Thursday, May 17, 2012

1.   Continual salvation.
2.   Theology of suffering.
3.   Saving us vs. saving me.
4.   Where the buck stops (the Vatican).
5.   Pressing on to the high calling (Good Works).
6.   A great cloud of witnesses (Saints).
7.   Mary, my loving Mother.
8.   Sin, I'm accountable.
9.   Dipped or Dunked?
10. Loving my incarnation.

I am in the process of converting to the Catholic Church.  What was supposed to be a stop gap measure en route to another Protestant membership has forever changed my life.  I am wayyyy out of my comfort zone.  Thanks be to God. 

I never thought about the Reformation.  Luther and all those questions were not a part of my early religious training.  I was not aquainted with Reformation Protestantism let alone the Church it was hell bent on protesting and reforming.  I heard the Nicene Creed first when I was in my thirties.  I was ignorant.  I remained ignorant in spite of my involvement in several mainline denominations, and study for a masters degree in medieval religious history.  I was raised to be a Pentecostal Fundamentalist.  This non-traditional understanding of God's love for us has had a death like grip on me.  Or more truthfully I have had a death like grip on it.  Just now at 55 am I able to loosen my hold on what at best was a lot of nonsense and at worst, wrong.  What I was taught as a child did not contain the whole Truth.  But I believed it hook, line and sinker.  Why, and why did it take me so long to come to Truth?  God only knows.  I make the last statement in faith.

This blog is evolving as am I.  I will now be writing more about my faith journey than my physical journey.  I will begin by writing posts about the differences I see between my quasi Protestant understanding of God and my dawning Catholic understanding of God.  I expect to see my expanded faith with more clarity at time goes on.  I am currently seeing through a glass darkly but things are lightening up daily.

Okay enough for now.  Love Bea

3 comments:

Vickie said...

I think it is important to remember that you are seeing the 'truth' as written by man.

Two weeks ago one of the priests gave a homily that I disagree with hook line and sinker.

I took no offense from it, I did not walk out, as it was written by and read by a man. A fallible man. It was his opinion, it was the bishop's opinion. I do not think it was God's opinion.

90+% I agree with and take comfort in. About 10-% I think is still in the process of spiritual and educational evolution.

Many things are based on what I think of as 'crowd control' from ancient times. Change takes a very long time.

I am most comfortable with the Catholic Church. My kids were educated in Catholic Schools. My oldest went to a Catholic university. We are Irish Catholic, fled to this country with potato famine. So we are old, old Catholics. But I still realize (speaking for myself) it is an institution of man, interpreting the word of God.

We have to have balance in all that we do. Taking care of myself is one of the most important things I can do, for myself, for my family, for society, and in my respect for God.

Cindy said...

I have Catholic ancestry. In fact my great aunts were nuns, one of an order that started the college my daughter will attend. I am trying to catch up with everyone but it it taking time. Good to see a post. My internet access is not hooked up yet at home after moving..

Vickie said...

You missed your monthly check in time - ?