Protestant preaches Mary & Maccabees!

[forthright]

This thread may not properly belong under “apologetics,” but I had a hard time deciding where to put it. I hope no one minds it being here. . . .

A common Catholic response to the Protestant accusation of over-emphasis on Mary is that the Protestants under-emphasize her. I have heard a number of Catholic converts claim they have never heard (or given) a sermon on Mary, despite her prominence in the Gospels.

This morning that changed for me, as I heard Bob Russell from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, give a sermon on the radio on Mary. The title of the sermon had to do with raising kids and passing on Christianity to the next generation, but the entirety of the sermon focused on Mary, from the Annunciation to her heart being pierced at the foot of the cross.

Granted, he skirted the issue of the Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity, but who can blame him. He pastors the largest church in the area (their website boasts a new record of nearly 30,000 attendees at last Easter’s services), yet I am consistently amazed at how Catholic he sounds. In the past, I’ve heard him speak on the necessity of baptism and the primacy of Peter. Just last week, in a related sermon on passing on Christianity to the next generation, he used the story of the Maccabean martyrs (the mother and her 7 sons) to display how we should remain faithful God despite all.

Bob Russell is retiring soon, so my questions are: Has anyone heard of him or his nationally syndicated radio program? Given his Catholic view, does anyone know if his retirement has anything to do with a possible conversion? Finally, has anyone heard of other Protestant pastors paralleling Catholicism without coming out and endorsing it?

I’m hoping this becomes a popular trend amound Protestant pastors!!!

 

[johnshelby]

a lot of protestant pastors are starting to ‘recognize’ Mary’s
role in the early church, and her role, as the one who said
yes, in our salvation…

as for the Maccabees… they are being put back into some
modern versions of the KJV of the bible… they were removed
from it in 1885 or something like that…

 

[FCEGM]

This is very encouraging to hear. Similarly, a Baptist pastor in the Charlotte, NC, area wrote an excellent article for the Charlotte Observer urging all Christians to celebrate the Feast of All Saints!

 

[Cairisti]

That’s great to hear!

As far as Maccabees, I remember in college (Baylor - a Baptist University) and taking a religion class (required). Well, the professor, who was always in deep trouble with the SBC for going against certain teachings of the baptist denomination, taught us about the “Maccabee boys”. I never thought much about how that was unique until I started looking into the Catholic Church and found that the Maccabees aren’t (IIRC) in the Protestant bible, but are in the Catholic Bible. Old B. Patterson never told us which book in the OT he was quoting from. Now we do.

 

[puzzleannie]

late night driving home only thing to listen to other than Spanish or Country stations is Christian talk show, the evangelical preachers often give surprisingly Catholic sounding bible studies and talks. One was on angels, he quoted Thomas Aquinas as an authority several times. Another was on the priesthood in the OT and while he did not go there, every point that is used in support of the Catholic teaching on the priesthood, right from the CCC, was there. Another talking about the political fight against abortion (and praising work by Fr. Pavone and others) was about Mary as a pro-life symbol and guide for us.

Scott Hahn’s conversion story relates how the closer he came to examining to biblical and patristic sources for Catholic doctrine, the closer it brought him to the Catholic Church.

My advice to any non-Catholic preacher who begins to sound this way is to never, never pick up a rosary. You do and you’re as good as Catholic, she will reel you in so fast it will make your head spin.

 

[Stephen_Korsman]

johnshelby:

a lot of protestant pastors are starting to ‘recognize’ Mary’s
role in the early church, and her role, as the one who said
yes, in our salvation…

The more Protestants begin to understand Catholicism and what it is really about, instead of going the Jack Chick and Dave Hunt way, the more they realise that it’s a valid insight into Christianity. And the more that happens, the less anti-Catholic they get, and the more likely they are to allow previously Catholic-only truths to express themselves in their sermons and writings.

God bless,
Stephen

 

[Stephen_Korsman]

forthright:

This morning that changed for me, as I heard Bob Russell from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, give a sermon on the radio on Mary. The title of the sermon had to do with raising kids and passing on Christianity to the next generation, but the entirety of the sermon focused on Mary, from the Annunciation to her heart being pierced at the foot of the cross.

You might find the sermon online at oneplace.com/Ministries/The_Living_Word/Archives.asp - there is one called “Raising Godly Children” from 8 May. It may have been broadcast on radio at a later date, when you heard it, if that is the same one. (I haven’t listened yet.)

forthright:

Granted, he skirted the issue of the Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity, but who can blame him. He pastors the largest church in the area (their website boasts a new record of nearly 30,000 attendees at last Easter’s services), yet I am consistently amazed at how Catholic he sounds. In the past, I’ve heard him speak on the necessity of baptism and the primacy of Peter. Just last week, in a related sermon on passing on Christianity to the next generation, he used the story of the Maccabean martyrs (the mother and her 7 sons) to display how we should remain faithful God despite all.

I can’t find this one, but it’s likely in the same series.

You might be able to track down that sermon by date (??31 Oct, when you posted) at the broadcast list at southeastchristian.org/lw_broadcast.cfm

Another one on Mary (maybe the one you mean):
Mary, A Broken-Hearted Mother (Mar 19/20)
PDF summary

I can’t find further details … maybe someone else can.

God bless,
Stephen

 

[Elzee]

Wow! I never hear about Mary in my CATHOLIC Church…maybe I should start listening to Protestant Radio!