Alter Calls

[MariaG]

I’m having a hard time with a “conflict” about “altar/alter” calls or “invitations.”

God knows the heart.

There are many people who “go forward” who don’t mean it and there are those who do mean it. But everyone who goes forward has some intention of making some kind of commitment to God or to someone else (maybe they are going forward to please their parents). It doesn’t matter. God will work in their lives. The altar/alter call is just another beginning. At least they were in church instead of home watching WWE on TV.

It’s the same thing in the Catholic Church. I’m sure there are many who go forward for Holy Communion who are thinking about the ball game, but God will still work in their lives.

Going forward publicly to make a commitment to God is a good thing, not a bad thing. Right? Even if it’s not a “perfect contrition,” it’s still better than no contrition, right?

I do think that some of the Protestant altar calls are drawn out and that the pastors exploit the emotions of the congregation by using music, lights, dramatic language, and time (people get hungry and tired standing there, and these bodily feelings can confuse thought patterns). But I know people who went forward in emotional altar calls who really did experience a changed relationship with God or man afterward.

So like I said, God knows the heart. We don’t.

I agree with you. And I think more often than not, these people do in fact have perfect contrition. I know I did, even though I did not understand that word.

I am saddened by people who seem to wish to discount the moving of God in these peoples lives. It is not a matter of good of the Catholic Church and bad of the Protestant churches.

But as our separated BRETHREN, this is about the Great of the Catholic Church(obviously from a Catholic view point ) and the good of the Protestant churches.

I obviously believe that the sacraments are the best way for God to give us grace. But God is not limited to the Sacraments!

We shouldn’t denigrate the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of our separated Brethren. What I have today in the Catholic Church is ten times better than what I had then, but I do not know if I would have come to understand the fullness of truth if not for the work the Holy Spirit did in me while in the Protestant churches.

Certainly, if you feel the need, shout about the greatness of the sacraments and the grace of God in the Catholic Church, but please fellow Catholics Christians, stop bad mouthing the good in the non-Catholic

:bible1: Mark 9:38 - 41
38] John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.”
39] But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me.
40] For he that is not against us is for us.
41] For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.

God Bless,
Maria

 

[elvisman]

Today, while there ARE Protestants in the fact that they are protesting AGAINST the Catholic Church, there also are many non-Catholic Christians, who through no fault of their own, do not know that the Catholic Church is Jesus’ one true Church, and are protesting nothing.

God Bless,
Maria

Ahh, but that goes back to the old question: **
Are non-Catholic Christian denominations Protestant? **
I would submit that they ARE, in fact, Protestant.
You couldn’t call all of the denominations, Baptist or all of them, Methodist, etc.
Further, the Catholic Church is not a denomination. First, there was the Catholic Church and ALL of the denominations (that is, those who broke away) came later.
I appreciate your charitable and respectful approach - and I mean no disrespect, either. I was just making a statement of historical fact.

 

[MariaG]

Ahh, but that goes back to the old question: **
Are non-Catholic Christian denominations Protestant?
I would submit that they ARE, in fact, Protestant.
You couldn’t call all of the denominations, Baptist or all of them, Methodist, etc.
Further, the Catholic Church is not a denomination. First, there was the Catholic Church** and ALL of the denominations (that is, those who broke away) came later.
I appreciate your charitable and respectful approach - and I mean no disrespect, either. I was just making a statement of historical fact.

I would agree with you that their denomination springs from and is Protestant. This is a historical fact

But for many, they are not Protestant in the same respect as the Protestants of the Reformation era. They are not “protesting” any teachings of the Catholic Church. They would be more accurately called non-Catholic Christians who belong to a historically Protestant denomination, since they personally do not even realize they are “protesting” anything, but are simply following the beliefs of their church without any historical interest or knowledge of that which their church sprung from.

Which I think is an important distinction to remember.

And no disrepect was taken

 

[elvisman]

They would be more accurately called non-Catholic Christians who belong to a historically Protestant denomination, since they personally do not even realize they are “protesting” anything, but are simply following the beliefs of their church without any historical interest or knowledge of that which their church sprung from.

Excellent point!
I’ll try to remember that next time I “shoot from the hip”!

 

[Harland]

Just curious. How many churches, denominations have altar calls and how often? Do they fallow the same format in each denomination? Can a person answer an altar call more than once? Why?

 

[Kitty_Chan]

Just curious. How many churches, denominations have altar calls and how often? Do they fallow the same format in each denomination? Can a person answer an altar call more than once? Why?

If its a call to make a decision to follow Jesus then once.

However, I think those who have quit going to church or left, or just have been ignoring God may want to rededicate their commitment, It is just a re commitment and doesnt usually happen time and time again.

Not all churches ask someone to come forward, and those that do I think its every service or when the pastor feels lead by the Holy Spirit to ask people. Even then some people still just sit in their seats and speak to him afterwards.

Also and I could be corrected sometimes there is alter calls and it can be for first time commitment to Christ or for special prayer that a person needs.

When “Jane” will go and kneel down to pray, the pastor will pray with her and speak to her, if those in the congretation feel lead they will come up and put their hands on her and quietly pray for her. They generally dont speak to the pastor or her. But depending on the situation they may offer words of comfort to her. Ive seen 5 or 6 people praying for one.

So a alter call for prayer can be more than once. If the same person goes up each week for the same thing then the pastor will have a private meeting with them.

Does that explain it a bit??

 

[Kevan]

Just curious. How many churches, denominations have altar calls and how often? Do they fallow the same format in each denomination? Can a person answer an altar call more than once? Why?

The format is up to the person(s) conducting the service: “Let’s all stand, please. While the organist plays a hymn, I’d like to invite any who feel a need to pray to come down to the front. If you’d like someone to pray with you, just catch my eye and we’ll have a deacon or deacon’s wife meet with you and share that burden with you. If God has spoken to your heart about the need for salvation and you’re willing to turn your life over to Christ, let us know and someone will take an open Bible and show you how you can have your sins forgiven and receive a new heart and a new life…” And so on.

Some people respond often. They see a need for a response to something that has taken place in the meeting (a hymn, a prayer, or, usually, the sermon) and they want to meet with God immediately and repent of something or make a commitment in some area of their lives. “Going forward” to the place of sacrifice is like kneeling, it is an action that affects the inward attitude.