against the church that Christ founded; a protest against the truth.
Jesus prayed that His people would be one, as He and the Father are one. A people called out of this world in preparation for the next. A people who are one do not have different doctrines or beliefs. Jesus doesn’t have one view point of infant baptism and God the Father a different view. They are in agreement. They are one. Christ called His church a city on a hill, and a light to the world. Not many differing lights shining multiple colors in different directions.
I Have Decided To Follow Jesus
I had many obstacles to overcome. I had no experience with any form of Sacrament. We took Communion a few times a year, but it was nothing special; a wafer and grape juice. The Eucharistic teachings of Catholicism was one of the first things that I came to accept in the Church. It seemed so obvious, so right. The Marian doctrines and the Pope took alot of getting used too. Now they are two of my favorite subjects to talk about with non-Catholics. I cannot help but think that our Blessed Mother prayed me toward the truth.
I won't go into any theological or apoligetic specifics, there are other places for that. Suffice it to say that I am thrilled and in love with Christ, His Church, and His Sacraments. That is one thing this good Baptist never thought he would say! I had the honor of preaching the sermon for our sunrise service one Easter... I can't believe that I am on the verge of becoming a Catholic, probabaly on an Easter in the near future!
That They May Be One
Through Scirpture study, prayer, and the works of Chesterton, Scott Hahn, Steve Ray, Karl Keating, Marcus Grodi, and Patrick Madrid, to name a few; I have discovered that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church. She was founded by Jesus Christ at Pentecost with the dissent of His Holy Spirit. Peter and the other disciples were the first Catholics. A simple study of history will show you that the Catholic Church was the only church on earth for over 1,000 years. If you were a Christian, you were a Catholic. The word Catholic actually means "universal" or "according to the whole". She is the universal and only church ordained by the God of the whole universe.
So, why is it that the Catholic Church can make this claim? How is it that your church isn’t the one, true church? Christ promised that the gates of Hell would never overcome His Church and that He would be with His church until the end of the world. If the Catholic Church isn’t that church then the gates of Hell have prevailed, and Christ is no longer with His church. As I stated earlier, the Catholic Church was founded at Pentecost, when was your church founded?
The following list was put together by Catholic convert and former Baptist Steve Ray of http://www.catholic-convert.com.
"If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517 and now has many divisions.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry. Queen Elizabeth is now the head of this church.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in Scotland in the year 1560.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England, founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582 and consider the church a democracy.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744. By the way, they believed in the need for holiness and believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
If you are Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your church in London in 1774 and today more than half of them are atheists.
If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, N. Y., in 1829 after allegedly discovering golden plates. Mormons also deny the deity of Christ and the Trinity.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1606. You are now divided into thousands of sects.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865 and you deny the sacraments.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations known as "Church of the Nazarene", "Pentecostal Gospel", "Holiness Church", "Pilgrim Holiness Church", "Jehovah's Witnesses", your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past hundred years.
If you are a Roman Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and that it’s line of Popes can be traced back to Peter himself. The Papacy is the longest existing office in the world and the Catholic Church is now over 1 billion strong.
According to the Oxford University World Christian Encyclopedia there are now (as of 2000) 33,820 denominations and para-denominations worldwide. Did Jesus intend there to be 33,820 competing and contradicting Christian denominations? Please read John 17 where Jesus prayed for the Church to be one as he was one with his Father – that they would be perfected in unity. I am very pleased to have discovered and joined the Catholic Church."
The point here is that if the Catholic Church is not THE Church, than Christianity disappeared up until the reformation of the 1500’s, making Jesus’ statements of preservation and protection false. I never considered that fact as a Baptist. Was the true Church of Jesus founded in the 1600’s? Absolutely not, it is impossible. What I believed was nothing more than man-made doctrines, or the traditions of men, which the scriptures clearly warn us about. The Baptist Church, and every other non-catholic church, came about by disagreements with other believers. If someone disagrees about any article of faith believed by his denomination, he would simply leave that denomination and start his own; which is precisely where we find ourselves today.
The modern world of Christianity consists of a multitude of mini-popes, self proclaimed infallible bible scholars, and heretics in all shapes, sizes, and colors. This idea that "me, my bible, and the Holy Spirit" will find the truth is pure nonsense. There are far too many variables to take into consideration. First off, how is it that the same Holy Spirit leads honest believers into conflicting interpretations of scripture? Secondly, does the bible reader even have an accurate translation of the texts? Does he take into account the literary styles of the times when the scripture was written? The social and historical context? Thirdly, if the bible is all we need, how is it that until recently most of the people in the world were illiterate? What about the fact that the bible wasn’t widely available until recently, especially before the printing press was invented? How did those Christians find the truth?
They found it in the Catholic Church; the Church that protected the bible, defined the canon of scripture, and hand translated the sacred text. I’ll bet you’ve always heard that the Catholic Church didn’t use the bible or didn’t believe in it, well, you heard wrong.
It was actually the father of the protestant reformation, Martin Luther, who wanted to change the bible. He was the one who didn’t believe in the scriptures in their canonical form. He wanted to remove the book of James, along with some others. He actually took the liberty to add words to the bible to support his personal view. These and other heresies are the foundation that Protestantism is founded upon. It has continued to crumble ever since.
Protestantism is always a negative. It is always a protest against certain truths. It's very existance is in what it denies; the negation of mysterious facts. The Church of Rome could not have changed it’s dogma’s to please Martin Luther. She doesn’t have that authority. All of Her teachings are divinely mandated. She is simply the messenger; God is the author and finisher of Her message.
I will close with this point. It wasn’t long ago that every church agreed with Rome that using birth control was a sin. Rome still teaches that it is. After all, it isn’t used to control birth, but to prevent life. It destroys the very reason that a husband and wife have sex; to procreate and to multiply. Currently all mainline protestant churches allow the use of birth control. They gave in to societal pressure and removed the prohibition. The Catholic Church has held her ground, no matter how unpopular. She will not bend Her knee to the gods of this world. The Bride of Christ can serve non-other than Her Bridegroom.
On the Verge of a Miracle
Well, 3 years later, here I stand. The writings of Chesterton are a great place to start your own inquiry, particularly the books "Orthodoxy" and "The Everlasting Man". The Everlasting Man turned out to be the book that made a brilliant atheist by the name of CS Lewis become a Christian. There can be no greater testimony to the volume than that. Also, on the right side of your screen, with a little scrolling, you will find an incomplete list of some of my favorite books; the ones that influenced me most in this process.
So why am I still not "officially" a member of the Church of Rome? That is a fair question. The truth is that I am a little scared. And nervous. I want to have my life in order before I join. The fact of the matter is, though, that I will only ever be able to order my life appropriately by joining, but I am foolishly afraid too. Loving the truth of Catholicism is quite a bit different than actually being a Catholic. The truth, once committed to it, is life changing. I must be prepared to sacrifice for my own good. I must do, in effect, what I hate; take up my cross and follow Jesus. I've only been to Mass a few times. Both out of laziness, and out of unworthiness to the Lord's Eucharistic Presence.
Here I sat, leaning on my own understanding. Sitting here terrified over my own good. Scared out of my mind at what fulfilling my faith might mean. I am literally hanging on for dear life... to my sin; afraid to be set free. What madness!
Once again, Chesterton was right. He said that there were 3 stages to every conversion. The first is being fair to the Church, or letting Her speak for Herself. The second is discovering the Church, and all Her Truths and Glories. The third stage, which is where I now find myself, is running away from the Church. But the further I run, the tired I become. The Hound of Heaven, praise God, has yet to loose my scent.
I've blamed my delayed confirmation as a Catholic on alot of factors. The fact that I work on call, and thus can't attend RCIA classes regularly, or the weak argument that I have too much other stuff going on. Or the sad fact that I must convert alone, as my wife doesn't share my new found faith and I stand to lose alot in terms of my family's respect. I feel the sin of my failure to act growing heavier every day. Christ has made a way. He still roles away stones! Lord, have mercy on me... a procrastinator!
____________________
"Hello Old Friends, There's really nothing new to say/
But the old, old story bears repeating; and the plain ole truth grows dearer everyday."
- Rich Mullins
|
|
|
JillD
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 678 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 15th, 2007 01:27 pm |
|
That was worth the time to read! I put the Rich Mullins story on my xanga and am contemplating how best to use the section about all the Protestant churches, with credit to you, of course, and how to find your whole testimony. I love this line: "The churches of our world don’t change people anymore, they suit them."
And now may God make your path straight and remove obstacles, as He did for me.
Come on in; the water's fine!!
____________________
"I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are our works! You know me right well; my frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth." Psalm 139
|
|
|
Liz65
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Maryland USA |
| Posts: | 29 |
| First Name: | Liz | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Multiple Protestant denominations, Episcopalian, Anabaptist |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 15th, 2007 08:39 pm |
|
Matt,
Thank you for sharing your story - -I am awed....Liz
____________________
6. Q. Why did God make you?
A. God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven.
|
|
|
Manphibian
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Flintsone, Georgia USA |
| Posts: | 3 |
| First Name: | Matt | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist, Hopefully Soon to Be Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 15th, 2007 11:49 pm |
|
I thank you for your feedback.
Peace of Christ To You.
____________________
"Hello Old Friends, There's really nothing new to say/
But the old, old story bears repeating; and the plain ole truth grows dearer everyday."
- Rich Mullins
|
|
|
Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1268 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 16th, 2007 12:07 am |
|
| What an awe-inspiring story. I know how hard it is, being a baptist in the south, to even consider the catholic church. Thank you for putting it all down for us, I know I'll go back to it a few times. I joined the catholic church in 2006, at age 58. I haven't regretted it for a moment, although my family are all protestant, and think I'm losing my mind! I can only advise you not to put off receiving Christ as He intended you to receive Him, in the Holy Eucharist. It will make all the suffering worthwhile. God bless
|
|
|
CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5080 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 16th, 2007 12:36 am |
|
That is a great story, Matt. We are very happy to have you here with us, and look forward to your participation.
____________________
Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
|
|
|
Racaela Fultz
Member
| Joined: | Sat Aug 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | Indiana USA |
| Posts: | 146 |
| First Name: | Racaela | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Nondenominational, will be Catholic Advent 2007 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun Sep 16th, 2007 01:52 am |
|
Welcome, welcome, and again, welcome, Matt.
So, you've found the true church. I am SO happy for you! I have only found it recently, and know how it feels.
Now, you actually don't have to attend RCIA. You know your stuff. What you need to do is get individual instruction with a priest. That's what I did. I talked to a priest and he agreed that I knew all the doctrine, or at least enough of it, and didn't need RCIA. Now, what you really need to do is choose a parish and get involved in it. Get to know the people, etc. That is part of what RCIA is for, so if you don't do RCIA, you still need to get involved. The priest can help you with this. So, go to mass, find a church, and talk to the priest one on one. Then, you could join this Easter. I am, and I can't wait.
You mentioned not wanting to lose standing with friends and worry about your wife. I completely understand. Those on the forum here know my story. I grew up in a VERY close family, and now my parents have sort of disowned me. I can't begin to describe what I've had to walk through, but I'd do it all again for Christ's Church. Also, my friends. My friends from back home (I am now in college) don't know about my Catholicism, and when they find out, I really don't know what they'll do. Or what my parents will do when they find out that I'm joining at Easter. But, I don't care. I love the Church SO MUCH that I'm willing to go through this. I want to be in His Church. And, I know that you want this too. You are right, this won't be easy. But I'm walking ahead believing without doubt that it will be worth it.
I'll be praying and God bless.
____________________
"To be deep in history is to cease to be protestant" - Cardinal Newman
|
|
|
Manphibian
Member
| Joined: | Fri Sep 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Flintsone, Georgia USA |
| Posts: | 3 |
| First Name: | Matt | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Southern Baptist, Hopefully Soon to Be Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 17th, 2007 07:24 am |
|
| ooppsss!!! i made a typo. i meant to say "descent" of Holy Spirit; not "dissent." My apologies.
____________________
"Hello Old Friends, There's really nothing new to say/
But the old, old story bears repeating; and the plain ole truth grows dearer everyday."
- Rich Mullins
|
|
|
wmschrader
Member
| Joined: | Fri Dec 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Fort Myers, Florida USA |
| Posts: | 89 |
| First Name: | Bill | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 17th, 2007 03:50 pm |
|
To help you in your decision as to when to join the Church you might consider spending some time with our Lord Jesus in Adoration. Many Churches have Eucharistic adoration at least monthly.
If you cannot find a Church near you that has adoration please consider just visiting a RC Church and spend some time in front of the Tabernacle and share your thoughts, concerns and worries with our Lord.
____________________
Bill
Glory be to God for all things
|
|
|
DixieMom
Member
| Joined: | Sat Sep 15th, 2007 |
| Location: | Arkansas USA |
| Posts: | 1 |
| First Name: | Marija | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Presbyterian>Baptist>Presbyterian>Romeward |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 17th, 2007 11:02 pm |
|
Greetings everyone!
Here I am, another one on the road to Rome! Only, I truly feel like I am Catholic already! This has been a gradual journey as with many. My father was Roman Catholic but left the church when he married his Baptist wife. She ended up taking all us kids to a Presbyterian Church, which we all left when a new young minister came in who said the virgin birth didn't matter.  Anyway, over the years our family ended up Baptist.
My husband, children and I ended up Reformed Presbyterian, which of all things, brought me closer to the Catholic Church. In the last five years I have read and considered much about the Catholic Church and about a year ago I declared myself Roman Catholic! I subscribe to Catholic magazines, read Catholic theology books, "attend Mass" at EWTN, pray the Rosary, believe all the doctrines I have studied and am 2/3's through the Catholic Catechism. I love the Church! I love the theology. But, now to really join so I can finally receive the Holy Eucharist. Oh when?! The closest Catholic Church in my area I am hesitant to attend because the priest always has a stupid sport's sign on the front lawn of the little brick church. I think he hosts wrestling videos or some sports on TV for those interested. Maybe the Mass is reverently conducted there, I do not know. Some Catholic Churches have become lax and "user-friendly" as well. Too bad. I have been in enough hee-haw, show-time Protestant churches in my lifetime and certainly do not want to be involved in such things in my Catholic home.
There is a beautiful old rock St. Mary's Church about a 2-hour drive from my house and I go there 1-2 times per year and tell my family it is "my church". The Mass is reverently conducted. Could I actually join one so far away? I would not be able to attend every Sunday. 
My biggest problem is not my husband and children, but my dear old mother who is a staunch Baptist and believes the Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon and Catholics will not go to Heaven. She has all kinds of books "proving" that. She already thinks I might not go to Heaven because I don't believe in the "rapture" like she does. I am afraid she would have a heart attack if I said I was going to JOIN the Catholic Church. She doesn't even know I am interested.
I know many of you have gone through similar situations, shocking and angering your kinfolk because of your decision to become a heretic. 
Have any of you just quietly joined the Church and not told all your kinfolk?
If I joined today, my immediate family would not be shocked. My poor husband would not like it if I did not go to church with himanymore on Sunday mornings. I could still continue to attend Sunday morning with him and could attend Saturday evening Mass. That would work and keep everyone in my family happy...........until they all come along with me.
Thank you for reading what I have written. I know God will direct me in a peaceful and sure way across the Tiber. My heart is already on the other side. Now to get the body there!
God bless!
Marija
|
|
|
3John4
Member
| Joined: | Tue Feb 13th, 2007 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 82 |
| First Name: | Dede | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic, Protestant, Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 17th, 2007 11:21 pm |
|
Matt,
I really, really enjoyed your story. I am in the middle of Orthodoxy right now. I too love Chesterton's writing style. I'll try The Everlasting Man next. I used to say similar things about C.S. Lewis twenty years ago after reading Mere Christianity. I wished I could write like that! You might also enjoy Evangelical is Not Enough by Thomas Howard if you haven't read that yet.
I'd like to hear more about where your wife stands. You have demonstrated such a persuasive ability to lay out the facts, I assumed till I got to the end of your message that she was probably making the journey right beside you. My husband is (covertly) VERY anti-Catholic, and I know how hard it is to be excited about the joy and richness you have found in the Truth, yet not be able to share it with the person who is supposed to be closest to you.
Many blessings,
Dede
|
|
|
Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1268 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 12:03 am |
|
DixieMom wrote: My biggest problem is not my husband and children, but my dear old mother who is a staunch Baptist and believes the Catholic Church is the whore of Babylon and Catholics will not go to Heaven. She has all kinds of books "proving" that. She already thinks I might not go to Heaven because I don't believe in the "rapture" like she does. I am afraid she would have a heart attack if I said I was going to JOIN the Catholic Church. She doesn't even know I am interested.
I know many of you have gone through similar situations, shocking and angering your kinfolk because of your decision to become a heretic.
Have any of you just quietly joined the Church and not told all your kinfolk?
Dixiemom, my immediate family couldn't help but know what I was doing with all the books around and the TV on EWTN everytime they walked in! But I have two elderly aunts who don't know and I would not tell them if I can avoid it because they would never be able to understand. They have been baptist forever. My cousins have mostly drifted away and I don't have contact very often, so they don't know. But I wouldn't mind them knowing. I know what it's like also, to want to share your new faith and show your excitement about it, and not be able to. My daughter and son- in-law were here this weekend with the grandkids to visit, and I was teased about it at times. I never know whether to ignore the teasing or get seriously offended and say something. I don't want to be anything but patient and loving when they are showing their ignorance! Thanks for sharing with us, it's good to have you on the forum.
|
|
|
heardclarke
Member
| Joined: | Mon Apr 9th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 198 |
| First Name: | Lisa | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | cradle Episcopalian; confirmed RC Easter 2005 |
| Status: |
Online
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 06:45 am |
|
Hello and thanks so much for telling your story!
I know just what you mean about being in love with the Church and being afraid to "dive in" at the same time.
Even after Confirmation I stil had that fear. What if I had done it for the wrong reasons? I thought I would be taking Communion in a state of unworthiness, hypocrisy, even mortal sin. What if those moments of doubt meant that I wasn't really a believer at all? Sometimes after another "old friend" goes on a tear about the Church that feeling comes back.
This was circular thinking, of course....if I were still an Episcopalian at heart, I wouldn't be worried about mortal sin in the first place!
Mother Teresa's story has helped me so much. I was priveleged to attend a right-to-life convention in my late teens and heard her speak about trusting God and seeing Him in the poorest of the poor. I just knew she had it right--you couldn't doubt it after being in her presence. Now there's all this media hype about her "crisis of faith." I say, Hallelujah! She has surely demonstrated that NO mere "feeling" can shake one loose from the loving embrace of God as long as it is His will that one seeks to do.
Love, Lisa
____________________
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
|
|
|
Current time is 11:49 pm | |
|
|
|
|
|
