Stand up and Testify!
Sunday, April 10, we had our first, official, open to everyone, Youth Group Meeting! So, okay, I'm still learning, and it wasn't necessarily firing on all cylinders. It'll get better! It's a growth thing! Sunday, April 10 was also my first anniversary as a Roman Catholic! Last year, Saturday April 10 was the date of the Easter Vigil, at which celebration I was received into full unity with the Catholic Faith! Good times! I didn't realise the connection when I decided to start the Youth Ministry regular meetings on the 10th. I didn't even realise it when I decided to give my testimony at the first meeting. It wasnt' until I sat down and thought about it that I realised that God has a wonderful sense of timing and humour! He is so good!
In case you're not down with the lingo, a "testimony" is the story of how a person came to faith in God, and recounts God's grace in his or her life. Often the most dramatic testimonies, the ones that get the most recognition or applause, are the ones that start off something like, "I used to be a long-haired, tattooed, guitar-playing druggy in a satanist rock band until Jesus came and turned my life around!" or some variation on a theme! And (despite my humourous exaggeration) it is amazing to witness the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit in someone--especially when it bears such obvious effects and results! For example, the Youth Pastor at the Pentecostal church I grew up in used to be a heavy drug dealer by the time he was 18, and God really did miraculously turn his life around!
The problem can sometimes be when we admire those testimonies so much that those of us who were brought up in the church and never really got in trouble start thinking, well, I really don't have a testimony! I've always been a Christian. Sometimes we think, I wish I had lived this crazy sin-life so I'd have something to talk about! But think about that. Imagine if the Virgin Mary thought she didn't have a testimony, because instead of being some drunken prostitute whose life was transformed by God, instead He saved her at the moment of conception so that she could be kept unstained from sin! We don't look down on her because her testimony isn't "dynamic" enough. Instead we venerate her as the epitome of what it means to be a pure, chaste, and obedient Christian!
So just because you weren't some murderous gangster before you met Jesus, don't think that your relationship with Him is somehow less important! Stand up and testify!
For myself, looking back I can clearly see God's hand in my life, even before I was born. 16 years before I was born, my parents got married, and wanted kids. They prayed about having kids. They even felt that God gave them the name of a son, Gregory. But for 15 years they had no children. I don't know why they couldn't. I never asked. They tried to adopt, but the line-ups are very long! Finally, after waiting 15 years to adopt, I came along, and I was given to them!
I was the child of an affair, a married man and an unmarried girl. By most standards today, I'd be considered an "unwanted child", and in 1980, abortion had been decriminalised for 11 years! Thank God my biological mother didn't choose the "easy" way out! Instead of aborting me, she gave me up for adoption, and I was named Gregory by my parents, Betty and Wayne Watson. Their example, waiting a decade and a half for a child, the length of the lineups at adoption agencies, tells me, and should tell everyone, that contrary to popular propaganda, there is no such thing as an "unwanted baby"!!!
My parents were very devout Pentecostal Christians, and they taught me about God from as far back as I can remember. I've always believed in Jesus. When I was five, there was this preacher guy who preached at my church one Sunday night about the need of inviting Jesus into your heart for salvation, that He died on the cross to forgive our sins, and that we need to accept Him. At the end, he did the "Pentecostal thing" and had an "altar call" which is where the preacher asks the congregation to respond to the sermon by either raising your hand, standing, or coming up to the front. Pastor Rhude had everyone bow their heads and close their eyes, and said that if anyone wanted him to pray for them to be saved, to raise their hands. As a 5-year-old kid, I completely disregarded "every head bowed and every eye closed" and was looking around as Pastor Rhude kept saying "Yes, I see that hand," and people put their hands down. But I had listened to the sermon, and wanted to be saved, so I put my hand up, and he said, "Little boy, I see that hand!" Well, didn't that just thrill me, so I turned to my mom (who was very devoutly following "every head bowed and every eye closed") and started tapping her and saying "Mommy, mommy! 'Little boy', that was me, Mommy!"
From then on I was a perfect little angel, and never caused anyone any trouble. The end. NOT! I did go to Kindergarten the next day and tell everyone! And I tried to live different. I think. It was a long time ago. I was always a pretty good kid, though. I never beat people up (though I got beat up a lot). I never rebelled or anything like that.
Then I got to high school, and like Aladdin said, "It's a whole new world!"--but not so much in a good way! There were new and crazy challenges in high school! People actually opposed and mocked Christianity there! They told me we came from monkeys! I knew that my Kindergarten faith had a lot of growing up to do! I joined the youth group at my church (which had the coolest kids anywhere!) and got involved in the drama team. Great times. I learned about the Holy Spirit, and how in the Book of Acts, He came and poured Himself out on the Apostles, and they got these miraculous powers like healing people and prophesying and speaking in tongues (for those who don't know, this stuff is pretty much what Pentecostalism bases itself on).
I wanted that kind of presence of God in my life. So at a retreat in '94 or '95 I went up for the altar call to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I got it! Speaking in tongues and the whole bit! Crazy! Most important, though, the Holy Spirit gave me a new power to stand up for my faith! I went back to high school and told people about Jesus! I still do--just not at my high school. Now I get to go to other ones! I love my job!
When I was 15, I went to a Christian camp and the preacher talked about Jacob in the book of Genesis. One of the stories is about how Jacob (whose name means deceiver) wrestles with The Angel of God, who blesses him by renaming him Israel (which means contends with God or Prince of God, depending on who you ask. Either way, better than "deceiver"!). The preacher said that God has a new name for all of us. A change in who we are, to make us more like Him. And we should all ask Him to change our name. He was being somewhat figurative, but I hated the name "Gregory" so I literally wanted God to change my name.
So the following week, I was reading the Bible during my daily time of devotions, or time to meet with God. At this time in my life, I was working my way through the Bible cover-to-cover. I was in Ezekiel (so more than halfway through) and that particular day I was reading Chapter 3. In verse 17, God says to Ezekiel, "Son of Man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel..." When I read this, God stopped me, and said, "That's you." I was like, "Huh?" (This is how we talk). He said, "I want you to be a watchman for Me." I'm like, "You're kidding, right?" (I wanted to be a cartoonist for Disney or something, not a missionary or pastor or whathaveyou!) God's like, "Nope. You know how you keep asking Me to change your name? Well, I already did. Your birth mother named you Michael, but I named you Gregory when you were adopted." Of course, I was using this bookmark I'd had since I was a wee lad to keep my place while I read through the Bible. It had my name on it, so I looked at it. It said my name, and then the meaning of my name: Watchman.
I wasn't sure what all that meant at the time, but I knew that God would tell me what I needed to know when I needed to know. But knowing my identity really formed who I was. I had a purpose. There's a line from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" where Giles, Buffy's watcher, asks her, "How many 16 year olds out there know what their purpose is?" Buffy starts to be sarcastic, but finally admits, "Ok, how about none." Well, I knew! And we all can know. God says that He has an awesome plan for each and every one of us! I'm extremely glad He told me early on, so I didn't have to waste time floundering without Him. Seek Him, and He'll guide you, too!
When I was 18, I dated a girl who wasn't Pentecostal, and she helped me see some things in their doctrine that I didn't believe were taught in Scripture. Pentecostals are great people and true Christians, don't get me wrong. But as a finer point of their doctrine they teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit must be evidenced by speaking in tongues. I didn't agree with that. Which is fine, not everyone agrees 100% with it. But I was supposed to be going into the ministry. That was what that whole "watchman" thing was all about! How could I be ordained a Pentecostal if I disagreed with a fundamental point of their doctrine?
So I went to an interdenominational Bible College to explore the alternatives. While I was there I learned a little bit at a time about Catholicism. Some of what I learned was favourable. Some was not. Some was outright biased against. But it whet my appetite! Around the same time, I met a Catholic girl and we started dating. We made a trade-off, that I would go to Mass in the morning and she would go to my Pentecostal church for the night service. This went on for about 3 years, while I, through Bible College and beyond, learned all I could about the Roman Catholic Church.
Finally, I reached the inescapable conclusion that they had the fullness of Christian truth! (So that's what 1 Timothy's talking about when St. Paul says, "The church of the living God [is] the pillar and foundation of the truth"!) But I was still a little disturbed by the Mary emphasis. I couldn't quite figure it all out. And even though they seemed to be right about everything else, so did the Pentecostals when I was there. If I left them even though I disagreed with only one doctrine (at the time. Now it's several), how could I embrace the Catholic faith while disagreeing still with one whole body of doctrine?
So I kept stalling, until I read the book that I talk about two posts previous, Hail Holy Queen by Dr. Scott Hahn. That book opened up Scripture to me in a new way, and opened up my eyes to really understand my Spiritual Mother, and her role in the faith! So it was that on April 10, 2004, I was received into full communion with the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. Now, exactly 1 year later, I've started a youth ministry in a Catholic Church! It's amazing to see God's plan and timing!
There are many things that attracted my to the Catholic Church. The fact that it stretches back to the time of the apostles themselves, in an unbroken succession (you can literally trace doctrines and beliefs back to the earliest Christians and show where they came from and how they developed!). The fact that the Catholic Church embraces art and pictures as aids to worship. As an artist, that was really cool, since many Protestants can tend to look down on pictures and statues as a form of idolatry. The unity of the Church was also a big draw, especially when I contrasted that to the 1000's of different Protestant denominations, constantly splitting from each other. The Catholic Church's unity (and Protestant disunity) springs from the authoritative teaching body under the Pope (or the rejection of the same). Without that infallible teaching body, protected and prevented from teaching error in issues of faith and morals by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul could never have called the Church the pillar and foundation of the Truth (1 Tim 3:15 again)!
But the main thing that attracted me and keeps me in the Catholic Church is the worship of the Mass, where, in the Eucharist, we receive Jesus Himself! As Scott Hahn teaches in another book, The Lamb's Supper, in the Mass we actually participate in the worship of Heaven! It is Heaven on Earth because Jesus is truly Present in the Eucharist! Now it is my life's joy and purpose to show others the beauty of the Catholic Church (whether they're Catholic or not themselves) and especially the joy of meeting Jesus as He comes to hang out with us every Sunday (and indeed, every day if you can go) in the Mass!
God bless!
(And if you want to know more details, remember, that's what the comments are for!)
In case you're not down with the lingo, a "testimony" is the story of how a person came to faith in God, and recounts God's grace in his or her life. Often the most dramatic testimonies, the ones that get the most recognition or applause, are the ones that start off something like, "I used to be a long-haired, tattooed, guitar-playing druggy in a satanist rock band until Jesus came and turned my life around!" or some variation on a theme! And (despite my humourous exaggeration) it is amazing to witness the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit in someone--especially when it bears such obvious effects and results! For example, the Youth Pastor at the Pentecostal church I grew up in used to be a heavy drug dealer by the time he was 18, and God really did miraculously turn his life around!
The problem can sometimes be when we admire those testimonies so much that those of us who were brought up in the church and never really got in trouble start thinking, well, I really don't have a testimony! I've always been a Christian. Sometimes we think, I wish I had lived this crazy sin-life so I'd have something to talk about! But think about that. Imagine if the Virgin Mary thought she didn't have a testimony, because instead of being some drunken prostitute whose life was transformed by God, instead He saved her at the moment of conception so that she could be kept unstained from sin! We don't look down on her because her testimony isn't "dynamic" enough. Instead we venerate her as the epitome of what it means to be a pure, chaste, and obedient Christian!
So just because you weren't some murderous gangster before you met Jesus, don't think that your relationship with Him is somehow less important! Stand up and testify!
For myself, looking back I can clearly see God's hand in my life, even before I was born. 16 years before I was born, my parents got married, and wanted kids. They prayed about having kids. They even felt that God gave them the name of a son, Gregory. But for 15 years they had no children. I don't know why they couldn't. I never asked. They tried to adopt, but the line-ups are very long! Finally, after waiting 15 years to adopt, I came along, and I was given to them!
I was the child of an affair, a married man and an unmarried girl. By most standards today, I'd be considered an "unwanted child", and in 1980, abortion had been decriminalised for 11 years! Thank God my biological mother didn't choose the "easy" way out! Instead of aborting me, she gave me up for adoption, and I was named Gregory by my parents, Betty and Wayne Watson. Their example, waiting a decade and a half for a child, the length of the lineups at adoption agencies, tells me, and should tell everyone, that contrary to popular propaganda, there is no such thing as an "unwanted baby"!!!
My parents were very devout Pentecostal Christians, and they taught me about God from as far back as I can remember. I've always believed in Jesus. When I was five, there was this preacher guy who preached at my church one Sunday night about the need of inviting Jesus into your heart for salvation, that He died on the cross to forgive our sins, and that we need to accept Him. At the end, he did the "Pentecostal thing" and had an "altar call" which is where the preacher asks the congregation to respond to the sermon by either raising your hand, standing, or coming up to the front. Pastor Rhude had everyone bow their heads and close their eyes, and said that if anyone wanted him to pray for them to be saved, to raise their hands. As a 5-year-old kid, I completely disregarded "every head bowed and every eye closed" and was looking around as Pastor Rhude kept saying "Yes, I see that hand," and people put their hands down. But I had listened to the sermon, and wanted to be saved, so I put my hand up, and he said, "Little boy, I see that hand!" Well, didn't that just thrill me, so I turned to my mom (who was very devoutly following "every head bowed and every eye closed") and started tapping her and saying "Mommy, mommy! 'Little boy', that was me, Mommy!"
From then on I was a perfect little angel, and never caused anyone any trouble. The end. NOT! I did go to Kindergarten the next day and tell everyone! And I tried to live different. I think. It was a long time ago. I was always a pretty good kid, though. I never beat people up (though I got beat up a lot). I never rebelled or anything like that.
Then I got to high school, and like Aladdin said, "It's a whole new world!"--but not so much in a good way! There were new and crazy challenges in high school! People actually opposed and mocked Christianity there! They told me we came from monkeys! I knew that my Kindergarten faith had a lot of growing up to do! I joined the youth group at my church (which had the coolest kids anywhere!) and got involved in the drama team. Great times. I learned about the Holy Spirit, and how in the Book of Acts, He came and poured Himself out on the Apostles, and they got these miraculous powers like healing people and prophesying and speaking in tongues (for those who don't know, this stuff is pretty much what Pentecostalism bases itself on).
I wanted that kind of presence of God in my life. So at a retreat in '94 or '95 I went up for the altar call to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I got it! Speaking in tongues and the whole bit! Crazy! Most important, though, the Holy Spirit gave me a new power to stand up for my faith! I went back to high school and told people about Jesus! I still do--just not at my high school. Now I get to go to other ones! I love my job!
When I was 15, I went to a Christian camp and the preacher talked about Jacob in the book of Genesis. One of the stories is about how Jacob (whose name means deceiver) wrestles with The Angel of God, who blesses him by renaming him Israel (which means contends with God or Prince of God, depending on who you ask. Either way, better than "deceiver"!). The preacher said that God has a new name for all of us. A change in who we are, to make us more like Him. And we should all ask Him to change our name. He was being somewhat figurative, but I hated the name "Gregory" so I literally wanted God to change my name.
So the following week, I was reading the Bible during my daily time of devotions, or time to meet with God. At this time in my life, I was working my way through the Bible cover-to-cover. I was in Ezekiel (so more than halfway through) and that particular day I was reading Chapter 3. In verse 17, God says to Ezekiel, "Son of Man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel..." When I read this, God stopped me, and said, "That's you." I was like, "Huh?" (This is how we talk). He said, "I want you to be a watchman for Me." I'm like, "You're kidding, right?" (I wanted to be a cartoonist for Disney or something, not a missionary or pastor or whathaveyou!) God's like, "Nope. You know how you keep asking Me to change your name? Well, I already did. Your birth mother named you Michael, but I named you Gregory when you were adopted." Of course, I was using this bookmark I'd had since I was a wee lad to keep my place while I read through the Bible. It had my name on it, so I looked at it. It said my name, and then the meaning of my name: Watchman.
I wasn't sure what all that meant at the time, but I knew that God would tell me what I needed to know when I needed to know. But knowing my identity really formed who I was. I had a purpose. There's a line from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" where Giles, Buffy's watcher, asks her, "How many 16 year olds out there know what their purpose is?" Buffy starts to be sarcastic, but finally admits, "Ok, how about none." Well, I knew! And we all can know. God says that He has an awesome plan for each and every one of us! I'm extremely glad He told me early on, so I didn't have to waste time floundering without Him. Seek Him, and He'll guide you, too!
When I was 18, I dated a girl who wasn't Pentecostal, and she helped me see some things in their doctrine that I didn't believe were taught in Scripture. Pentecostals are great people and true Christians, don't get me wrong. But as a finer point of their doctrine they teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit must be evidenced by speaking in tongues. I didn't agree with that. Which is fine, not everyone agrees 100% with it. But I was supposed to be going into the ministry. That was what that whole "watchman" thing was all about! How could I be ordained a Pentecostal if I disagreed with a fundamental point of their doctrine?
So I went to an interdenominational Bible College to explore the alternatives. While I was there I learned a little bit at a time about Catholicism. Some of what I learned was favourable. Some was not. Some was outright biased against. But it whet my appetite! Around the same time, I met a Catholic girl and we started dating. We made a trade-off, that I would go to Mass in the morning and she would go to my Pentecostal church for the night service. This went on for about 3 years, while I, through Bible College and beyond, learned all I could about the Roman Catholic Church.
Finally, I reached the inescapable conclusion that they had the fullness of Christian truth! (So that's what 1 Timothy's talking about when St. Paul says, "The church of the living God [is] the pillar and foundation of the truth"!) But I was still a little disturbed by the Mary emphasis. I couldn't quite figure it all out. And even though they seemed to be right about everything else, so did the Pentecostals when I was there. If I left them even though I disagreed with only one doctrine (at the time. Now it's several), how could I embrace the Catholic faith while disagreeing still with one whole body of doctrine?
So I kept stalling, until I read the book that I talk about two posts previous, Hail Holy Queen by Dr. Scott Hahn. That book opened up Scripture to me in a new way, and opened up my eyes to really understand my Spiritual Mother, and her role in the faith! So it was that on April 10, 2004, I was received into full communion with the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. Now, exactly 1 year later, I've started a youth ministry in a Catholic Church! It's amazing to see God's plan and timing!
There are many things that attracted my to the Catholic Church. The fact that it stretches back to the time of the apostles themselves, in an unbroken succession (you can literally trace doctrines and beliefs back to the earliest Christians and show where they came from and how they developed!). The fact that the Catholic Church embraces art and pictures as aids to worship. As an artist, that was really cool, since many Protestants can tend to look down on pictures and statues as a form of idolatry. The unity of the Church was also a big draw, especially when I contrasted that to the 1000's of different Protestant denominations, constantly splitting from each other. The Catholic Church's unity (and Protestant disunity) springs from the authoritative teaching body under the Pope (or the rejection of the same). Without that infallible teaching body, protected and prevented from teaching error in issues of faith and morals by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul could never have called the Church the pillar and foundation of the Truth (1 Tim 3:15 again)!
But the main thing that attracted me and keeps me in the Catholic Church is the worship of the Mass, where, in the Eucharist, we receive Jesus Himself! As Scott Hahn teaches in another book, The Lamb's Supper, in the Mass we actually participate in the worship of Heaven! It is Heaven on Earth because Jesus is truly Present in the Eucharist! Now it is my life's joy and purpose to show others the beauty of the Catholic Church (whether they're Catholic or not themselves) and especially the joy of meeting Jesus as He comes to hang out with us every Sunday (and indeed, every day if you can go) in the Mass!
God bless!
(And if you want to know more details, remember, that's what the comments are for!)
Labels: Conversion, Eucharist, St. Andrew's, Testimony, The Blessed Virgin Mary
posted by Gregory at 3:54 p.m.
10 Comments:
[insert comment here]
But seriously Greg, that is an awesome testimony. Obviously I don't quite agree with you on all issues contained therein, but it is always amazing to hear what God is doing and has done in someone's life. Especially the naming thing, because that is something I've experienced as well.
My parents gave me the name Andrew, and I had no problem with that at the time, and still don't, but I do recall asking God what name He would give me, what identity was His will for me, in a similar way to your story. I was stunned when He told me His name for me is... Andrew. DUH! Fortunately, I already knew the meaning of the name, so it took me very little time to realize that He was calling me to be strong, manly, a man of God. The name Andrew means all of that, and my middle name, John, is very similar. God definitely had a hand in my parents' naming me, over 22 years before He revealed that fact to me. The funny thing was, I've had a plaque with my name and its meaning since my dedication as a baby, and it's hanging on my bedroom wall over my bed... but it's one thing to know the meaning of a name your parents gave you, and quite another to understand your God-given identity! It is something that has shaped my life since that moment, and will continue to do so!
Awesome post, talk to you later Greg,
Yeah, really knowing our identity is the subject of yesterday's talk. But I left the notes at work and took the day off, so they'll be up tomorrow!
God bless!
Hi Gregory,
Sorry I didn't have a chance to respond to your comments yesterday, I'm playing catch up today, then I'll read over your testimony. This should be interesting.
I am as you would say a Pentacostal. However, I don't believe what you claim about speaking in tongues. I believe speaking in tongues is real but not in the sense that most people use it. I do not believe it is some babble that people do at church in front of other church members because that is how you prove your salvation. I find no Biblical basis for that. If I am wrong, please show me where that is. However, in Acts 2 it discusses that they were speaking in tongues, not in babbles, but in the languages of all the peoples in order for them to hear the word of Jesus in thier own language. Totally different.
Second, I have a question for you. Since you were Pentacostal, who do you see Mary as being now?
I don't quite understand where Mary fits into Catholosim and would like to know more about it. I believe that she was blessed and honored. And since I don't understand what role she has in Catholism this statement may or may not be anything. BUt is seems to me that Jesus should be more than Mary since in John 14:6 "Jesus says, 'I am the way the truth and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me." So it seems to me that there is no need for Mary or a preist to get to God. But then again maybe I am misunderstanding Catholism. If so then please set me straight.
And also, I have been told that in the Catholic church when taking communion, it is believed that you are actually partaking of Jesus' body and his blood. If so can you explain this to me and show me in scripture where it comes from?
Thank,
This blogsite definately gets one thinking.
Hey Danielle! Thanks for coming by and reading up! I hope you'll stick around here and the youth group, and get a lot out of it! You've been a joy to have out!
Susan, hi!
Thanks for your interaction, and taking the time to read, respond, and question. I hope I'm able to help you out.
First off, I'm a little confused as to what you think I was claiming about speaking in tongues. I still am a "Spirit-filled, tongues-speaking charismatic" Catholic, and the Catholic Church still believes in and practices those gifts. In fact, all throughout the history of the Catholic Church, many great saints have spoken in tongues, as well as operated in other miraculous gifts. In the 60's, there was a major movement in the Catholic Church that really emphasised the charismatic gifts. The priest of my church is the chair of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services of Canada! So please don't think that I downplay, diminish, or misrepresent speaking in tongues.
Speaking in tongues, biblically speaking, is speaking in another language that you don't know, that the Holy Spirit enables you to speak as you pray to God. At times, He may use that gift to give a message to the Church--but in these times, an interpretation must be provided. No one, though, who believes in the gift of tongues would say that it is meaningless "babble"! That is precisely what St. Peter was arguing against in his sermon in Acts 2, when the onlookers accused the early Christians of drunkenness on that first Pentecost Sunday.
Moreover, I've never claimed that speaking in tongues is proof of our salvation, and that people who don't speak in tongues are not Christian. However, the denomination that I grew up in, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) teaches very clearly and distinctly that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate occurrence from our salvation--an occurrence that comes afterward. They teach that the proof that this baptism in the Spirit has occurred is that the person who is filled with the Spirit speaks in tongues. Stated negatively, if you do not have the gift of speaking in tongues, you are not baptised with the Holy Spirit. But, they say, that doesn't mean you aren't a Christian. It simply means that there is more to experience in your Christian walk.
But that is not what I am claiming or believing. I do not believe that tongues and tongues alone is the only way by which we know that a person has been filled with the Holy Spirit. It is this doctrine, as I said in my testimony, that initially brought me out of the Pentecostal Church. If your Pentecostal church does not teach that tongues is the only and necessary evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that is awesome, and more power to your church. However, up here in Canada, the PAOC (which, I'm told, is the Canadian equivalent of the Assemblies of God in the States--If you're not American, forgive my assumption. I do have a few people who read from the States, so if my comparisons don't apply to you, it may help them, at least)--anyway, the PAOC does teach that tongues is the necessary evidence of being Baptised in the Holy Spirit.
To sum up, I would agree wholeheartedly with your description of tongues that you posted above. So does the Catholic Church.
Question 2: Mary.
Briefly, Catholics do not see Mary as being in any way divine, or a goddess, or the source of our salvation. Her role in our faith is a) to have brought Jesus into the world, and willingly enduring the motherly sufferings of seeing Him die on the cross, and b) to pray for us in heaven, as our spiritual mother (John 19:26-27; Revelation 12:17). Her desire is that we would all come to faith in her Son, Jesus Christ.
For more on Mary, and on the priests in the Catholic Church, and their roles in our lives as Christians, I would encourage you to read these articles on this blog: Part 5: Mary: Mother of God, Mother of the Church, I Shall Not Walk Alone, and The Open Q&A Forum. The first article is the final part of the Passion of the Christ series. If you're interested, I'd encourage you to check out the rest of that series as well--especially the first two articles, which focus exclusively on who Jesus is, and why He alone saves us. The second article linked above is the most recent one on this page, and discusses how Mary brings us to Christ, and describes in detail the most popular Catholic "Marian Devotion", and demonstrates how this "Mary prayer" is actually all about Jesus Himself. The Open Q&A, I'd encourage you to read through all the comments. The first 60 or so are all about Mary and her role, and are primarily between me, a Protestant minister, and another couple Protestants (and a few Catholics help me out). The second big lump of comments focuses on the papacy and the priesthood, and their role in our faith. I aim to demonstrate how these people do not hinder our access to Christ, but facilitate it and make it more steady.
If you have any questions about their comments or my replies, and want anything clarified, don't hesitate to ask. The Forum is still Open :)
Finally, Yes, when Catholics receive Communion, we really and truly are receiving Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity. The Eucharist is not simply a symbol, but a spiritual reality. This doctrine is what originally, and ultimately, brought me home to the Catholic Church. The reason for that was because of the overwhelming Scriptural evidence for that.
For links that already discuss this topic at some length, I would encourage you to read "Why did Jesus Die?" from the Passion of the Christ series, and Corpus Christi, which was a meditation on the Eucharist that I gave originally on the Catholic Feast of Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ), which celebrates Christ's gift to us of Himself in the Eucharist.
It would take a lot of time to go through each and every Scriptural evidence for the Catholic doctrine of Communion, and explain it all. I think I'm going to do a new post on that topic in the not too distant future, and in it, I'll go in depth into the Scriptural foundations for the teaching. Right now, though, I'd offer as the strongest evidence for our beliefs the following texts:
Luke 22:19-20: "Then He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' He did the same with the cup after supper, and said, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood poured out for you.'" (cf. Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24)
Notice that Jesus never says that the bread and wine represent His body and blood, but that they in fact are His body and blood. He even goes so far as to say that the wine is His blood poured out to make the New Covenant!
1 Corinthians 11:23-30 "For the tradition I received from the Lord and also handed on to you is that on the night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and after He had given thanks, He broke it, and He said, 'This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' And in the same way, with the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of Me.' Whenever you eat this bread, then, and drink this cup, you are proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily is answerable for the body and the blood of the Lord.
"Everyone is to examine himself and only then eat of the bread or drink from the cup; because a person who eats and drinks without recognising the body is eating and drinking his own condemnation. That is why many of you are weak and ill and a good number have died."
Here, St. Paul is repeating Christ's words at the Last Supper, again, saying "is", rather than "symbolises" or "represents." It's a very literal word, and St. Paul continues the passage by stressing how literal a matter it is! In verse 26, we proclaim the Sacrifice of Christ, and appropriate it to ourselves. In verse 27, Paul tells us very clearly that if we participate unworthily, we are actually guilty of murdering Christ! (The expression, "To be answerable for a person's body and blood" meant that you are guilty of killing that person.)
St. Paul continues in the next paragraph (v. 28) to elaborate on what it means to partake unworthily, and in verse 29, says that it is to partake without recognising that it is indeed Christ's body. This failure to believe and pay due reverence to Christ's presence in the bread and wine, Paul says, is the reason why many in the Corinthian church have gotten sick, and many others have died! This is serious stuff! When I read this passage one day, the gravity of the matter hit me full force, and I thought, "There is something a heckuva lot more going on here than crackers, grape juice, and a symbol!" As I searched for the truth of the matter, I realised that the Catholic Church was bang on the money in saying that we must truly recognise the Body literally present in the bread!
John 6:51-58:
"'I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I shall give
is My flesh, for the life of the world.'
"Then the Jews started arguing among themselves, 'How can this man give us His flesh to eat?' Jesus replied to them:
'In all truth I tell you,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink His blood,
you have no life in you.
Anyone who does eat My flesh and drink My blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise that person up on the last day.
For My flesh is real food
and My blood is real drink.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood
lives in Me
and I live in that person.
As the living Father sent Me
and I draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats Me will also draw life from Me.
This is the bread which has come down from heaven;
it is not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live forever.'"
Notice how often Jesus uses the phrase "eats My flesh" and "drinks My blood." He is being extremely literal, and the crowd takes Him literally (and are rather repulsed at the thought, v.52). But He does not stop and say, "No, you misunderstood. I was speaking metaphorically!" Instead, He repeats what He said, and does so even more emphatically! (v.55). He even goes so far to say that eating and drinking His flesh and blood is necessary for eternal life! I'm not making this up--this is Jesus talking!
Some people say that this passage has nothing to do with the Eucharist, and that it's not even at the Last Supper. But the interesting thing to note is that it follows on the heels of Jesus' feeding of the 5000, which led to this sermon. The fourth verse of chapter 6 tells us plainly that "the time of the Jewish Passover was near." St. John didn't toss that detail in for no reason. He was drawing a definite link between Jesus' feeding the 5000, and the subsequent talk, with His giving His body and blood in the Eucharist at the Last Supper, which was the Passover Meal.
Now, that's not all that could be said, but I think I've gone on long enough! Hopefully the Scriptures get you thinking. They certainly got me thinking! If you have any further questions, if it's not too much trouble, I'd encourage you to post them in the Open Forum. It's pretty easy to find: it's the third post on the main index page, with the picture of Jesus catching a guy. It's also the bottom link in the sidebar.
I'm glad I got you thinking. I hope you stop by again!
God bless,
Gregory.
Well, I finally looked around for your testimony and such, and lo-I found it. Greg, I must say, pretty much every time I read something you post, I know it is something I need to hear. And that is why I keep perusing your blogs, (thoguh rarely posting, admittedly afraid that there is/was a 'taboo' on commenting on many of your posts.) I really want to know more about the whole Mary thing, (my main problem with Catholocism,) and about Communion, and I will hopefully soon have time to read up on some of your links. I just want to say thanks.
~The Hidden One.~
Hey Hidden One. Let me tell you, here you are free to stop hiding. There is absolutely no taboo about posting! The only slight requirements that I have are found in this post, and basically amout to "keep it friendly and civil, even when you disagree. And feel free to disagree!"
Anyway, I completely understand your qualms with Catholic teachings on Mary. They were my biggest stumbling block when I became a Catholic as well.
I was going to go through and provide links on this blog that discuss Mary and the Eucharist to greater lengths, but I noticed that I did that already in my response above your comment, to Susan. Check out those links for things that I've written about Mary and about Communion, then.
As well, I would recommend reading the Bible Study on Revelation that I just finished posting (I'm putting the Conclusion post up today.) Chapter 12 specifically focuses on Mary, and supplements much of what is found in Mary: Mother of God, Mother of the Church. Reading the rest of the Revelation Bible Study will provide some perspective on the theology behind the Catholic Mass and the Eucharist, since that was what the major theme of the Bible Study was, based on Scott Hahn's book, The Lamb's Supper. Revelation, according to the teachings of the earliest Christians, was not so much a prophetic end-times "Left-Behind" style book, but actually a spiritual "behind the scenes" look at Christian worship (with a bit of end-of-the-world stuff thrown in).
When it's completely finished, all 22 chapters of Revelation, plus my comments will be up, plus an intro and a conclusion (the conclusion is the only part left to go), and will be easily navigable. The Introduction post has a link to each chapter, and itself is found in the Sidebar of the blog. Each chapter also will have a link to the Introduction, Previous Chapter, Next Chapter, and Conclusion, which I will add once I've written the Conclusion.
Someday, when I get the chance (next summer, maybe?) I'll post the other Bible Studies that I've led here at St. Andrew's. So far, that's The Gospel According to John, Paul's Letter to the Philippians, and, starting on the 21st, Tobit.
I would invite you to read through the Open Q&A post, and ask any further questions there, but at 185 comments, that would be a lot for you to go through! I think, after posting the Conclusion to Revelation, and Eric's "Christian Manifesto", I'll open up a second Q&A for the new school year.
And you have my email, so feel free to email me whenever, as well.
So yeah, I'm glad you're here, and I hope you stick around and I can help in any way.
God bless
Gregory
Oops, I forgot to put the link in for the original Q&A. You could find it above in my reply to Sarah, or in the Sidebar, but here it is as well: Open Q&A
I've read part of the Q&A, but I must admit to having been totally lost by it, but I will try again.
I don't blame you. That's why I started the new one. :D
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