Catholic vs Protestant Spirituality: Lets compare faith walks

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Lenten_ashes said:
In many protestant Churches you feel as though you are walking into a converted racquetball court. Just place a pulpit there and you’ve got a church. Certainly lacking any appeal to our God given senses.
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I have to agree with this. I’ve been in more than a few “Warehouse Baptist” churches. However, you have to remember that in our thinking, the church is the people, not the building. The building is a meeting place and a tool that is used by the church to preach, teach, minister, worship, and fellowship. However, I do wish we would go back to having steeples and a church building that looks like a church. But that is just a personal preference of mine and not a big deal.
 
What about this, Ianman87:

Think of the church building itself as a sacred space; a consecrated place set aside from the world. As well as a place that teaches in its imagery, architecture and aesthetics. A church should be a beautiful place befitting what takes place there.

I’m not sure if what I’m saying is Catholic or not; but that’s my feeling on it.

As for your empty cross spirituality: I get it and I respect it. Just not my thing.
 
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Michael16 said:
Think of the church building itself as a sacred space; a consecrated place set aside from the world. As well as a place that teaches in its imagery, architecture and aesthetics. A church should be a beautiful place befitting what takes place there.
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I don’t disagree, but I’m also aware that Christ meets people in shacks and run down buildings. The church I attend doesn’t have what I would call a beautiful building but it is very functional. This was a conscious decision to keep the cost down. We have used that cost savings to donate over $100,000 to a ministry that digs water wells in rural villages in Asia and Africa over the past few years. I believe we have fully funded three or four wells which have allowed the Gospel to be introduced to un-reached areas. This is the first church I’ve ever attended that runs a budget surplus then uses that surplus to support missions and ministries that make a difference in peoples lives over and above the “normal” ministries of the church.
 
Michael16 said:
As for your empty cross spirituality: I get it and I respect it. Just not my thing.
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Well, maybe the next time I see a crucifix I will be reminded of what Christ was willing to endure for my sake. And maybe the next time you see an empty cross you will be reminded that Christ overcame death and is now a the right hand of the Father interceding for you.
 
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I appreciate your words, Ianman87.

Thank you for what you said about looking at a crucifix.

As for the empty cross:

Every time I pray the Glorious Mysteries in the Holy Rosary I am reminded of just that: Christ’s Resurrection and His Ascension into Heaven.

What I usually see in His Resurrection is that He overcame sin and death through His love and faith in the Father. In the Ascension, He was with the Apostles forty days, spoke with them, commissioned them and arose into Heaven to make places for us in Heaven.

Every time I pray the Creed at the beginning of the Holy Rosary and these Mysteries, I am reminded that He overcame and sits at the right hand of the Father.

However: I will honor you and think of what you said the next time I see an empty cross.
 
No doubt, Ianman87; that God meets us wherever we need Him.

I understand your point about saving money so the money could be used for charitable works. I get it and I respect it.

In the Church, we understand that the beautiful things of our Church is on public display for all the faithful to see and in the hands of wealthy private collectors wouldn’t be on public display should we sell it all off for the immediate charitable ends.

The wealth the Church holds is under stewardship to support long term the Church’s charitable works all over the world. If we gave it all away, as some critics importune us; then it does an immediate charitable shot in the arm in the here and now and leaves nothing for the long term.

I hope this helps you to understand.
 
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I love your story, TNMan.

Especially the part about Sola Scriptura not being a thing.

When you apply Sola Scriptura to Catholicism, an interesting thing happens! 😏

The above statement was so true in my journey home.

I hope for your sake that your wife was on board with you when you swam the Tiber.
 
Yours was a beautiful story, Tommy. Thank you for sharing.

I actually spoke once with Fr Larry Richards live.

I called in one day while he was doing a call in advice show on EWTN. I called about what to do for my sons growing up ELCA in my parents’ church because they’re above the age of reason. I can’t make them become Catholic.

Well, Fr Larry gave me some really good advice and I really love the man. Every time I go home after Mass, one of his talks is on the radio.

When I learned that Bishop Fulton Sheen and Billy Graham were friends; that blew my mind. Bishop Sheen was an awesome speaker and I hope he’s canonized soon.

I’ve never seen or heard Billy Graham preach. Heck, I didn’t even know he was Baptist until I heard Fr Larry say he was in one of his talks.

As a kid, I was always leery of televangelists. Especially after the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker thing in the 80s. In those days, I would just wait and see if these big name preachers would implode onto themselves.

Since you listen to EWTN, I’d love to know what you like about our Church.

As for what you said about Confession: It’s a beautiful thing. My first Confession; I told Father all the things I could remember doing, big list as I was 39 at the time; and when I heard the Absolution: I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. I felt clean, light and happy.

I came out a different man than what I was coming in.
 
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Michael16 said:
As for the empty cross:

Every time I pray the Glorious Mysteries in the Holy Rosary I am reminded of just that: Christ’s Resurrection and His Ascension into Heaven.
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Don’t forget Sunday Mass is a celebration, a feast in honor of The resurrection. A mini Easter if you will.
 
That’s pretty cool, Hodos.

In fact: Your story inspires me to do more in my faith walk.

I love how you gear your day around prayer. I think I’ll start the habit of morning and evening prayer up in my own spiritual life. Thanks for the inspiration. Were you aware that Morning and Evening Prayer comes from the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours?

In my own spiritual life, it’s mainly about mindset and prayer. I try to stay grounded in love and in my heart. 1 John 4:16 is a huge influence in my spiritual life.

It’s hard to describe. But, I’ll try.

Dwelling in love as refuge and foundation. That love as a power that extends from my heart into my mind. There, thoughts and feelings contrary to the Gospel and virtue can be loved down. From my heart, love extends outward to God and others through my eyes and my actions. As I encounter resistance and adversity in my life, I just hold fast to love and love my way through it.

The image of my life on Earth is that of walking on a path, the state of grace; through the world with the devil trying his level best to divert me off the path into sin and drag me down to hell with him because he hates me that much. In my hand is my rosary and above me is Christ; Whom I follow and serve as my Lord, Savior and King. Looking up to Him and commending and entrusting myself completely to Him. Totus tuus.

I often contemplate Our Lady’s virtues, her interior life, her love for the Father, for Christ and all of us difficult kids of hers on Earth; as well as her loving focus on Christ.

As part of my spiritual life, I offer up my sufferings, prayers and devotions, for those who ask or those whose intentions I notice as I go about my day; as Our Lady intercedes for us.

I hope the visuals I employed are making sense.

The devotions I do as part of my spiritual life are the Holy Rosary which is a Christocentric devotion in which I emulate Our Lady continually contemplating and pondering in her heart her Divine Son. My favorite Mysteries are the Sorrowful Mysteries in which I contemplate the Passion of Our Lord.

One of my favorite stories of praying the Rosary is this: Once I was praying the Crucifixion. As I was praying, I saw in my mind Our Lady praying at the foot of the Cross next to me and of course Jesus. Jesus looked down at me and said: Behold your Mother. Jesus gave me His Mother and from that day on; I’ve had not one problem with praying to her or seeking her intercession. I’ve loved her as my spiritual mother from that day on.

I read the Bible, books on the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary. My favorite books are the Rule of Saint Benedict and the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius de Loyola. Which, btw; were blessed by Father this last Assumption day.

Whenever I can, I stop by my church, which is open 24/7 for Perpetual Adoration; to offer up Holy Hours on people’s behalf. When I pray the Rosary, I make a habit to offer up individual Mysteries for the conversion of sinners, strengthening of the family in our culture, ending abortion, strengthening our priests and for others’ intentions in addition to the general intention of that particular Rosary itself.
 
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From Saint Benedict, I have learned how to go about my day, focused on what I’m doing, the intentions behind it and not worrying about the devil. When he shows up, just have faith and pray. I also learned from him what faith is and how to live it.

I also learned from Saint Benedict the simple rhythm of work, pray and study. That everything has its time and place and not everything has to happen right away.

From Saint Ignatius de Loyola, I learned techniques of prayerful discernment, decision making, not making decisions in times of spiritual desolation, seeking God’s Will in everything, a prayerful Examen of Conscience at the end of the day in which I go over my day, noting my sins, asking God to help me not do it again, as I resolve not to do it again and a plethora of visual images to draw on in prayer.

All based upon the First Principle and Foundation in which I recognize that I was made to praise, revere and serve God and thus save my soul with all of my decisions geared toward this end. That I can employ created things toward this end, letting go of them when they served their purpose; while not being attached to them; thus preserving my freedom from undue attachments and influences to thus choose what is good for the praise, reverence and service of God and the saving of my soul.

The beautiful thing about Saint Ignatius de Loyola’s Exercises is that it’s a thirty day program of prayerful meditations on the Life, Passion and Resurrection of Jesus in which the exercitant is led up to a discernment of a very great many things; including his state in life and what he can do to serve Christ. I hope one day to undertake the Exercises.

What I’ve learned from these two saints have been game changers as I struggle with myself interiorly. My mind and my interior life is my main battlefield as struggle with doubts, fears, temptations, my pride, arrogance, anger and other character flaws and bad old thinking habits that still lock me up in my mind if I let them.
 
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That really is a good way of putting it. What they do with Scripture and it’s interpretation for example. Sheesh; talk about arrogance.
 
Right, and I think many have the empty warehouses for a few reasons:

1.) Fear of anything being considered idolatrous

and

2.) When they think of “early” church they think book of ACTS. They think of a time when there were no crosses of crucifixes. Upper room or someone’s basement would suffice.

So I do do understand. However, I personally love how the Church catered to the people throughout the ages with colored windows and the bible in pictures for those unable to read it.
 
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You are not alone in your feeling.

I would say the Lutherans at least kept a Crucifix up so that helps. However, I had a 6 month stint in the Lutheran Church. The Eucharist just was not the same knowing they aren’t united with other protestants in doctrine. Almost felt tribal to me…like Luther’s tribe or something lol.
 
I think you’re right on all counts. I would add one more - non-denominational bible churches are concerned with worshiping in such a manner (including the building) that attracts - or doesn’t drive away - those who have been “turned off” by denominational (I include mainline denominations and Catholicism here) churches growing up. Said another way - they are designed to attract mostly younger people (<40).
 
Something you said disturbs me TULIPed: Worship designed to attract.

That just sounds wrong to me. We should worship God in the manner that He is due. Not in a way that attracts those with certain tastes or demographics.

In worship, we must give God His due and the manner required.
 
True. And yet we’re to be “fishers” of people, no? The object is to introduce people to Christ. Why not do it in a place that’s comfortable for them? Yes, yes, you’d say the focus should be on Christ - and yes, you’re right. I think there’s a tension though between having an inviting place to introduce people to “church” and ensuring that we are honoring our Lord.

Said another way - I’ve been to the duomo’s in Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice etc. etc., and I’ve been to a number of “newer” Catholic Churches here in the States. I think Michelangelo and DaVinci would be - surprised - at the manner in which Catholic church’s have “moderinized” 🙂
 
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