Protestants seem to be praying to the Father a lot

[Inbetweener]

With these new Chistian songs - your a good good Father etc and Protestants pastors preaching on having a relationship with your Heavenly Father and that he isn’t angry and hasn’t got a whip out or judge you cause he has given that job to Jesus, there is no more wrath, but lots of goodies as he loves to spoil you. What do you think about this trendy teaching and view on the Fathers love?

 

[adamhovey1988]

I don’t think that’s quite right what you think about theology, for most Christians. And why shouldn’t they be praying to the Father? The Our Father is a prayer common to all Christians.

 

[Inbetweener]

I seen it preached at many churches, a new trend and many preachers jumping on the bandwagon. Father doesn’t care about your sin no more, no sin can separate you from his love, unconditional love, acceptance, heaven is guaranteed, you can’t fall away as no one can get out from his hands, you are eternally secure now go get another coffee. He doesn’t care about your abortion or tattoos, Father isn’t religious, he is waiting for you to return so he can have a party with you. If this is true fantastic then let’s all join these independent churches and have a party.

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

Erm, I think there is certainly a strain of Christianity that thinks God as Father means God is an indulgent undisciplined vending machine and I reject that.
But the Father heart of God is a beautiful thing and well worth meditating on. In some ways I think the focus is good precisely because a living understanding of God as Trinity is sometimes missing, certainly in the Protestant churches I have attended. Instead the Holy Spirit is the focus. Or Jesus only.
One of the reasons I love Orthodox theology is the real lively focus on the Trinity. And the same is true for me in Catholicism. I’m rambling now. Aaanyway.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I fancy myself a Latin Catholic with Byzantine sympathies. My favourite prayers, for whatever reason, tend to be ones directly to Jesus, including my favourite prayer, which is more common to Eastern Christians “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”. Obviously, I pray to the Father and the Holy Spirit as well.

 

[Inbetweener]

Agree with you about the vending machine. There is more depth in Catholic and Orthodox.

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

I fancy myself a Latin Catholic with Byzantine sympathies. My favourite prayers, for whatever reason, tend to be ones directly to Jesus, including my favourite prayer, which is more common to Eastern Christians “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”. Obviously, I pray to the Father and the Holy Spirit as well.

Love the Jesus Prayer. Pray it often. I guess I’m coming from the perspective of entire church services with no mention of anything Trinitarian, and I have been in places where only the Holy Spirit is mentioned through the entire service. When your service starts with the sign of the cross, includes a proper creed and ends with a Trinitarian blessing this is less of a possible issue.

 

[adamhovey1988]

When I get back from Mass, I think I am going to start a new thread about this topic.

 

[ltwin]

With these new Chistian songs - your a good good Father etc and Protestants pastors preaching on having a relationship with your Heavenly Father and that he isn’t angry and hasn’t got a whip out or judge you cause he has given that job to Jesus, there is no more wrath, but lots of goodies as he loves to spoil you. What do you think about this trendy teaching and view on the Fathers love?

I’m not really sure I’m seeing the same thing you are. Scripture is full of references to God the Father and to the goodness of God , so “Good Good Father” is an entirely appropriate song and teaching about the goodness of God is something that all churches should proclaim. Furthermore, Jesus taught us to pray to our Father.

Having said that, there have always been those who teach Antinomianism, that is nothing new. While I have heard ministers preach Antinomianism, I don’t think I’ve ever heard some one teach that God the Father is the good cop and Jesus is the bad cop.

 

[JonNC]

With these new Chistian songs - your a good good Father etc and Protestants pastors preaching on having a relationship with your Heavenly Father and that he isn’t angry and hasn’t got a whip out or judge you cause he has given that job to Jesus, there is no more wrath, but lots of goodies as he loves to spoil you. What do you think about this trendy teaching and view on the Fathers love?

First, any general statement about “Protestants”, as if they are a group, is bound to be wrong.
You know, my experience is that evangelicals tend to pray more directly via an invocation of Jesus.

 

[Contender4TheFaith]

there is no more wrath, but lots of goodies as he loves to spoil you. What do you think about this trendy teaching and view on the Fathers love?

Sadly, that’s an observation I’m making too. As a born again Christian, I believe that this points to the apostasy that has been prophesied for the last days. Thankfully, there are still some who hold to God’s word and preach the love of God as well as the warnings regarding the wrath of God.

 

[po18guy]

It is false. Extremely easy to believe because it appeals to the senses, but still false. The camel and the needle’s eye is instructive here.

It is ‘Father Father Father’ and ‘grace grace grace’ which is true as far as it goes. However, they do not have the Sacramental presence of Christ - a vertical relationship, and so must substitute a horizontal relationship - fellowship.

Bible is substituted for Eucharist - a choice which Catholics need not make.

A little anecdote. A retired co-worker died. At his funeral, a CoG pastor lead the opening and closing prayer. As he sought out words, he dropped the Lord’s name 17 times in the opening prayer, and 19 times in the closing.

“Lord, we just ask…”

 

[joeybaggz]

I fancy myself a Latin Catholic with Byzantine sympathies. My favourite prayers, for whatever reason, tend to be ones directly to Jesus, including my favourite prayer, which is more common to Eastern Christians “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”. Obviously, I pray to the Father and the Holy Spirit as well. Thanks for the heads up on its origin.

Adam, I use that prayer as an act of Contrition in the sacrament of reconciliation. No Roman rite Catholic priest has ever “corrected” me. I do however say it a bit different; “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I like it better than the “stock” act of contrition. I remember in post Vatican II, it was cited as an acceptable act of contrition.

As to the original post, it sounds like something I would expect from an OSAS point of view. For “churches” that preach sola scriptura, that thinking leaves out a lot of the teaching of the Jesus they claim to worship.

 

[JonNC]

As to the original post, it sounds like something I would expect from an OSAS point of view. For “churches” that preach sola scriptura, that thinking leaves out a lot of the teaching of the Jesus they claim to worship.

Could you elaborate?

 

[joeybaggz]

joeybaggz:

As to the original post, it sounds like something I would expect from an OSAS point of view. For “churches” that preach sola scriptura, that thinking leaves out a lot of the teaching of the Jesus they claim to worship.

Could you elaborate?

Jon: I was thinking about Jesus’ exhortations about the fire of Gehenna, about going without sight or limbs to heaven than whole to Gehenna, about fig trees that don’t bring forth fruit, about Jesus’ references to Moses whom the Father in His anger denied Moses the promised land due to his disobedience.

Once saved always saved seems to me to deny much of Christ’s message. I think if one accepted that way of thinking and never in his life committed further sin, it would be valid. But people sin, all of us do. I know I do and to me it is not logical that one single act of acceptance, can assure me that Jesus’ words about sinning are no longer valid. I just have trouble with the idea that once you make an altar call, regardless of what you do in life, you are guaranteed to be “saved.” Not logical when you read the words of Jesus.

 

[JonNC]

JonNC:

joeybaggz:

As to the original post, it sounds like something I would expect from an OSAS point of view. For “churches” that preach sola scriptura, that thinking leaves out a lot of the teaching of the Jesus they claim to worship.

Could you elaborate?

Jon: I was thinking about Jesus’ exhortations about the fire of Gehenna, about going without sight or limbs to heaven than whole to Gehenna, about fig trees that don’t bring forth fruit, about Jesus’ references to Moses whom the Father in His anger denied Moses the promised land due to his disobedience.

Once saved always saved seems to me to deny much of Christ’s message. I think if one accepted that way of thinking and never in his life committed further sin, it would be valid. But people sin, all of us do. I know I do and to me it is not logical that one single act of acceptance, can assure me that Jesus’ words about sinning are no longer valid. I just have trouble with the idea that once you make an altar call, regardless of what you do in life, you are guaranteed to be “saved.” Not logical when you read the words of Jesus.

Thanks. Great explanation. I couldn’t agree more.
I just wasn’t sure how sola scriptura fits in.