My Old Protestant Church

[Dark_Warrior]

Today I attended my old Protestant church, just for a visit. It was . . . different, in fact so different I could not feel God at all. I mean, it was really nice, especially seeing all my old friends, and my old Pastor. After the service I hung out with a few friends and the Pastor downstairs. We chatted for a couple of hours, even got into a little Catholic stuff and my Pastor was respectful about it, though he kept trying to get me to come back to his church lol. He said it jokingly but I could tell he really wants me to come back. Over all I’m just glad he’s not anti-Catholic, but some there are.

Anyway, the whole thing (the service and all) just felt like a great big conversation, completely, rather than worship. And I go to Church to WORSHIP GOD, not learn about Him, that’s done just about every other day of the week.

So while it was good, and nice to chat, it was not worship, at least not for me. I missed my regular Church and am so glad I discovered it. I tell yuo all, if anyone were ever to convince me that catholicism is wrong, I will abandon Christianity completely and be agnostic.

I need Mother Church, I love Her, everything about Her, the genuflection, kneeling, real Presence of Christ, the creeds, prayers, etc.!!

Praise God for the Catholic Church, the only place for me where I can truly let go and worship my Lord, my Master, my God.

Just wanted to share this

 

[CWBetts]

you’re lucky. My old Protestant Church is anti-Catholic. I mean like Jack Chick anti-Catholic. If I went there, I’m pretty sure i would be run off with torches. And what yu said abour worship, I get that. I mean in the Catholic Church Jesus is there. Not metaphorically, not symbolicly, really.

 

[Dark_Warrior]

you’re lucky. My old Protestant Church is anti-Catholic. I mean like Jack Chick anti-Catholic. If I went there, I’m pretty sure i would be run off with torches. And what yu said abour worship, I get that. I mean in the Catholic Church Jesus is there. Not metaphorically, not symbolicly, really.

Yes, Catholicism is the fullness of Christianity in your face and I love it!

Wow, those people at your old church sound mean, cruel. Sometimes i wish to go after those who would attack like you said, and challenge them, beyond words even. But I know that’s not Christ-like. Just irritates me though.

 

[BernadetteM]

Although my post is not about my former church, but I think it is relavent to the OP’s.

My parish had Patrick Madrid speak on Friday night and all day Saturday.

When I entered the church Friday for some reason I felt that there was an emptiness there. It was strange as the thought came to me and I had never felt that before in this church. Right before Patrick started to speak Father called out (he was in the back of the church) that the Blessed Sacrament had been removed during this event. We are a very traditional parish and there is no clapping during services etc.

It was obvious to me that truely our Lord is physically present as why would I feel and even have the thought that it was empty. That emptiness is a feeling I have had in protestant churches in the past.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

 

[Debra_C]

Jesus promised us that wherever two or more are gatherd in His name, He will be there in their midst. In that sense, Our Lord is still present in Protestant churches. But I must confess, I have noticed that same empty feeling when I have found myself in Protestant churches since becoming Catholic. First, it is important to remember that how we feel is not always indicative of reality. But there are also important differences.

When we come together as a Church in the Catholic Church to worship at Mass, Christ is present with us in four ways. 1) We know He is there, again, because He promised us He would be whenever two or more gather in His name. 2) He is present in His living word as we read the prescribed readings, including one from the Gospel, at every mass. 3) He is mystically present in the priest, as the priest acts in persona christi through the authority given by Jesus and passed down from the Apostles. And most wonderfully of all 4) He is really, trully, and substantially present, Body & Blood, Soul & Divinity, in the Eucharist.

What is really awesome about the Eucharistic presence of Christ, is that it remains so long as the appearances of bread and wine remain. For this reason we always reserve the Sacred Host in our tabernacles, and therefore, every time you step into a Catholic Church, whether it is empty or full of worshippers, you step directly into the substantial presence of Christ Himself.

 

[allischalmers]

My wife having a Catholic for most of our fifty years together, I have many times been at Catholic services. I alwasy walked away wondering why I had bothered. There was nothing there. I wished I was back at my Baptist Church where Christ was praised in song and prayer. Where you could feel the Spirit of God in every person, Where the Word of God was taught in every sermon
I praised the Lord when my wife became a Baptist and we did not go there any more.

 

[CWBetts]

My wife having a Catholic for most of our fifty years together, I have many times been at Catholic services. I alwasy walked away wondering why I had bothered. There was nothing there. I wished I was back at my Baptist Church where Christ was praised in song and prayer. Where you could feel the Spirit of God in every person, Where the Word of God was taught in every sermon
I praised the Lord when my wife became a Baptist and we did not go there any more.

At a Baptist church, people gather to hear a man with no apostolic authority talk about what he thinksthe Bible says, without guidance of the Holy Spirit, promulgating doctrines that fave no foundatin is Scriptures, and rejecting Holy Tradition

 

[Dark_Warrior]

My wife having a Catholic for most of our fifty years together, I have many times been at Catholic services. I alwasy walked away wondering why I had bothered. There was nothing there. I wished I was back at my Baptist Church where Christ was praised in song and prayer. Where you could feel the Spirit of God in every person, Where the Word of God was taught in every sermon
I praised the Lord when my wife became a Baptist and we did not go there any more.

I felt God when I used to attend my old Protestant Church, but was completely blown away when I became Catholic. And now, I can’t feel him in non-Catholic Churches. Doesn’t mean He isn’t there, I just can’t feel Him.

It seems more like a big conversation, quoting some scripture, talking some more and that’s it. Nothing wrong with that, it was fun. But I prefer to go to Church and worship Him rather than hearing Bibl verses out to ying yay as if the Pastor is trying to prove something.

Church is meant for worship, not conversation.

My opinon and feelings.

 

[Church_Militant]

My wife having a Catholic for most of our fifty years together, I have many times been at Catholic services. I alwasy walked away wondering why I had bothered. There was nothing there.

So now you are a bitter anti-Catholic who could not possibly have paid any sort of prayerful attention to what you saw and heard because of your deep seated bigotry against the Catholic faith.

I wished I was back at my Baptist Church where Christ was praised in song and prayer.

Having come from a Southern Baptist background, I know better what their services are like, yet I don’t see a single soul here who has demeaned the non-Catholic services the way you have chosen to demean our Mass, except that we all prefer what we have now.

Where you could feel

the Spirit of God in every person,This is of course, nothing more than a very subjective statement since no one can truthfully say that they know the condition of another person as you suggest.

My own experience was different because I knew some of the people around me well enough to know that they were living in some sin or other, regardless of their position in the church or what performance they gave during the service. I left it to the Holy Spirit to deal with them as needed.

Where the Word of God was taught in every sermon

Ah yes…Southern Baptist preaching. In retrospect it was deceptive because they made such a big deal about the Bible being the one authority when in fact that is not what the Bible teaches at all at all, (but that is another topic for another thread that has so far been flogged to death again and again.) that most of them sit there with their Bibles open and accept what they are spoon fed from the pulpit. That and the snide remarks about us Catholics, or the Methodists, Presbyterians, or Assembly of God, along with the usual compare and contrast rhetoric instead if the straight up Gospel of salvation.

Then of course there are always those tear jerking altar calls “now while the choir softly sings one last verse of ‘Just As I Am’, I want you to get up from your seat and…”

I praised the Lord when my wife became a Baptist and we did not go there any more.

And perhaps we will praise God when you either let go of your a-C agenda here at CAF, or else go post on Baptist Board, where they won’t even allow a Catholic to join and post and your polemics will be accepted with good Baptist “Amens” and Halleluias".:yukonjoe:

 

[MarcoPolo]

Where you could feel the Spirit of God in every person

Do you have to be inside of a Baptist Church to feel the Spirit in someone? Or can you walk down the street and point out who has the Spirit and who doesn’t?

 

[chinook]

I don’t understand the unloading on allis chalmers. Seems in my opinion, he made a simple statement of his experience and feelings. Having been a guest in my son’s Baptist Church, I can comment that compared to my parish, it is and welcoming place. I did not find the service itself or the sermon/bible teaching particularly inspiring compared to the Mass, but I can understand how some folks seem to prefer this .church community to my own parish community It is the warm and glad you are here factor that pulls people from my parish to this Baptist community.

 

[JRKH]

I don’t understand the unloading on allis chalmers. Seems in my opinion, he made a simple statement of his experience and feelings. Having been a guest in my son’s Baptist Church, I can comment that compared to my parish, it is and welcoming place. I did not find the service itself or the sermon/bible teaching particularly inspiring compared to the Mass, but I can understand how some folks seem to prefer this .church community to my own parish community It is the warm and glad you are here factor that pulls people from my parish to this Baptist community.

I believe the response to allis has mostly to do with his style of posting on these boards.
This thread was started by someone wishing to share their positive experience. It seems inapropriate for allis to post such a negative response on such a thread. There are many - many threads where such matters are discussed, or allis could start a thread of his own. It just comes across badly on this one.
Personally I am not a catholic for any “warm and friendly” reason, but because my research has taught me that the Catholic Church is the True one. I go to Church to Worship God and partake of His Holy Presence in the Eucharist. If it was just me and the priest, I would still be Catholic.
As for your parish not being warm and friendly, I would suggest that is largely due to the community of believers, of which you are a part. If it needs to be friendlier I suggest you do what you can to make it so.

This may sound harsh and I don’t mean it to. Please do not take offense.
PAX.

Peace
James

 

[CWBetts]

I don’t understand the unloading on allis chalmers. Seems in my opinion, he made a simple statement of his experience and feelings. Having been a guest in my son’s Baptist Church, I can comment that compared to my parish, it is and welcoming place. I did not find the service itself or the sermon/bible teaching particularly inspiring compared to the Mass, but I can understand how some folks seem to prefer this .church community to my own parish community It is the warm and glad you are here factor that pulls people from my parish to this Baptist community.

I do understand all the unloading. As a former Baptist, I am inimately famliliar with the half-truths, spiritual blackmail, and out and out lies to be found in fundamentalist churches. I know I am going to be screamed at for this, but I know what I was told from behind the pulpit. I am thankful that Jesus Christ reveald himself to the world in the Scriptures and in his Church. In the homilies I have heard during RCIA, since my conversion, and even before I started in RCIA, I have never once heard a homily directed at a any Protestant denomination as being evil. On the other side, st my former Baptist Church, there was a six week study on the RCC as the Whore of Babylon. Which is a better example of the love of Christ? There are alot of other stories I could tell, but I’ve probably painted a target on my forehead as it is.

 

[allischalmers]

Do you have to be inside of a Baptist Church to feel the Spirit in someone? Or can you walk down the street and point out who has the Spirit and who doesn’t?

Maybe it’s just me but when I meet a stranger that is a Christian, I seem to be drawn to that person. It’s like the Holy Spirit is bringing us together.

 

[CWBetts]

Maybe it’s just me but when I meet a stranger that is a Christian, I seem to be drawn to that person. It’s like the Holy Spirit is bringing us together.

I know what you mean. It’s funny the people I’ve met that seem to have been the most spiritual have all been Catholic

 

[sdelane2]

I agree. There was a light about Catholics that I hated when I was an atheist. It’s obvious why I hated that light . . . they were right and I was wrong.

 

[Dark_Warrior]

I agree. There was a light about Catholics that I hated when I was an atheist. It’s obvious why I hated that light . . . they were right and I was wrong.

I used to be an atheist too!

 

[sambos671]

Today I attended my old Protestant church, just for a visit. It was . . . different, in fact so different I could not feel God at all. I mean, it was really nice, especially seeing all my old friends, and my old Pastor. After the service I hung out with a few friends and the Pastor downstairs. We chatted for a couple of hours, even got into a little Catholic stuff and my Pastor was respectful about it, though he kept trying to get me to come back to his church lol. He said it jokingly but I could tell he really wants me to come back. Over all I’m just glad he’s not anti-Catholic, but some there are.

Anyway, the whole thing (the service and all) just felt like a great big conversation, completely, rather than worship. And I go to Church to WORSHIP GOD, not learn about Him, that’s done just about every other day of the week.

So while it was good, and nice to chat, it was not worship, at least not for me. I missed my regular Church and am so glad I discovered it. I tell yuo all, if anyone were ever to convince me that catholicism is wrong, I will abandon Christianity completely and be agnostic.

I need Mother Church, I love Her, everything about Her, the genuflection, kneeling, real Presence of Christ, the creeds, prayers, etc.!!

Praise God for the Catholic Church, the only place for me where I can truly let go and worship my Lord, my Master, my God.

Just wanted to share this

People are strange that way. It shows, to me at least, how our emotions are reliant on our thoughts and will. Of course you didn’t feel God there. Not because he wasn’t but (I believe) you’ve defined worship and God’s presence as the Eucharist. Your emotions fell into line with your belief. I know Pentecostals who “don’t feel” God at quiet reserved services because they don’t have that euphoric feeling that they associate with the Holy Spirit which usually is demonstrated in speaking in tounges, shouting etc… This same phenomena can be seen in UFO buffs or Ghost buffs. We train the brain. Emotions follow. Am I saying that Jesus’ real presence is not in the Eucharist? NO! But I think a biological and behavioral explanation is better.

 

[Debra_C]

Allis is right–

Whether we like to admit it as Catholics or not, it is neither reasonable or within Cahtolic teaching to deny that our Protestant brothers and sisters share many aspects of our faith and that the Spirit is just as free to move in their lives as ours. I have met many very holy and faithful Protestants in my life. I have also met many holy and faithful Catholics. Both have been witnesses to Christ for me. They all deserve some credit in helping me turn myself to God again. I have also met numerous bad examples on both sides of the fence who were Christian in name only.

I believe very much that when we “felt the Holy Spirit move” among us at the old pentacostal church I was once part of, that He really was there. But He was there because of the presence and faith of His people, not because of the church. With the Eucharist in the tabernacle, I can count on Him being there in a Catholic church, whether it is empty or full, even if I am surrounded by others who don’t believe at all.

So, I still could not go back to my Protestant upbringing. Having found Christ in the Eucharist, I just couldn’t give it up. It would be like giving up air.

 

[una_ecclesia]

People are strange that way. It shows, to me at least, how our emotions are reliant on our thoughts and will. Of course you didn’t feel God there. Not because he wasn’t but (I believe) you’ve defined worship and God’s presence as the Eucharist. Your emotions fell into line with your belief. I know Pentecostals who “don’t feel” God at quiet reserved services because they don’t have that euphoric feeling that they associate with the Holy Spirit which usually is demonstrated in speaking in tounges, shouting etc… This same phenomena can be seen in UFO buffs or Ghost buffs. We train the brain. Emotions follow. Am I saying that Jesus’ real presence is not in the Eucharist? NO! But I think a biological and behavioral explanation is better.

You could be right in many cases. I’ve seen this myself, especially in certain nondenominational Christian services that some family members of mine attend. One of them associates the movement of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues, healing, and just praise and worship in general, and he truly feels like he is surrounded by God’s presence, while I on the other hand feel like a sore thumb around some overly hyper people (no offense intended… maybe God really is acting through them, who says that his graces can’t extend to our separated bretheren).

He doesn’t feel like that in a Catholic Church though, even with the Eucharist present. To be honest, being inside a church doesn’t really bring me much noticable emotion either, other than a sublte feeling of peace at times. It could be the fact that Jesus is right there, but it could also be that throughout my life the church has been like a second home to me (hopefully its mostly the first one though )

But I’ve also heard of other times when the opposite happens. Have you heard of Alex Jones, a former pentecostal preacher who converted to Catholicism? In his book (whose name escapes me right now) he describes what how he felt when he first entered a Catholic church. He had no notion whatsoever of looking into Catholicism at the time, but nonetheless felt God’s presence without being able to explain why. Interesting how that works, isn’t it?