Went undercover to a Baptist church today

[war_eagle]

For Catholics, the Mass isn’t just a one-time event where you show up at 10:30 am, sit for an hour, and behold! You’ve been told how to get to Heaven - it’s actually a lot more than that.

Nor is church that for Christians.

We encounter Christ through the Eucharist

We encounter Christ through the preaching of His word.

Come back a couple more times - you might start to understand what we mean.

I understood it. I just didn’t agree with it.

 

[pnewton]

I mean God’s plan of salvation.

I heard random verses here and there, I heard a lot of folksy stories about how to be a good person, but I didn’t have any more idea how to be saved than before I went in.

That’s what I thought. We surely have differences in what is takes to be saved. Catholics do emphasize “being a good person”, if this is defined as practicing acts of charity. We view this as an intergral part of salvation. We also emphasize confession of sin, publically and in private, repentance and baptism unto the remission of sin. Also, obviously we celebrate communion in response to John 6 and the instruction of Christ found there.

 

[montanaman]

Let me put it another way–when I go to non-Catholic forums, I don’t start off threads or responses with, “We don’t believe in worshipping the Bible like you guys do.” (Disclaimer, I don’t believe non-Catholics worship the Bible, though I HAVE met a few who do seem to elevate it above Christ as we are often accused of doing with Mary).

Now, what’s your reaction to a comment like that, War? Assuming you’re a normal person, you’d probably be somewhat miffed, wouldn’t you?

Same thing here.

 

[montanaman]

BTW, lest I come off as a complete anti-Protestant bigot, (which, admittedly, would be hard to dispute, at least as far as anti-Catholics go), that “sharply angled marine” I mentioned in the first post? He and I are hanging out on Saturday while my wife goes to the baby shower. He and I get along very well because he at least takes the time to understand what Catholics really believe before disagreeing with it, and I don’t assume he’s an anti-papist knuckle-dragger just because he does disagree. In fact, most of my friends are either Protestants or atheists.

It’s all about treating each other with respect. You think Catholics are crazy? Fine! Yay! I do, too, most of the time. You’d have to be a little nuts to CHOOSE this difficult path. Just don’t tell me we don’t know Christ, or we reject the Bible, or we pray to the pope, or we secretly worship Mary, and we’ll get along smashingly.

 

[Linda_Marie]

I know what you mean. I always felt something was missing when I would attend mass. I guess it was God’s word.

I didn’t say that I didn’t hear a verse or two here or there. I said I didn’t hear the Gospel. Judging by all of the Roman Catholics who say they never heard it either, I’ve got to say that I’m not the only one.

I’m not sure what Baptist church you went to, but typically our hymns are taken directly from scripture, we have a scripture reading, and then we have about 45 minutes of expositional preaching, which is all scripture.

How can you not have heard God’s Word at Mass? Only a ‘verse or two’ and no Gospel??? I can only surmise that you and these others you speak of weren’t paying attention.

The first half of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Word. On Sundays, there is a reading from the Old Testament, a Psalm, a reading from an Epistle followed by a Gospel reading. Then we have the Homily where the priest teaches about how to apply the Word we just heard in our daily lives.

At Daily Mass, there is the OT reading, a Psalm and a Gospel reading, sometimes followed by a short homily.

If you attend Sunday and Daily Mass, during the 3 year cycle of readings, you will hear around 70% of the entire Bible - READ AT MASS!

Any Catholic who says they never heard the Gospel at Mass is being dishonest - especially since we stand to listen to it. The Gospel reading is always preceded by “Please stand to welcome the Gospel” and we sing, “Alleluia, Alleluia”. How can you miss this?

Exactly how many is ‘all’ the Catholics you have heard say they never heard the Gospel at Mass? 5?, 10? 100?

 

[Zenas]

I went under cover to a Catholic church about three months ago and liked it enough I have been back again. Genuflecting was a little awkward (I’m amazed at the ease with which Catholics do this). Otherwise it went fine. The mass was beautiful. The homily was a lot better than I had expected. However, the singing left something to be desired. Here, I don’t think the problem is with your musical ability. The problem is with many (not all) of the hymns. They are simply too difficult for the average person to sing. Sing more hymns like Holy, Holy, Holy, and the quality of the singing will improve drastically.

 

[ncgolf]

Genuflecting was a little awkward (I’m amazed at the ease with which Catholics do this).

I think you bring up a good point for Catholics in general. Catholics do with ease (sometimes without thinking or appreciating) many things that for non-Catholics are very difficult or not understandable. Some others you may have seen in Mass are blessing yourself with holy water, the sign of the Cross, Eucharist, standing, sitting and kneeling at different times, invoking Saints and the Blessed Mother to pray with us (using the present tense as if they are there), a reading from the Old Testament, a reading from the Letters and a reading from one of the 4 Gospels, also there are always readings from the Psalms (either read or sung with a response). These readings are not picked by the Pastor but are consistent throughout the world so if you went to Mass in Kentucky or Kenya on the same day the readings would be the same.

I hope you go back and look at some of the other things I mentioned … one other thing is the Mass is awesome (in spite of the singing sometimes ).

 

[chrisb]

Grace and Peace,

What I like, and miss, from my days as a Baptist is their reverence of the Scriptures.

When I go to Catholic Bible Studies it’s far more busying itself about “Historic Criticial” method and not at all concerned about what it says. I just don’t go anymore…

I really miss good ole Baptist Bible reverence. I wish Catholics had that too.

 

[Metaron]

Similar experience here from me too! There was definitely an uneasy feeling that something’s really missing - the Liturgy! I walked out after a couple hymns, though

Me too! I guess Catholics do a lot more worshipping.

And, Our Lord is actually, physically, locally present in our churches! Can’t beat that!

 

[Nechasin]

Nor is church that for Christians.

Ummm…you mean protestants…Catholics are Christians too.

 

[montanaman]

Ummm…you mean protestants…Catholics are Christians too.

That’s one of my top 5 pet peeves when it comes to ecumenical “dialogue.” At least at first, most Protestants don’t realize how loaded the “Christian vs. Catholic” language is. However, more often than not, once they realize that it irks Catholics they hammer it down our throats. “Oh, you’re Catholic? I’m a Christian.”

I at least try to use terms that don’t have such gunpowder potential. If I know the term “Protestant” irks someone, I’ll try to remember to use the term “non-Catholic.” It’s not that I think they’re NOT Protestants, it’s just that other terms like non-Catholic make it easier to facilitate dialogue.

Then again, when people persist in telling me what I “really” believe, or that I’m duped, or that I’m not a Christian, well, wonderful (and wonderfully) old-fashioned terms like “heretic,” “heresiarch” and “pagan” tend to be tossed around…

 

[palmas85]

Ummm…you mean protestants…Catholics are Christians too.

You’ll have a hard time convincing many if not most Protestants of that fact. Of course in all honesty, they do have a reason for not believing us to be Christians. Honest they really do. It is one of the best kept secrets they have. You see, if Catholics are truly Christians, then there would be no reason for the Protestant Communities to even exist. Their whole existance comes down to one salient fact, they are true Christians and we are not. And probably never have been

Simple. For them to even admit that we are Christians would cast doubt on the validity of their own faith, and by and large they can’t or more accurately won’t do it. They won’t even entertain that thought.

You see the abuses that existed prior to the Reformation were pretty much straightened out relatively quickly. Yet the Protestants refused to return. Why? Because they had discovered True Christianity as opposed to what the Catholic Church taught and believed in. Paganism wrapped up in the name of Jesus.

Don’t blame War Eagle. He is a product of 500 years of indoctrination aimed at exactly one thing:

Ridding the world of the heretical menace of the Catholic Church and its leader, the Pope, whom most of them view as either the Anti Christ or the next best thing.

 

[danonwaveland]

Have really enjoyed most of this resurrected thread!

Long ago, I noticed the palpable coldness/emptiness of the non-Catholic churches I had visited. Many of the churches were quite nice – as were the people who worshiped there – but there was something missing. On the other hand, almost all the Catholic churches I had visited – large or small, modest or ornate – had a warmth and a sense of holiness about them. I am convinced that you could be blindfolded and driven about the city to different churches and, visiting them inside, could tell the Catholic ones from the rest. The difference, of course, is the Eucharist. (The Catholic churches that felt empty to me had the tabernacle in a separate chapel to the side. Oddly – or, pehaps, not oddly – I could sense something different about these churches as soon as I walked in, before seeing the location of the tabernacle.)

God bless! His Love and Mercy are truly unfathomable!

 

[justinthemartyr]

I took my lady friend(now my wife to my AOG church when I was a protestant Bible thumper. I knew she would convert once she felt what they had to offer and hear the dynamic teachings they had to offer from scripture alone.

she told me afterwards that she felt empty, and needed to go to her church, and I asked why and she introduced me to Jesus in the Eucharist, lovingly and politley. I was offended in that she said I could not receive their communion and quietly handed me a missal(missile, i thought) lol and on the backtold lovingly why i could not receive. I was shocked that anyone could believe this, yet thought if it is not true, then it is the biggest hoax the devil everb pulled.

i am now at home in the Catholic Church.

 

[WindyHair]

i went undercover to a catholic church
and i also felt something missing,
light, color, joy, vibrancy… life.

 

[strngrnrth]

i went undercover to a catholic church
and i also felt something missing,
light, color, joy, vibrancy… life.

All those were abundant in the Catholic church I just came back from a few minutes ago. I attended a Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

 

[WindyHair]

i guess churches are a matter
of perspective then.

 

[Tonks40]

Matter of perspective and background, yes. Though may I suggest this…those non-Catholics who have gone to a Catholic church feel that they’re missing many elements - some here have suggested joy, vibrance, music, sermons, etc.

Those Catholics who have attended non-Catholic worship services feel the one thing that is missing - The Eucharist = Christ - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

A pretty significant trend appears to be coming out of this thread, it seems!

 

[WindyHair]

Matter of perspective and background, yes. Though may I suggest this…those non-Catholics who have gone to a Catholic church feel that they’re missing many elements - some here have suggested joy, vibrance, music, sermons, etc.

Those Catholics who have attended non-Catholic worship services feel the one thing that is missing - The Eucharist = Christ - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

A pretty significant trend appears to be coming out of this thread, it seems!

here’s another trend.
catholics slowly losing the younger generation.

 

[danonwaveland]

here’s another trend.
catholics slowly losing the younger generation.

I think not any more than in previous generations. People tend to drift/rebel against their upbringing during their teens and twenties, as I and most of my contemporaries did. However, through prayer, maturity, and, most of all, the grace of the Holy Spirit, I and many came back.

I am very blessed by the number of Protestant ministers who have come to the Catholic Church through God’s gift of their deep study and prayer over Scripture. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Hahn, Mr. Ray, Mr. Beckwith, Dr. Thigpen, Mr. Fishman, etc. (I’m listening to Rosalind Moss on EWTN in the background as I type this.) And the more orthodox religious orders – for both men and women – are growing at a rate not seen in many years.

Re: joy, vibrance, music, sermons (or do you say “homilies”). I find them when I worship at mass every day. I strongly suggest “The Lamb’s Supper,” a very short but thorough book by Scott Hahn.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!