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kersca
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| Joined: | Fri May 23rd, 2008 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 67 |
| First Name: | Adam | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lutheran-Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 03:38 pm |
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I was born a Lutheran. That is, I was baptized at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church when I was scarcely a few weeks old. I recognize that singular act as the day I became a Christian. From that day forward the Christian “idea” was always present in my life in some form or another. I went to church and Sunday school, my family prayed with me before meals and at bedtime, and I loved Jesus as much as any child can. As I grew older, my parents sent me to Lutheran Schools. There I learned my Bible and also about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Truth be told, at that point all I understood was that anyone who wanted to go to the real church became Lutheran. It seemed pretty simple to me.
As I got older I noticed that there was a silent acceptance of all other Christian denominations except Catholicism. Even though Lutherans had fundamental differences on baptism, communion, and many other points with other churches, the differences between Catholicism and “the true church” were unsurmountable.
On a yearly basis we celebrated “reformation” Sunday. This Sunday was marked by the singing of certain hymns (they were my favorites) and a sermon based on the actions of our patron, Martin Luther. I would sit in the pews as the pastor would regale us with the story about how the Church had reached its apex of corruption. The pastor would discuss how the young monk went right to the church doors and nailed a revolutionary petition of 95 points that showed how the church had lost its way. The whole service had a certain appeal to it and at the time it was probably my favorite service of the year.
As I grew older and continued my education in Lutheran schools, the theme of the corrupt Catholic church came up again and again. It started to seem rather ridiculous that anyone could be a Catholic when it’s teachings were so obviously misguided. At one point I remember a religion teacher hesitating for quite some time before answering whether the Catholics were Christians or not. In the end, he did concede that they were Christians but was still uncertain as to whether they would go to heaven. This of course was difficult to hear, as many of my extended relatives were Catholic.
Of course, the mistrust of everything Catholic was not without foundations. The Catholics Prayed to Mary and Saints. They believed in a place called Purgatory. They had rituals that seemed like something from a satanic horror movie. They prayed for the dead. Of course all these were grave offenses for us Lutherans. Any one of them was enough for us to question Catholicism. However, their greatest offense was THE POPE. I was taught that the Catholic Church had gotten so “off track” that they had elevated a man to the level of God. The word “infallible” was bandied about and the whole idea was so absurd it was like Catholics just sat around making stuff up.
So, that’s where I started out. I was confirmed a Lutheran in the eight grade. I learned about God at a Lutheran High School and met many good Lutheran teachers who dedicated the sum of their lives to the noble work of serving God. From my perspective, we were the “one true faith” and perhaps the only Christian religion that followed the teachings of the Bible.
While I had formed my opinions about Catholicism at a rather young age, it was more difficult proposition to judge Catholics. My godparents, ironically, were Catholics. They had ten children and all of them were Catholic. I looked at them ands saw them as people who were unfortunately hoodwinked into believing falsehoods. None of them seemed to be particularly knowledgeable of their own religion. It seemed as if I knew more about their religion than them, and sadly, that was probably true.
At the Lutheran high school I attended, there were a few Catholic students. They were somewhat of a fascination for me. It seemed odd to me that Catholics would want to attend a Lutheran School in the first place. Most of them were usually silent in religion classes and if they did engage in debate with the teacher they were usually dealt with in short order. Of course, I saw this as entirely fair because they were, of course, holding to a position that was totally indefensible.
Several years later, one of my sisters married a Catholic. Of course, they were married in the Lutheran church but there was a definite strange feeling to it. My parents, reluctantly, allowed her to marry the man. I suppose we all felt that he would see the people of our family, our love for God, and eventually become a Lutheran too. What actually happened was that he retained his religion and my sister hers. They had their first child and then their second. Each time their babies were baptized in the Catholic Church with little or no protest from my sister. Then, the most baffling thing happened. When pregnant with her third child, my sister announced to the family she was becoming Catholic.
Words cannot express the emotions running through the family at the time. After all, the premise of the Lutheran denomination was that we broke from a religion that was corrupt to its core. Lutherans, as far as I knew, just didn’t become Catholics. Nevertheless, my rather intelligent sister was “converting”. Of course, my parents were distraught over the proposition. It wasn’t only a matter of her, but what chance would her children have when both parents are Catholic. I remember there being a number of arguments. My parents convinced her to talk to a Lutheran pastor, but it was of no use. In the end, my sister became a Catholic.
In the years after my sister becoming a Catholic, it seemed like I won every debate I had with her or her husband. The points that they made never seemed to have much to them and they spoke of ideas that were totally foreign to me. Their children made their first communions and ten confirmations. They made the sign of the cross before meals and all that superstitious stuff. I took every opportunity to tease her, of course; especially considering the fact that she had become a stereotypical breeding factory, popping out one child after another.
As a teenager, the devil started waging a very violent battle upon me. I had a pretty firm belief in what I considered the “Truth” of God, but I never seemed to be able to live up to that ideal. Addictions and lust seemed to tear me from God. I sunk down into a life of debasement and shame. On one hand I believed God existed as well as a heaven and hell. However, I chose evil instead of good. With each bender or indiscretion I would be left with this insurmountable shame. In church, when we collectively confessed our sins, I would confess mine but there seemed to still be a growing rift between God and myself.
Eventually, that shame led me away from God and Church altogether. Ironically, my faith that God existed was never shaken. It was just a matter of feeling like I was unworthy of Him. I thought I would be offensive in His sight. Accordingly, I sank deeper and deeper in my shame.
Just after high school graduation, God played a cruel trick on me by allowing my first love to be…GULP… a Catholic! Of course, it seemed impossible that I should fall for someone that was so obviously misled. At her invitation, I attended my first Catholic service. When I sat in the pew I was impressed and disgusted at the same time of all the statues and stained glass in the church. There were some commonalities, but I honestly zeroed in on all the differences in the service. It was enough, however, to peak my curiosity.
Persuing that curiosity, I approached a Catholic Priest. Even though I knew very little about the Catholic Church at the time, I knew a Catholic girl. More out of curiosity than seriousness, I asked the priest what it would take me to become Catholic. At that point he put me off. He told me it was unrealistic considering that I would be leaving the area soon. In the end, that priest proved everything that I had suspected to be true about the Catholic faith. Any religion that turned people away at the doors had to be false!
Eventually, my drug and alcohol addictions became too much to bear. Several attempts to quit having failed, I was at the end of my rope. I knew that my sister and her husband had dealt with similar addictions (my Catholic sister). Grudgingly, I swallowed my pride and went to them for help.
Of course, I had expected a different type of help than they offered. I expected them to tell me the secrets of sobriety and then I would simply apply the principals and be done with it. Instead, however, they directed me to AA.
A.A., of course was quite a mystery to me. By all I knew, God was the God of the Lutheran church. However, in AA there were people from all religions and faiths calling on God to heal them. I understood that quiting drugs and alcohol was quite impossible for me. I had tried and failed many times. In Alcoholics Anonymous I saw God performing miracles for Lutherans, agnostics, Methodists, Baptists, and even Catholics. The whole idea was crazy to me. Was it possible that God worked with people outside the Lutheran church? Was it possible for God to even work inside the misguided Catholics?
Unable to reconcile what I saw and my previous idea of God, I was forced to expand my definition. Of course, I only extended my idea of God as far as I had to. His power was now extended to those who needed it to recover from addictions. Of course, God was only working on that part of them for the time being. The way I figured, He probably did that so that people would have the opportunity to choose Him and grow more later. I saw how addiction had robbed me of my own free will and God of course would restore that so people could choose Him, right?
My sister was quite a support for me (and still is). Despite the fact that I had mocked her Catholicism and sobriety for years, she helped me without reservation. She introduced me to a group of people that had seemed to iron out their addiction problems as well. She bought me coffee after the AA meetings and we would often talk for hours. Not only was she aiding me with recovery, she was becoming my friend as well.
Occasionally, as the conversations moved along, our topic would switch to religion. Even though we clearly had differences there, I actually began to listen to what she had to say. Don’t get me wrong, I would still argue and debate. However, as I was doing that I began to hear her side of the story. While I didn’t agree with it, I arrived at the understanding that she had put a great deal of thought into her beliefs. She had arrived at Catholicism after long internal debates and tearful prayers.
I suppose you can say I stopped fighting that battle that Martin Luther had begun 500 years before against Catholicism. While I still believed Catholics were wrong, I guess I just eased up on them. I adopted a more “live and let live” philosophy on the whole matter. Sure, they did some things that were, at best, questionable. However, I also saw how the Catholic Church had led my sister to love God after a lifetime of trouble. She had become someone that honestly put God as a priority in her life. How could I hate a Church that did that?
The immediate effect of sobriety on my beliefs was that I understood that God intervened for man both in a personal way and during this life. Beforehand, God was more of a distant mediator to me. I did not really see it possible that He would intervene in the lives of humans.
Sobriety changed that notion for me. God had removed my addictions for me. This was incontrovertible. I knew that I was unable to “not drink” and yet he was keeping me sober. It was quite a revelation. If God could work in this way, well, the possibilities were endless.
One night at a coffeeshop, my sister asked me the question, “If the Bible is the sole rule of faith, where does it say that the Bible has to be the sole rule of faith in the Bible?”. Of course, my first response was that the question was ludicrous. Why would God give humanity the Bible if it was not a “complete volume”. God, in His wisdom had given humanity the Bible to be our guide. The question itself made no sense. Doubting the Bible as the rule of faith was, by proxy, doubting God.
I gave several arguments that night. I tried to recall the scriptures that supported the idea of the Bible being the sole source for doctrine. I argued this way and that… but the question had caught me totally off guard. Not having felt satisfied with my answers, I told my sister that I would have to get back to her on that one.
In the months following that conversation, I began to research the topic which I now know as sola scriptura (scripture is the sole basis for doctrine). I had begun by looking up the Bible verses that the early Lutheran church had used to make the appeal for sola scriptura. They all seemed like reasonable arguments. I saw the issue how the early Lutheran church had seen it. While no one verse was a conclusive proof for the idea, they worked in concert with each other much like trinity doctrine.
A few weeks later, armed with a list of verses, I approached my sister on the topic once more. Now, well prepared, I was sure there was no way that she could remain fast to the obscure proposition that there was true authority beyond the Bible. My sister listened as I made my argument piece by piece. When I was finished, she asked me if I had anything more. I said that more was unnecessary, my point was proved. Then, she carefully and calmly began discussing each proof that I had offered. She began with the ones that I felt most powerfully proved the point. One by one she gave what seemed like reasonable arguments and knocked all of mine out of the water. I was simply embarrassed.
After our discussion, she produced a set of casett tapes and gave them to me. She humbly admitted that all of her points had come from the tapes and there was much more. Reluctantly, I accepted the tapes. I listened to them in the next few weeks and, I must admit, the arguments were quite compelling. Of course, I was still convinced that there were more compelling arguments to be made on the other side of the issue.
I began a personal mission to become an expert on the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. I wanted to become so well versed on the subject that I could win a debate with the theologian from the tapes my sister had lent me (Scott Hahn). I made research my new hobby. At first, I was quite perplexed. I couldn’t find a single book written on sola scriptura. Of course, some books referenced the doctrine, others dedicated a chapter to it, but none wrote a whole book on it. I began researching the issue from both sides of the argument. Ironically, there were no real compelling arguments that supported it.
Even though I had set out to prove the doctrine of sola scriptura, I soon began saw that the teaching that claimed all doctrine must come from the Bible did not come from the Bible. The idea of sola scriptura invalidated itself. I struggled with this a lot. At the time, I was going to a Lutheran college with some very devout and caring people. I received a scholarship because I was Lutheran. Hesitantly, I began to explore the Catholic Church.
At my college, they had a great theological reference library. There were the top minds of the Lutheran church at my fingertips. Commentaries, concordances, and all sorts of theological literature were all in the college library. Thousands of books. A treasury of knowledge. Aside from that, a state of the art computer lab with the fastest available internet connection (at the time) and a free laser printer were at my disposal.
I would like to say that I read it all, but I didn’t. I was not a theologian. I did not speak Greek or Hebrew. My abilities were limited. However, I did do my best to read everything available at the time on Sola Scriptura. I also read some things related to Sola Gratia (Grace alone) and Sola Fide (faith alone). However, these issues seemed less central to me than the other. I engaged pre-seminary students in conversation and debate. I discussed this doctrine with my learned professors. I became more and more convinced that this doctrine was not the intention of Christ, the apostles, or the Holy Spirit.
As I became more and more convinced that this Lutheran foundational issue was faulty, the more I met opposition. I was often met with hostility that I would even bother to investigate the issue. I was, at one time called a heretic by a professor. At other times my questioning of sola scriptura had people angry at me and one professor even suggested I attend another college. Of course, there were as many or more that appreciated my questioning. One pre-seminary student and myself would discuss the issue often over breakfast. He found the conversations fascinating and while he never agreed with me, he began to realize that it was not the “black and white” doctrine that we had always assumed it was.
Eventually, I became a Catholic. My reasoning was based on my research and I had become engaged to a Catholic woman so it seemed as if that was where God was leading me. My formation was more abridged than most catechumens. My brother in law was my catechism teacher and because I went to college over an hour away we made a special arrangement.
At confirmation, I professed that I was willing to live according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. At the time, that was not exactly where I was. Despite my sincere desires, I still engaged in premarital sex. I would muster up enough strength to abstain for some time only to fail again. I was not the best at attending church either. I missed as many weeks as I attended. Most of all, I had intellectually accepted the Catholic Church but I was still very far from living like someone who loved God.
Shame of my sin hurt me. I also started to feel trapped in an engagement to a woman who often times seemed downright mean and belittling to me. In retrospect, I should have gone to daily mass. I should have gone to confession more. Instead, I succomed to despair. I was farther from God than I could ever afford to be.
Several months later, after a particularily stressful night, the day before midterm exams, I got in my car and drove over an hour. When I got to where I was going I bought drugs, got high for the first time in over 18months, and hated myself. At first, in a shameful admission I told my fiance’ that I had gotten high. She was livid, treated me like a child, and made me feel even more insecure. I never mentioned to her that I continued to get high every day for the next 8+ months. Instead, I internalized a self hatred that was crippling. I became more and more estranged to God every day.
As the wedding date approached, I knew that I could not continue to secretly use drugs every day and be married. My brother and several friends gave me grief about my habit and I already considered myself pretty deplorable. I was deceitful and was about to enter a marriage built on a pile of lies. With each lie I felt farther and farther from my betrothed as well as God.
Two months before the wedding, I stopped using. I wish that it was a conviction of my heart, but it really wasn’t. There was no mea culpa for the months of dishonesty. I knew that such a lie would mean rejection from my fiance’. Instead, I did what I could to get some “clean time” in before the wedding.
After about two months of tenuous, I was married. Even on my wedding day, guilt and self loathing stained the events. In the back of my head there was a shame that I was entering marriage with such lies pulling at my soul. I believe that the devil revels in despair, and at that time my despair was overbearing.
I would like to say that I was able to get honest…make a clean start… but that’s not the way it shook out. Shortly after the wedding, I used drugs again one last time. Desperately, I admitted that I needed the help of AA and God if I were to have any real chance of staying sober. After a shakey month of sobriety, I returned to AA.
It would be nice if I could say that upon returning to AA I was instantly transformed into an honest and better person. This, however, was not the case. God (not myself or AA) removed he desire to drink or use drugs almost instantly. It was nothing short of a miraculous event. Before, I had constantly craved drugs and alcohol. When, as a sinner in need of redemption I approached God, I was immediately given an amazing reprieve.
This, however, did not inspire me to get honest with my wife with regards to my drug usage of the past months. I was not internally motivated to attend church again. As a matter of fact, for years I refused to attend church regularly. My marriage was, for the most part, terrible. I gained 50 pounds. I had difficulty praying. My spirituality was as lackluster as it had been while using/drinking. I could not bring myself to go to the confessional/God with my sins. I was afraid.
A coworker convinced me to start attending a weekly 5:00am Bible study with an evangelical mens group. Every week for over a year we would meet and study God’s Word and then go to our respective jobs. I found this beneficial, but it still did little to effect change on me. I wanted a spiritual life, but there was something inside me that was afraid of approaching God in a meaningful way. I knew He existed, believed in Him, and yet was unbelievably far from Him. After roughly a year and a half, our Bible study was disbanded.
After several years of depression, I turned a corner. I had decided that I needed some type of change in my life and that change started by beginning a daily running regiment. It wasn’t much. At first, I was unable to run for longer than a minute at a time. Within 6 months, I had lost over 60 pounds and had run my first 10k. Then, my world came crashing down when my wife came to me and told me that she had engaged in an extramarital relationship. That relationship had ended with her betrayal. I was crushed. She moved out of the house for a time but I had asked her to return. She had to be convinced to do so.
As my marriage was dwindling, my friend who had invited me to the Bible study invited me to join him for a “40 days of Purpose” devotional study. I agreed. As part of the study I committed myself to attending his church for the duration of the study as the sermons corresponded to the materials we were examining during the midweek small group study. I grew in affection for the friendly members of his church and even was received so well as to be added to their mailing list. Unfortunately, just after the study ended, my marriage ended and I became apathetic once more.
Going through a divorce, I was an emotional wreck. I felt unloved and rejected. I knew that my Catholic Church had very rigid rules with regard to divorce. I was too ashamed to go to mass and that was at a time that I needed God more than ever.
My sister was letting me stay with her for a time until I could get “my bearing”. She graciously never judged me and that was a tremendous witness.
It so happened that her teenagers were going to a Catholic youth conference at Mt. St Mary’s college. At the last minute, their male chaperone was unable to make it. On short notice, I filled in as driver and chaperone and took a bunch of kids to the conference several states away. At the conference, they had confessionals open all day. God was tempting me to test His mercy. I went into the confessional and the retired priest looked all too human with a disheveled suit, unshaven, and tossed about grey hair. Appearances can be deceiving. I gave a tearful confession of the past 6 years. The priest asked a few questions but mostly let me get it all out. When I was finished, he gave me some very sound advice. He told me to go back to Michigan, find a parish, and put my name on the rolls. Then, he lifted a weight off my shoulders that I had been suffering under for a very long time and absolved my sins. He showed me Christ’s love and the Father’s mercy.
As we were driving back from the conference, we passed into an ice storm. Despite slick roads and heavy snow, we made it back in one piece. The following morning, I woke up to the news that work was cancelled due to the weather. I pulled out a phone book and found a nearby parish that had daily mass. That parish is still my parish today.
My journey hasn’t ended. I am still learning and growing. God has taught me so much and continues to change me. He has healed me in innumerable many ways. Coming home is a process, or at or me. It is a process that will continue till I die.
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Dave Armstrong
Network Apologist
| Joined: | Fri Nov 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Melvindale, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 1666 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Evangelical (1977): Diverse Protestant Influences / Catholic in 1990 |
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Posted: Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 10:08 pm |
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| Thanks very much, Adam, for sharing your story. Welcome to the forum. I'm sure many others will respond also and welcome you. This is a great place for both personal sharing and friendship, as well as education in "Things Catholic."
____________________
I'm happy to offer whatever theological & personal assistance I can. My blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, contains 2000+ papers & web pages (absolutely free) & 16 apologetic books (for sale):
http://www.biblicalcatholic.com/
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Free
Member
| Joined: | Wed Nov 28th, 2007 |
| Location: | Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 219 |
| First Name: | Jane | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Presbyterian, Gnostic, non-denominational, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jun 2nd, 2008 11:13 pm |
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I enjoyed reading your conversion story Mark, although I didn't like seeing you miserable and so far from God for such a long time. I'm glad you're home, and I appreciate your point that the journey home is not over until we die.
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kersca
Member
| Joined: | Fri May 23rd, 2008 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 67 |
| First Name: | Adam | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lutheran-Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Jun 3rd, 2008 11:09 am |
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Free,
Well, it was quite some time that I avoided God. It is embarassing in a way. Especially because I feel alive when I am trying to live with and grow with God. But, I also learned many lessons. One big lesson is how important attending mass is for me (us all). I won't consider a vacation if it means skipping mass! Not just because skipping mass is a sin, but mostly because I love God and know how important attending mass is to having a growing relationship with Him. A priest convinced/convicted me of this fact in the confessional.
God Bless,
Adam
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Therese Z
Member
| Joined: | Sat Mar 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Chicagoland, Illinois USA |
| Posts: | 55 |
| First Name: | Therese Z | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Cradle, Cultural, Lapsed, Passionately Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Jun 3rd, 2008 12:56 pm |
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| What a sad and inspiring and hopeful story! I admire you for telling it all...honestly. I too spent years "avoiding God" and we all know how well THAT works...... This is a good place to be touched by others' journeys and be refreshed for our own. God bless you and welcome!
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CloudNine
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| Joined: | Sat Jun 7th, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 1 |
| First Name: | Jim | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lutheran, etc. |
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Posted: Sat Jun 7th, 2008 07:46 am |
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Thank you for sharing, Adam.
I'm from a Lutheran background and also have long-term sobriety.
This is my first post and won't be very long for now.
I'm in a soak it up stage mostly with watching the Journey Home.
I may never become Catholic, but then again, Who knows.
Jim
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Pani Rose
Member
| Joined: | Fri Oct 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Irondale, Alabama USA |
| Posts: | 558 |
| First Name: | Rose | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Ruthenian Byzantine in a Melkite Greek Catholic Parish, raised ... |
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Posted: Sat Jun 7th, 2008 12:33 pm |
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 Welcome Jim and Mark! God provides, he allows us to walk a straight road to him through a lot of right and left hand turns. Your struggles will become a healing balm for others on their journey to our Lord. Thank you for sharing them.
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Dave Armstrong
Network Apologist
| Joined: | Fri Nov 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Melvindale, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 1666 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Evangelical (1977): Diverse Protestant Influences / Catholic in 1990 |
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Posted: Mon Jun 9th, 2008 03:52 pm |
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| Welcome, Jim. I hope you find what you're looking for in this forum. We're here as a support group and to help answer questions that folks have about Catholicism.
____________________
I'm happy to offer whatever theological & personal assistance I can. My blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, contains 2000+ papers & web pages (absolutely free) & 16 apologetic books (for sale):
http://www.biblicalcatholic.com/
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lifetone
Member
| Joined: | Mon Feb 4th, 2008 |
| Location: | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA |
| Posts: | 84 |
| First Name: | Anne | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Methodist, Baptist, Wiccan/New Age, Pentecostal, Catholic |
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Posted: Mon Jun 9th, 2008 05:39 pm |
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Hi Adam, thanks so much for sharing..
On Sunday I had a rather emotionally painful experience. I was at my very first Communion service at a non-Catholic church. It was at a Pentecostal church that I do street ministry with. That day the pastor felt led to have everyone in the church who wanted to (and that was most of the people in that small congregation) give testimonies of deliverance. And here I was a stranger, because none of the people I knew were there.. And then after that Communion where I wanted to be like it's not that I think I'm better than you or that Jesus didn't move in your lives!!! But I just politely said no thank you to the pastor.
So when you shared that bit about AA it really helped me, because I was praying for them so hard Adam and so grieving for what keeps us apart and so glad that Jesus still helped them regardless. Amen..
Anyway I just wanted to say how your story touched me personally because that was still upsetting me a lot I think. This morning when I went to Mass the Lord spoke to my heart after Communion and showed me how much it hurt and I resolved then and there to pray about how to end these divisions between us. Because it does hurt too much to bear.
Anyway sorry for rambling. That bit about Catholic services being a bit like satanic rituals in the movies made me laugh.
Thanks for sharing where you came from and how you got where you are. I'm going to stop typing now before my quota gets filled up.
Anne
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kersca
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| Joined: | Fri May 23rd, 2008 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 67 |
| First Name: | Adam | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lutheran-Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Jun 10th, 2008 01:48 pm |
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Hi Jim and hia Anne,
Jim... I'll never tell you you haave to become a Catholic. Honestly, if you became a Catholic without feeling you needed to become a Catholic it would be a bad choice. My advice to you is to continue to "make a decision to tuurn your will and your life over to the care of God"... wherever that may lead. God is a rewarder to those who seek Him. God will make a clear path for you but it is on you to follow it. Harden not your heart.
Anne... My wife is a faith other than Catholic (Church of Christ). They have weekly communion with bread and grape juice. It is done very solemnly and for them it is a symbolic memorial. At first,I was offended because they could not see the clear teachings of the eucharist in scripture and tradition. However, now i see it as beneficial. Sure, it isn't the eucharist but it is their way of meditating on the passion of Christ. Duringf their communion I pray that God use their "memorial" to bring them closer to Him and the truth. I saw a Church of Christ up north that was teaching true presence (however with a non consecrated priest of course), but it shows that using Scripture alone it is a defensible doctrine. More than anything we must live for God and show others the strength that Christ gives us through the Echarist.
Adam
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