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AggieCatholic
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| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 82 |
| First Name: | Lance | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | United Methodist to Roman Catholic (Anglican Use) |
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Posted: Wed Nov 22nd, 2006 04:22 pm |
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At first I was going to give a personal history concerning my religious life. But, I think I will explain, or at least try to explain, the issues I had with my old denomination, the United Methodist Church, and why I decided to leave.
I left because I was tired. I was tired of defending a denomination that no longer had a sense of itself. I was tired of feeling like I was pretending to be Christian. It's so easy to be Methodist, it really is. One can believe almost anything you want and still be part of the United Methodist Church. How could I unite with pro-abortion activists? How could I unite with some clergy who, against orders, bless same-sex unions without consequence? Mine was a religious buffet of theology. Take what you like, ignore what you dislike and we'll all be happy, right? But, I wasn't happy.
When I was a child I would wonder that since the Catholics had monasteries where people could worship God all the days of their lives, why don't Methodists? I'd see movies where people would go into a Catholic church to kneel and pray on days that weren't Sunday. Our sanctuary was locked up six days a week. The Catholics had nuns who gave their entire lives to Christ. Why don't Methodists? My second year in college it finally hit me. Why not just become Catholic?
I did all I could to be the best Methodist I could be, but I could find neither peace nor a true relationship with Christ. In January 2005 I shyly walked by myself into the Catholic center at Texas A&M for something called RCIA and I began to listen, just listen. I also began going to mass almost every day standing next to Hispanics, Koreans, Italians, big-city kids and small town hicks. I never knew what "united" meant until then. On October 30, 2005, by special permission from the Bishop of the Austin Diocese, I and close to a dozen fellow candidates and catechumens, were confirmed into the Universal Church. I chose the name Maximilian Kolbe, patron of prisoners. It wasn't the Easter Vigil and the Bishop himself couldn't be there, but it was one of the most important days of my life.
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What part of, "Hoc est enim Corpus meum" don't you understand?
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Ruthie
Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 13th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| First Name: | Ruthie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nominal Presbyterian, aetheist, evangelical Christian/Episcopalian, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Nov 22nd, 2006 10:37 pm |
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AggieCatholic,
What a wonderful story!
My story has similarities to yours. I too felt so drawn to the idea of monastic life, the priesthood - such beautiful, sefl-sacrificing devotion and commitment. I felt envious that I couldn't be a nun because I was protestant, married with children. Living chastely, prayerfully in community had such appeal for me. I now know that I am following my own vocation.
Mother Theresa of Calcutta was such an inspiration to my investigation into the Catholic Church. If she in all her beautiful service and love of Chirst was a product of the Catholic Church, there had to be something to it.
I was Episcopalian. I saw some of the same things you did in Methodism. Women priests and now bishops, practising homosexual priests and bishops, approval of same-sex marriages, pro-choice advocates, irrevernt Bible studies, no official stand on anything and toleration of everything. Even though the liturgy and the celebration of the Eucharist are so similar, I suddenly realized that it was all just an empty shell. There was no Real Presence there, especially obvious when a woman priest was celebrating. I never could accept that. I am so politically incorrect. I could never go back, much to my unconverted husband's dismay. Besides apostolic succession, which they lay claim to, was broken when they broke from Rome way back in England in the 1530's.
I am so grateful for the Catholic Church for standing strong throughout the ages in defending the Truth and not bending to every popular whim of the times. It feels so good to be in the Catholic Church, the ultimate culmination to my Christian desire for a deep faith.
Last edited on Thu Nov 23rd, 2006 05:34 pm by Ruthie
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Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it. (NRSV, Luke 18:17)
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GoFisher
Member
| Joined: | Mon Dec 18th, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 111 |
| First Name: | Kathy | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Mth Cng Prs UM sang@RC Ep UM (MDiv) Word-Faith Charismatic-RC |
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Posted: Thu Feb 8th, 2007 05:25 am |
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These reasons are why I left UMC for the charismatic Word of Faith movement. I continue to be Spirit-led and want to grow more in that area too.
VIRTUAL-RACISM IN SOUTHERN UMC: Another major thing that bothers me about the United Methodist church is that they have segregated churches, and pastors who responded to my query in 1999 claimed the ethnic groups want it that way. This includes separate church buildings for blacks, hispanics and Koreans.
VOTING ON PASTORS: If churches do not want to receive a pastor assigned to them, they just refuse to accept them. This happened to two newly-ordained female pastors whose churches did not want women to be pastors. These women were sent to the diocese to work in administration.
VOTING ON BIBLE: They have annual meetings that are like Congress, made up of lay leaders and pastors. Currently, the lay leaders believe The Bible is true more than the old pastors do. Retired pastors are allowed to vote too so that is not fair to the new people or to the people who are being Spirit-led to act more like Jesus and wish to vote that way (for e.g. same gender unions and pastors who conduct ceremonies). Half of the group left in protest during the meeting.
SOPHIA: some female pastors were teaching liberal/wrong theology about the goddess of wisdom. That should not even be a topic of discussion. Also you cannot vote to make God a female.
SAME-GENDER UNIONS: They also voted on same gender unions, and on re-instating pastors who did the illegal ceremonies. When I ask a pastor if he would leave if they voted wrong, he said, don't worry, they won't.
PREACH THE WORD: At UMC, people made fun of me for quoting The Bible IN CHURCH! If you can't quote The Bible in Church you are not a church, but merely a country club.
MARRIAGE: It bothered me when a pastor told me that you can have a ceremony to get divorced in the UMC. It also bothered me when that pastor got a divorce instead of working out his issues. He told me I should join a church that believes the way I do. At that moment, I thought, The Catholic Church believes that couples should stay married. Last year, I learned The Church also favors the biblical definition of marriage because of the call for m-f couples to be fruitful and multiply. God made Adam and Eve, not adam and steve.
EXTRA BOOK: I had never heard of the Book of Discipline until I was in the ministry inquiry process.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTION: led many away from Reformation Era churches to join neo-pentecostal churches (charismatic non-denominational churches) when they got "baptized in the spirit" and wanted to live as Jesus prophesied when He said, "greater works than these shall you do": operating in spiritual gifts: pray in unknown tongues, pray for healing, discern spirits, cast out demons, prophesy, visions, other miracles and other charisms. Perhaps these are the churches who will unite together to form a "church without spot or blemish." In 1997, when I asked a UMC pastor if he thought churches would ever unite, he said no, that would not happen. HOWEVER, THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DOING THAT now by having folks join The Catholic Church.
CATHOLICS ARE CHARISMATIC: The Catholic Church was prepared for this lay movement of The Holy Spirit and placed Cardinal Suenens above the whole movement BEFORE the mondern outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Duquesne and Notre Dame in 1967. When you review Catholic Church history, you see that miracles and charisms never stopped, but continued in various areas of The Church.
quote from earlier:
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While Methodists pastors suggested that I go to seminary to be a UMC pastor, I just wanted to know how to read The Bible in Hebrew (took that) and Greek (did not take that) to be able to write and sing biblically accurate songs. The vision I got that sent me to seminary was of a choir of singing ministers (you don't need ordination for that). When I asked The Lord how I could be in that choir, He said, go to seminary. I remember thinking it was strange when a UMC pastor showed me a certificate that traced his spiritual lineage back to Pope Peter via the Anglican John Wesley. When I asked Him why the M.Div. (of all the graduate degrees possible) He said, "you don't know what I will have you doing in the next twenty years." So: I went to ORU, and thought I might transfer to Asbury for the last 45 credits. When that time came, I wanted to learn more about operating by The Holy Spirit and to graduate from ORU than to be a methodist, so I joined the Word of Faith church I attended there. I also attended Mass at ORU chapel after the regular weekday chapel services. So God took me a thousand miles west to improve my spirituality. Later, He took me nearly a thousand miles east to start becoming Catholic by working with a Charismatic priest.
After seminary and a mission trip, I had an interview scheduled at a methodist church for a non-itinerating pastor job, but they canceled it when the re-married pastor who referred me to ORU told them I was "too charismatic". He changed conferences to get away from folks who knew him with his first wife. With his permission, I had been praying for them to stay married to each other. Once he blurted out to me, "I don't even think she is saved!" Obviously, he had issues. My mom spent a lot of time and money to change my return flight from overseas so I could go to the interview. Well, a few weeks later, I was working (for free) at a charismatic mission church that started while I was away at school. How twisted it is that the founding pastor told me I would have to get married before being ordained. (Well, I can't be a priest either, but that is NOT why God called me to seminary).
At the request of the UMC, O.R. and ORU were methodist from 1968-85. The 2000 General Conference voted 19 for and 800+ folks against putting ORU back on the University Senate list of UMC-approved seminaries. Same gender unions were also on the ballot. It does not make sense to be able to vote on what they think The Bible means. Also, I saw a vision of the candles being put out, and the flame of The Holy Spirit going out from the cross and flame logo.
2003-2004: I preached The Creed while evangelizing in public.
2005: I studied on my own for six months prior to the start of RCIA. I had started my inquiry too late to join the 2005 class and Easter was in March that year.
When called upon for service at a critical time, I served as the choir director, cantor (and sometimes as the whole choir) at Catholic Masses for the whole month of March and for Holy Week. This included recruiting singers, since at times, I was the only one in the choir. Then, I stayed all year to sing The Word.
While I was seeking God, trying to be holy, and trying to find out how to go to Heaven directly (without purgatory), some signs took place to get me interested in learning about The Church. On March 21, 2005, I attended the penance Mass, then waited in line for three hours and went to my first confession LAST since I was not Catholic yet. I told one of the priests there who saw me in line, I do not think I am protesting anything, so I am going to find out because I do not like to be called a protestant when I am not actually protesting.
On Holy Thursday, I attended The Exposition after Mass, and was slain in The Spirit for a long time. While I was "resting in the Spirit" folks were praying The Rosary, and I noticed that it did NOT grieve The Holy Spirit. I am sure that angels made sure I did not hit my head at that time and my head landed on a big box of kleenex beside a potted plant (without tipping any soil). After viewing The Passion of The Christ on Good Friday (the next day), I was slain in the spirit at the very end of the movie where you see the hole in the Resurrected Jesus' palm.
During daily Masses, The Lord said to me: Aren't you glad this isn't in Hebrew? You can be Jewish in English by being Catholic. I AM The Mass. THIS is my favorite re-enactment. He also spoke to me during my weekly solo prayer times in The Blessed Sacrament Room. I did not know I was doing "Adoration" until later.
In June 2005, I researched and made sure the priest had plenty of data and quotes on/by St Bp Irenaeus to include in his homily. I nearly chose him as my confirmation name, but went with one whose writings I already quote more readily, St. John the Evangelist.
One time I said to the priest, I didn't know which church to refer folks to when I was evangelizing in the city, but now I know. I still wish everyone would ask for and receive their "personal unknown prayer language" and operate in spiritual gifts while we all evangelize for Jesus together.
2006: I was still willing to go to whatever ecclesial body The Lord said. Now, I remember that The Lord asked me in 2005 if I would be willing to give up my miracle church. Also, He kept saying, "can you drink the cup?" because I was trying to be like the charismatic priest and the saints. So, it is significant that during my first communion, after one priest fed me the bread form of The Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, then the second priest (in another country and diocese) who did the chalice said, "take the cup" when I couldn't remember what to do when he said, "The Blood of Christ."
Well, since your question helped me write all this, I should save it for my testimony which I have not yet posted, but hope to soon.  Last edited on Thu Feb 8th, 2007 05:43 am by GoFisher
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Love, hear + obey God: go fish! (me)
+ The Word became flesh... (St. John 1:14)
Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. (St. Jerome)
+ Follow Me... fishers of men. (St. Matthew quotes The Lord Jesus)
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