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Childish behavior. |
Posted on 10/26/2009 4:16:56 PM PDT by Patrick Madrid
A few years ago, I slipped into the back of a large Methodist church in the area to hear a sermon delivered by the pastor which had been advertised for several days on the marquee on the lawn in front of the handsome Neo-Gothic stone edifice. I really wanted to hear what he had to say on that particular Sunday.
The occasion of this sermon was what Protestants celebrate as "Reformation Sunday," in remembrance of the sad, tragic rebellion against the Catholic Church. Of course, that's my take on what Reformation Sunday symbolizes. The pastor whose sermon I heard that day had a much different view. . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at patrickmadrid.blogspot.com ...
Well, fellow FReeper, we had a Reformation Service yesterday which gathered several churches in our presbytery to worship together and particularly to celebrate what we see as a fantastic event - particularly, we highlit Calvin’s 500th birthday, which we see as a great bright spot of church history. So there are certainly different points of view on this one.
The food was awesome - our annual “Reformation Buffet.”
An event to be proud of....bring them all in and pretty soon we will have that One World Religion. BUT..oh my..that can’t possibly be it!! No wonder Christ asked if he would find FAITH when he returned..the earth is and will be so steeped in religion...I wonder if He will find faith. But hey..everyone will be getting a long. Peace and Safety..oh boy.
I am just sorry to see a post lamenting the Reformation. It’s somewhat like deploring the winning of the Revolutionary War, to me. For me, the Reformation was a time of great liberation for millions, I guess ultimately billions, of people the world over.
I know RCs see it as a rebellion, and I suppose it was, in the sense that many of the main doctrines, practices, and popes were denied as authoritative. It was not intended as a rebellion against God or His Word, though, rather as a return to Him.
Conservatives, unlike liberals, ought to understand that intentions and results aren't the same thing. Many things have been done with good intentions, and have produced abysmal results.
Christ prayed that all might be one. (John 17) Schism splits the body of Christ, and is never something that should be celebrated, even if it is sometimes necessary.
From the Protest point of view, though, the RCs created the schism by embracing and teaching terribly false doctrine - and persecuting to death those who spoke against it.
From the linked article: “Unfortunately, the Catholics are right. Christian salvation consists in works.”
Aye yi yi. Anathema to us, we are so grateful to say, “It is by grace we are saved, and not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9)
how as anyone ‘returned’ go God when most protestant churches cant agree with each other on matters of salvation, etc?
how is this any sort of unity?
oddly enuff, we all see james touting works, in addition to faith, and nowhere do we see anyone in the bible touting faith alone, grace alone, scripture alone...oddly enough, all three are basic tenents of the protestant churches.
We know, after all, that the prophecy of Joel has been fulfilled. The portents of heaven, the blood and fire, the darkness of the sun, the bloody moon have come to pass in the cross of our Savior Jesus Christ. Now all who call on that name will be saved. We believe that we who stand in the Reformation churches are survivors. But to survive we need to recover the unity that God has given us as survivors. So on this Reformation Sunday long for, pray for, our ability to remember the Reformation -- not as a celebratory moment, not as a blow for freedom, but as the sin of the church. Pray for God to heal our disunity, not the disunity simply between Protestant and Catholic, but the disunity in our midst between classes, between races, between nations. Pray that on Reformation Sunday we may as tax collectors confess our sin and ask God to make us a new people joined together in one mighty prayer that the world may be saved from its divisions.
Both parties sinned. We have confessed ours (see JP2) and have fixed many of the abuses. What have you done?
From the linked article: "Unfortunately, the Catholics are right. Christian salvation consists in works."
You're quoting a Protestant pastor's sermon. (Hauerwas is a Methodist, as he makes quite clear.)
But take it up with James chapter 2. And before you do that, quote Ephesians 2:10. You know it comes right after Ephesians 2:9.
That message leads people to Hell...
Dr. Hauerwas (the Methodist Dr. Hauerwas) is on his own there. If I agree with him, I wouldn't put it that way.
I don't see the Swedish Catholic Church (which, if you don't count the Poles and other immigrants, probably fits in a hotel ballroom) endorsing same-sex marriage.
[crickets]
That article is wrong on so many levels, I don’t even know where to begin.
If people like that are teaching that garbage in Divinity schools, I can see how people who do not read and study their Bible’s as often as they should can get misled. Wow! The ignorance is amazing!
You go girl! That is the Gospel, irrespective of what all of RCs will throw at you. We know because the Scriptures tell us this over and over. Anathema is right.
The works that proceed from salvation by faith is what James is speaking of (not as a requirement of salvation), but the Romanists don’t tolerate such freedom in Christ. They need the chains and the tall hats, the gold, Mary, the sacraments, the relics, the popemobile, the Swiss Army, the big buildings, the separate country, the chanting, the indulgences, the sacerdotal system, the latin, the doctrines of control, and did I mention the tall hats? But, Christians know it is Eph. 2:9!! Paul trumps the pope. Thanks for your great post.
If he means it is a consequence of works, then he is anathema, in my book. But I doubt he means anything quite so stupid.
Christ wants us to be one community, not a gaggle of individuals.
“Given the other thread on the Swedish Lutheran Church (a product of the Reformation) and its endorsement of same-sex marriage, I’m curious whether you think that’s a good thing.”
No no, I don’t like it when ANY church strays from Scripture.
I don’t like it when I stray from Scripture, for that matter!
Inasmuch as the RC church has been faithful on this precept, I am so happy about it. I do believe the RC church was helpful in passing Prop 8 here in California, and that was great.
You think these are only symbols. But you don’t even know what they symbolize. Like some heathen who has never seen a book might react if he were to see a Bible on a table.
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