That's right. Part Catholic, part Protestant. Not just Protestant but "born again - Jesus is my personal Lord and Saviour" Protestant. You see, while I believe the teachings of the Catholic Church, I think many Catholics (I know because I used to be one and I know some now) don't have a close relationship to Jesus. They go to church and do their duty. And that is pretty much their only relationship to God. I see them leave after communion. They don't even know who it is that they are receiving. It's much better to beat everyone to the parking lot than to stay and thank Jesus.
Those are what are sometimes call "the clock in and clock out" Catholics. My hand goes into the holy water font on the way in, back in on the way out. But I do it out of habit and not because I really know what I am doing. Again, I know, I used to be one!
Around this time of year there are certain days that are much fuller at church than usual. Fuller than it's capacity. Full with what are sometimes called "Creasters". Those who only come on Christmas and Easter. The ones that someone joked are going to need a "while you were away" intro to the new Mass changes.
In your own life, do you feel like you are always dragging your kids to church, or worse yet, you can't get them to go any more? Why is this? Why don't they come?
Lack of prayer. I didn't want to go to church either when I didn't have a relationship with God. I still went (most times) because I felt guilty if I didn't because it had been ingrained in me some how but I didn't really understand (or care about) what was going on there. Remember people, wasn't even sure it was all real.
Prayer is seriously lacking in the Catholic church. At least it seems to be compared to more Protestant circles. Have we been taught to kind of just show up or go to hell? My generation was so poorly catechized that I actually had a fellow Catholic, who went to 12 years of Catholic school, tell me that she felt uncomfortable around the ladies in her Protestant mom's group because she was used to pray just being Our Father's and Hail Mary's.
Well, yeah, if that is all your prayer life is, just rote memorized words and nothing behind it-no relationship to speak of except one with a distant God somewhere up in the sky, I would see how that would make you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes I still feel out of place around these kind of prayers. (Hi, Relevant anyone? I was worried I was going to scream Catholic!)
But do you know what I have learned? Prayer is not about rote, it is about relationship. I just talk to God like He is my friend. I pour my heart out to Him and tell Him what's on my mind. Then I try really hard to settle down my over active brain and listen. Yes, you must listen. What is God trying to tell you?
It does no good to just talk to Him. You can talk all you want, but if you aren't trying to hear the response your relationship isn't going to go too far. Think about it, do you just talk and talk and talk and never let your husband (or friend or child or boss...) respond? Or is conversation a back and forth give and take kind of thing?
So tonight I dare you, like I did to the seventh graders who thought this was a crazy idea, to turn off the noise-the gadgets-around you and just speak to God from your heart. And then wait. The Holy Spirit is waiting to tell you His plan for your life! Trust me-it's much better than yours. I know from experience.
1 comments:
Amen all around! And, for the record, lots of Protestants are "Creasters," too - and/or just go through the motions. I've found that to be more prevalent in "mainline" denominations, though it's possible in evangelical churches, too. But you are right: no matter what building or traditions one happens to prefer for corporate worship, it's the individual relationship with Jesus that matters...and that makes all the difference. :^)
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