Catholic vs Protestant Spirituality: Lets compare faith walks

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Gab123 said:
And I explained to you the usage of the crucifix in the Episcopal and other Protestant denominations that initially broke away fro the Church. For the past 500 years Protestantism has disintegrated and morphed into countless sects. Every single Protestant denominations will eventually be in ruin as it does not have Christ’s promise that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.) HopkinsReb:
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You explained nothing. You said they don’t have crucifixes, which was false.
Gab123 said:
Thus ask any Protestant that converts to Catholicism and they will tell you this.
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Hi, I’m HopkinsReb, a Protestant converting to Catholicism. Good to meet you. Who has two thumbs and loves the Eucharist? This guy. (I’m pointing my thumbs at myself.)

Of course the Eucharist is the pinnacle. But not all Catholic spirituality centers on it.

I’m done with this. This idiotic conversation has nothing to do with the thread topic.
 
Ah come on HR - please don’t go. It’s always more fun when you’re around.
 
HopkinsReb said:
This is false; the vast bulk of Protestants have two valid sacraments, Baptism and Matrimony
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Not wanting to add controversy to controversy in this thread, but that’s the first time I’ve heard that, which is a bit concerning given I’m a Protestant minister (and a married one at that). The two sacraments most Protestant churches recognize, to the best of my knowledge, are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Protestant criterion is that a sacrament has to be instituted by an explicit command of Christ, so these are the two which made it, even though there was quite an hesitation about confession because of John 20,22-23.
 
OddBird said:
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HopkinsReb:
This is false; the vast bulk of Protestants have two valid sacraments, Baptism and Matrimony
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Not wanting to add controversy to controversy in this thread, but that’s the first time I’ve heard that, which is a bit concerning given I’m a Protestant minister (and a married one at that). The two sacraments most Protestant churches recognize, to the best of my knowledge, are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The Protestant criterion is that a sacrament has to be instituted by an explicit command of Christ, so these are the two which made it, even though there was quite an hesitation about confession because of John 20,22-23.
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I don’t mean that Protestants recognize those two sacraments; I mean that they’re generally valid in the eyes of the Catholic Church in the Protestant churches. So while, say, Baptists would disagree with the very notion of sacraments, their Baptisms and weddings are still sacramental.
 
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Thus the reason why Christ left someone in charge of hIs Church on earth, a visible leadership to set the record straight in the sea of confusion among the people’s of the earth.
 
Which zeroes in on the differences between Catholic and Protestant spirituality. I know of people who think they are saved because they made an altar call two decades ago. So much for examination of conscience and penance. Christians who are lacking these truths have a right to hear them.
 
Wow, Gab. You really need to lay off. For your information: I’m a convert from Lutheranism and my favorite devotions are the Rosary and the Immaculate Heart and they have nothing to do, beyond meditating on the Mystery of the Institution of the Eucharist; with the Eucharist and everything to do with Christ and Our Lady.

I love the Eucharist; but what drew me home was Our Lady.
 
Getting back on topic - I can honestly say I wouldn’t have become Catholic if not for my formation as a Seventh-Day Adventist. I have zero regrets growing up in a protestant tradition. Many things I am grateful for in that scenario - things I do think cultural Catholics are missing.

For instance, the intense personal connection with nearly everyone in the congregation. The church wasn’t just a meeting place, but a way of life. We gathered during the week, our Sabbaths truly lasted all day together. We had intense, deep bible studies.

For another, I was given the opportunity to serve at a young age as a junior deacon, also adding audio/visual duties to my functions. I have been responsible for filling the baptistery, ushering (our version of Deacon), and have even given a sermon.

That said, the communal atmosphere did not carry over into my personal life when separated from the church. I eventually fell away from faith in my twenties, as many do. I came back to the SDA church in my early thirties, hungry for a connection to God again. What I found was my faith seemed to have changed in some ways, and I was unsure how to reconcile. I was growing closer to Christ, but I was starting to feel disconnected when I went to the SDA service.

But that isn’t to say that Christ was not there. For me personally, I feel protestantism is the prodigal son of Christ. There is a banquet ready for anyone’s return to the Church. And sometimes the elder son - being the Catholic Church - feels resentful at the jubilation over someone who left the family. But as Christ says, "… Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Yes, Catholicism is the fullness of faith. But our protestant brothers are on a faith journey too. And it by it’s very nature is oriented towards Christ if not directly so. It is critical us Catholics keep that in mind.
 
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Yes, you will find that your new Catholic brethren can be annoying 😄 The good news is that the command also includes love of neighbor, through which one grows spiritually.
 
Michael16 said:
I’d love to hear how you guys live out your faith.
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There are various ways I live out my faith. It is hard to quantify as it varies from situation to situation and day to day but has a strong undercurrent of the following:

Prayer-My wife and I pray together almost every night. We do our best to remember specific needs that were mentioned to us and pray for our family, country, and various ministries. We also pray for spiritual growth and protection. We also ask the blessing over every meal as individuals or as a family.

I also find myself saying small prayers throughout the day. Sometimes it is confession to God that I’ve sinned and asking for strength to overcome. Sometimes it is a simple prayer of thanks for all His blessings on my life. Sometimes it is a quick prayer for someone if I’m made aware of a need.

Bible reading/study-I get a text every morning sent by my local church with a daily Bible reading. You can either read it or a smartphone will read it to you. I also frequently read Christian books about Christian faith, service and life. I’m currently reading a book called Union With Christ.

Worship-Worship, of course, has different components and can be accomplished in many different ways. We have a community gathering for corporate worship once a week that includes worship through singing, preaching, praying, giving, and taking communion. But we also try to have an atmosphere of worship at our home. We have Bible verses on our walls, a Bible on our coffee table, and devotional books that we are reading on the end tables. We also frequently listen to Christian music/radio in our home. Worship, to me, is not just about Sunday. It is about being immersed by Christ in every area of life.

Service and Ministry-We financially support a few ministries and both my wife and I volunteer for ministries at our church.

Fellowship- We meet with a small group every week. Sometimes we do ministry projects (recently we packed food packages for needy children in our area), sometimes we do a Bible Study and dig deeper into the sermon text, sometimes we just eat a meal together and enjoy each others company. We always pray for each other and the needs expressed in the group.

Being intentional- We are big about “living out the Gospel” in our church. Basically this means that everything in life and day to day activities are a means to share the Gospel and demonstrate the Love of God to our community. Whether it be relationships with others at a job or relationships with others at a ball field or school activities it is all a place to live out our faith. In other words, being a Christian isn’t something we do, it is who we are.

I’m not sure if that is what you are looking for in the type of answer but that is what I thought of when you asked about “living out my faith”.
 
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AlmaRedemptorisMater said:
I have zero regrets growing up in a protestant tradition. Many things I am grateful for in that scenario - things I do think cultural Catholics are missing.
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Despite the divisions and contradictions in Protestantism, God obviously works through people of good will. The fact that the Word of God is central within many Protestant evangelical communities, this alone is something so valuable that Catholics need to learn from, namely knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures, as a source for answers on how we ought to live our lives. We see how most of the Catholic apologists on fire with the faith and spearheading leadership roles in evangelization today are former Protestants.
 
Michael16 said:
The point of this thread is to share faith walks; not argue over doctrines. I’d like to hear your guys’ stories and let’s compare together. Especially the Protestants: I’d love to hear how you guys live out your faith.
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Just to point things back on topic, Michael, do you mind clarifying what you are looking for with regard to faith walks? Are you speaking of spiritual disciplines that we engage in? Just wanted to make sure I can address your question adequately.
 
Sorry, Hodos. It’s been a busy day with my sons. I appreciate your persistence.

What really I’m looking for is core emotional heart of your faith walk with God. How do you live out your faith? Like how Ianman87 describes his and his wife’s.

Btw; I really love the Stations of the Cross myself and I didn’t know that Lutherans practice their own version.

As for your Catholic wife, I’m curious how you two jive your faith lives together.
 
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