Odyssey of a Fickle Protestant

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Paul.D

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I don’t know if I’m in the right spot, but I am a restless protestant who is looking increasingly to Rome. My journey is as follows:

Act I - Confessions of a Fickle Protestant

I was raised Baptist. At 19 I converted to the Church of Christ (acapella evangelicals) while dating the gal who would eventually become my wife. What’s interesting about the Church of Christ is that they pulverize the protestant conceptualization of “Sola Fide” and take a view of baptism and take what is much closer to a “sacramental” view. (Whereas it is strictly symbolic for many protestants.) This really resonated with me, and for several years after I left the Baptist church I was “all in” with my new found found Protestant sect.

Eventually I became restless again, and my wife and I left the Chruches of Christ and spent over five years bouncing around various evangelical churches with our two kids suffering the from the lack of consistency. Being skeptical of Sola Fide, we found that we did not fit anywhere in that world. Exhausted, we eventually went slinking back to the drab but familiar Churches of Christ. We are not exactly happy, but at least we do not have to abide talk of predestination and “ask Jesus into your heart” conversions.

The thing that really bothered me – that I haven’t been able to shake – regarding our church shopping experience was that even even within the narrow spectrum of evangelical churches we were attending there it was a jungle of private scriptural interpretations. Having let go of Sola Fide some 14 years ago I was beginning to become certain that Sola Scriptura needs to be jettisoned as well.

Act II - Cancer

A little over a year ago my wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma. I cannot really even say what prompted me – other that desperation and a feeling of complete spiritual inadequacy (see Act I) – I began asking for the intercession of Mary on my wife’s behalf. (Also St. Luke – knowing that he was a physician.) I figured that it couldn’t hurt and that I needed all the help I could get.

What I was not expecting was that my prayers during that time period would be the most powerful prayers of my entire life. Ultimately my wife was able to have her melanoma removed surgically and she required no chemo and no radiation. I reiterate that this was was STAGE FOUR melanoma, and she was completely clear after just the surgery. None of the nasty cancer treatments required.

At this point, I got spooked. I quietly packed away the Mary and the Saints and haven’t told anyone.

Act III - Investigation

One day, on a whim, I started watching a YouTube video by some cajun Catholic named Karlo Broussard. About six hours into his videos I am now beginning to consider something that I never would have imagined myself considering: that I might have to become Catholic.

This is my story right up to this point. I welcome your prayers and any advice. Especially if anyone here has a background in the Churches of Christ.
 
My Grandpa (who basically was the one who got my Mom and thus my Dad to convert) was Church of Christ. They are hardcore Protestants. My Grandpa got disinherited for becoming Catholic. I don’t know if your family is that harsh. Hopefully not.

You have my prayers mate! If you have any questions, just ask here or start a thread. Good Luck! Crossing the Tiber isn’t that hard once you actually start. 😉
 
Paul, what a marvelous journey. Prayers of Thanksgiving now in my heart for your wife’s recovery and health, and for your sincere search ever closer to God. Marvelous movements.

It is a “drama” of the greatest consequence that we are all in middle of, souls working toward God, helping each other in communion. I will pray for your discernment at Mass tomorrow.

God Bless.
 
So cool to see you on board, here at this site !
You’ll meet some great people - it’s fun - discussions - etc
And prayer warriors - who’ll certainly encourage you - including me 😇
 
Thanks for sharing your story. Having received God’s gift, you now have to journey through life a new man and work on increasing your faith and hope and practice loving your neighbor. Do not delay and approach your local parish and ask to join the RCIA.
 
They are hardcore particularly about the Sola Scriptura that I’ve been becoming disillusioned with. But they will not disinherit us. As noted we’ve left their church once already. I’ve been praying lately for Holy Spirit to soften my pride, because there is a big part of my flesh that wants to avoid looking like a fool/flake for leaving a second time after only being back for about two years.

Thanks for your comments. I know it must have taking a long time to them from Old Entish, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish.
 
Thank you for your prayers Edward both for joining me in thanksgiving and for my discernment. I certainly need it.
 
Paul, One thing to think about…and this is (I don’t know why) rarely communicated to new or old catholics:

Formation needs to be a life long thing for us, until we die, literally.
There are different types of formation, but we need all of them, and we should cycle around these, even though we may prefer one type of formation to another.
The most common types of formation are these:
  • Doctrinal formation
  • Spiritual /Ascetical formation
  • Human formation
  • Apostolic formation.
More detalis about each:
  • Doctrinal formation: Holy Scripture, Natural Law, Catechism, Moral theology, fundamental theology, etc; Net: knowing and loving God with our intellect!; marriage, fatherhood, role of our vocations, etc.
  • Spiritual / Ascetical formation: Prayer life, forms of prayer, working on one’s dominant defect; resolutions; examination; how to squeeze all you can out of the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist/Mass/Confession; maintaining a presence of God throughout the day; how to do this; how to fast well; how to know and love God with our heart; how to live charity well; proper ordering of our motives: intellect, will, appetites/passions.
  • Human formation: Working on the human virtues: prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude and all their cousin virtues, optimism, industriousness, cheerfulness…the virtues are human/practice-able strengths that can help us live out a life of holiness more easily, allowing us to help others more, etc; how to love God with our body/habits
  • Apostolic formation: How to help others come closer to God.
The goal of all of these are to help us live a lively interior life with God, using all our human capacities and all the supernatural graces God gives us, such as through the Sacraments and prayer life.
 
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Wow that’s great stuff. I have a quick question about this:
“how to squeeze all you can out of the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist/Mass/Confession;”
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I was listening to one Catholic content creator just yesterday, and his recommendation was to prepare for Mass the entire week by meditating/praying on the reading so that you are prepared to receive what Lord is attempting to accomplish within you. Probably a very basic question, but where can I find a liturgical calendar so that I’ll even be able to anticipate the scripture readings?
 
WOW. The reading today is St. Paul’s conversion story. (Acts 9:1-20) AND a passage that I’ve been pondering for the past couple of days regarding its implications on my understanding of the Body and Blood of Christ. (John 6:52-59) I don’t even know what to say…
 
Paul, here you go.


See also the little calendar picker on the right side. You can pick daily Masses, Sunday Masses, whatever.

It’s good to prepare ahead of time, but in the building of a healthy interior life, “little” and “slow” and “patient” and “begin again” are good watchwords.

Some saints have said the entire interior life with God is one of beginning and beginning again. It’s an act of humility each time, returning to God. God loves it when we approach Him as a child…and children are always beginning again! We can get very practiced at beginning again, even with a good sense of humor as we go back to Him.

God Bless.
 
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Yes, the entire 6th Chapter of St John’s Gospel is so moving and strong and good.

I was fortunate last fall to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and we spent time in Capharnaum. There’s a 3rd century synagogue that was built directly on top of the 1st Century synagogue.

This is the very site where Jesus gave the “Bread of Life Discourse” found in John 6.

It was moving to walk around the entire synagogue thinking…I am crossing over the foot path of Jesus…we’re right where He explained the Eucharist, and some accepted His words, and others didn’t.
 
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Welcome! I love seeker’s stories. I strongly recommend the Journey Home videos on Youtube, which profile a bunch of converts’ journeys, for all sorts of faith traditions as well as agnostic and atheist.
 
One day, on a whim, I started watching a YouTube video by some cajun Catholic named Karlo Broussard. About six hours into his videos I am now beginning to consider something that I never would have imagined myself considering: that I might have to become Catholic.
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I think you might have answered your own question. I’d have thought it was obvious myself, speaking as a former Protestant.
 
Paul, I am so excited you are at least looking! It’s so inspirational! I remember hearing about Dr. Scott Hahn’s conversion and before he became Catholic randomly started praying the rosary for a personal intention-- you should read Rome, Sweet Home by him and his wife Kimberly

The link to the USCCB website is an excellent start. Might I also suggest going to a Catholic bookstore? Might be overwhelming and overwhelmingly awesome.

Other resources to obtain readings for the week are the issues of Magnificat Magazine which is essentially a magazine that you can take to mass (or gloss over if you haven’t started going to mass yet) which has readings for Sundays and daily masses. It also has a section for the parts of mass that don’t change (the prayers we all say at mass every Sunday).

Along that vein, if you are ever inclined you can even purchase a Daily Roman Missal or the ones for Sunday (sold at your local Catholic bookstore). Since the parishes you mentioned seem to be in around the Houston metro area, you should stop by Veritas Catholic Bookstore, they are awesome and carry the aforementioned reading materials.

For videos on YouTube, watch a few from Bishop Fulton Sheen. Given your level of scriptural experience, he may be a bit fundamental but it does give a Catholic angle on alot of things-- along the lines of what Edward_H wrote above especially the Doctrinal and Spiritual formation.

If you have any other question, feel free to PM me I’d love to get you started!
 
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I am so happy to hear that your wife is better, you and your family will be in my prayers.

My advice:
Learn more about Catholicism. To do so, I have two amazing books to recommend:

-Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn

He was a Presbyterian minister that converted to the RCC. The book is his conversion story and focuses on many aspects of the faith.
  • Why We’re Catholic by Trent Horn
This was written by an apologists that is very knowledgeable and relates many of the areas of our faith into an easy to read novel.

God Bless and good luck brother
 
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