Posted on 08/17/2013 2:06:44 AM PDT by NYer
The Church's most prominent outreach today, the New Evangelization, aims at reviving the spiritual lives of those who have drifted from Christ. While these people may have been baptized and perhaps catechized, while they may attend Church semi-regularly, they have never been truly evangelized. They have never experienced a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ or real transformation through his Church.
A couple weeks ago, Pope Francis delivered a powerful message to the Brazilian bishops in the midst of his World Youth Day celebrations. Unfortunately, it didn't get nearly the attention it deserved.
Speaking on the New Evangelization, and using the Emmaus Journey as a framework, the Pope encouraged his listeners to reflect on why people reject the Church today—why, like the Emmaus disciples, they decide to walk the other way. To bring people back to Christ and his Church, we must understand why they leave in the first place.
To that end, Pope Francis offered ten specific reasons:
1. The Church no longer offers anything meaningful or important.
2. The Church appears too weak.
3. The Church appears too distant from their needs.
4. The Church appears too poor to respond to their concerns.
5. The Church appears too cold.
6. The Church appears too caught up with itself.
7. The Church appears to be a prisoner of its own rigid formulas.
8. The world seems to have made the Church a relic of the past.
9. The Church appears unfit to answer the world's new questions.
10. The Church speaks to people in their infancy but not when they come of age.
Read the excerpt below for more context:
"The two disciples have left Jerusalem. They are leaving behind the 'nakedness' of God. They are scandalized by the failure of the Messiah in whom they had hoped and who now appeared utterly vanquished, humiliated, even after the third day.
Here we have to face the difficult mystery of those people who leave the Church, who, under the illusion of alternative ideas, now think that the Church—their Jerusalem—can no longer offer them anything meaningful and important. So they set off on the road alone, with their disappointment. Perhaps the Church appeared too weak, perhaps too distant from their needs, perhaps too poor to respond to their concerns, perhaps too cold, perhaps too caught up with itself, perhaps a prisoner of its own rigid formulas, perhaps the world seems to have made the Church a relic of the past, unfit for new questions; perhaps the Church could speak to people in their infancy but not to those come of age.
It is a fact that nowadays there are many people like the two disciples of Emmaus; not only those looking for answers in the new religious groups that are sprouting up, but also those who already seem godless, both in theory and in practice.
Faced with this situation, what are we to do?
We need a Church unafraid of going forth into their night. We need a Church capable of meeting them on their way. We need a Church capable of entering into their conversation. We need a Church able to dialogue with those disciples who, having left Jerusalem behind, are wandering aimlessly, alone, with their own disappointment, disillusioned by a Christianity now considered barren, fruitless soil, incapable of generating meaning.”
(HT: Thomas Doran at Catholic World Report)
We are getting a new chapel in our new church.Awesome, Salvation. That's cool....
It may be a "nit picking point" but I think we are to quick to separate doctrine and spiritual need. It seems to me that The Gospel is doctrine and it is the failure of the RCC to preach The Gospel that leads so many RC's to Evangelical churches where The Gospel is preached everyday. Once a person believes The Gospel their most important spiritual need is filled for eternity. The RCC preaches a sacramentalism and works based salvation that bastardizes The Gospel and because of this it will never fill a person's greatest spiritual need. As a result, they will always have a disproportional percentage leave.
Right and HIS Church is based on HIS WORD ALONE! JESUS is THE WORD.
Jesus Christ, the spiritual need that seekers know they need but haven't found yet. When those seekers hear The Gospel and Believe that seeking ends and our Born Again brothers and sisters begin the process of sanctification.
Strange, but I don’t see “Church doesn’t actually believe anything and is just about raising money” in that list. Let’s be honest, for most people the Church looks like just another professional panhandling organization. Every week the priest goes up and tells jokes and the people sing self-promoting and self-celebrating songs which are banal and pointless, and then everybody walks up for a cracker. (That is, after all, the impression one would get from the way Communion is treated by all, including priests and bishops.) The holiest and most important part of the Mass these days is the offertory, when the real god Money is honored. The priest will also actually get a bit worked up when giving a rousing homily about how people don’t give enough money and the church is having a hard time paying the bills. After all, how can they continue doing the hard work of begging for more money if they can’t get enough money to keep the building air conditioned? Who would give money in those conditions?
Sorry, but if the Church wants to inspire people to believe then it first has to act like it believes. The Eucharist will never be seen as holy unless it is treated like it is holy in the liturgy and by those who represent the Church most, i.e. priests, bishops and popes. It is not about “rigid formulas” or being “a relic of the past” but the opposite. The more “relevant” the Church becomes the less meaningful it actually will be, and, frankly, this pope is very relevant. Worship requires reverence and a continual focus on God. If we are going to say that we think God is present in the substance of the Eucharist, but then act just like we do when we eat at Shoney’s when in His presence, then what does that mean? Either we don’t think His presence means much, or that He Himself doesn’t mean much, or we don’t really believe what we say. That converts nobody, and brings nobody to God, and that is the modern Church. Relevance, when it comes to faith and worship, is irrelevant.
The catholic schools made their students repeat it over and over again - like cults do - repeat something that isn't true over and over again. If someone has to try so hard to appear authentic even to the dimmest bulb a light turns brighter. Only those w/no desire to see the light, remain in it because the brainwashing took effect and they continue to embrace it. And, yes, there are consequences to that- eternal consequences. "Man which is evil' leads astray - the very reason for man-made doctrines/teachings.
Luther added the word “alone” to faith “alone” in your Bible.
BTW, where is the world Bible in the Bible (other than on the cover)??
Sorry, I thought that was implied in my response. Couldn’t agree with you more.
-— So Luther believed only the Bible could be used in knowing God’s will -—
Which Bible?
I find it interesting that the Emmaus experience is mentioned as an example of people who “leave the church.” These were disciples of Jesus, confused by the turn of events and heading home. Jesus, hidden from the them, joins their journey and asks about their conversation (of course he knew exactly what they were discussing). The disciples told the stranger about Jesus, the crucifixion, and the reports from the women of seeing him alive. It was at this point the stranger takes them on a journey through the Scriptures, explaining God’s plan and purpose for sending Jesus. This continued until they reached their destination, where they begged the stranger to stay with them. After breaking bread with them, the disciples recognized that it was Jesus. And they both confessed,
“Weren’t our hearts ablaze within us while He was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32 (HCSB)
Jesus was teaching the Word. When you spend time in the Word (with Jesus), you will experience the same thing. When you are in a church where an anointed minister is teaching the Word, you will experience the same thing. Preach the Word boldly, and you will see results. The Word is Alive and Truth. You diminish the Word at your own peril. The churches that are spiritually alive, growing, and changing lives, are the ones that are teaching the Word.
At various times in my life I have had the pleasure of visiting a multitude of churches and denominations. I have met Born Again, Spirit-filled believers in all groups. And I have noticed what a difference a Spirit-filled teacher can make. However, even if you are in a dead church, you have no excuse. God will pour water on a thirsty ground (Isaiah 44:3). If your Bible collects dust on the nightstand, you will not grow spiritually. If your church teaches social justice, or good works, you will become malnourished spiritually. You need fresh Manna, fresh Revelation and Wisdom for every day.
Jesus stands at the door and knocks. He does not kick the door in. Let him in, making him Savior and Lord individually, and for the church family.
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“Luther added the word “alone” to faith “alone” in your Bible.”
Sorry Salvation. Not in my Bible. Not any of the 40 some versions. Who tells you this stuff?
“BTW, where is the world Bible in the Bible (other than on the cover)??”
It is not. Why does that matter?
“HIS Church is based on HIS WORD ALONE”
Which is why Jesus said, “It’s ok if you toss out Daniel, it really doesn’t count as scripture!”
Oh wait, that was Luther. I get Luther and Jesus mixed up sometimes.
“Christ and are a part of His gathering”
Which is why he explicitly uses the word, “ekklesia” to describe his community. Which he then establishes upon St. Peter, as is recorded in the Book of Matthew.
I’m going with #3
Seek and obey. Better consistency on doing on my part needed.
Mainly, plus formal and material sufficiency.
Amen! Once they seek, they will find and I believe obedience follows because we WANT to be obedient and not that we HAVE to obey. There is a heart change.
Better consistency on doing on my part needed.
Not everyone listened to Jesus. We can only speak what He did and walk on. Those who are ready will cross our paths. There are many hungry for what we have out there, IMO. They have no peace, no assurance. He wants us/our attention first and foremost to get to know HIM more and more. The more of HIM, the less of me - the more HE can flow through with HIS TRUTH and POWER w/o me/human interference.
That's understandable for a catholic. Too much emphasis on Mary and not on JESUS. Get to KNOW HIM and you will never be confused nor open to deception AGAIN.
Eyes OFF of man and EYES ON JESUS ALONE!
“ekklesia” to describe his community. Which he then establishes upon St. Peter, as is recorded in the Book of Matthew.”
Your first half is spot on. It’s the second half that we disagree. He goes on to call Peter, Satan just a few verses later...
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