Posted By: clayonmyeyes

I was hoping that I would never have to write this entry. I was hoping that the Lord would somehow spare me the pain and grief. Finally, I have been brought to tears. Yet I press on.

I tremble as I write this. The persecution that I felt from some posts here crushed me. I once had a conversation with a non-Catholic and he asked me, "What do you feel are the differences between Catholics and Christians?" I was speechless.

I am a Christian. I am a Catholic. Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord. These are statements of harmony, not conflict.

I know others will read this as well, others not a part of this blogsite, others that I feel a deep kinship with in matters of faith – Catholics and non-Catholics alike. I pray that Christ guides my words and deepens our understanding.

I will not mention matters of doctrine. I have seen human weakness on all sides, within and without. My own weakness has been the most revealing and humbling of all. My belief cannot be proved nor disproved. Only the Lord can truly know the heart.

There are some who think that Catholics do not deserve to be called Christians. Who does then? Who deserves the sacrifice made with the broken body of Christ upon the cross? Who is worthy of His spilled blood? I certainly am not. I am a sinner. I beg for His mercy.

"But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6

"[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:13

Controversy is easy to establish and perpetuate; healing, surrender and forgiveness prove more difficult. Christ performed all these functions, but His most profound act of sacrifice, the very beginning of revealing His true self, was an act of surrender in love. Forgiving those that tortured and persecuted Him. Forgiving His killers.

I am not a pastor, priest, nor theologian. I am a common man on a common walk of faith. If I suffer because of it, because of my quest to serve the Lord, then I share in the experience of Christ and for that I am called blessed. I am a Christian. I am a Catholic. And I must forgive those that hurt me because of this – I know the hope for my salvation rests in their hearts. I pray for the Lord's blessing upon all of His believers and upon all the earth. Blessed be His holy name, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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philippiansfourseven

Posted by:  philippiansfourseven  (Posted: 09/12/06 12:41pm) permalink

Dear Clayonmyeyes,

This separation between the churches, it reminds me of this:
1 Corinthians 1:12

Then Paul says...."Was Christ divided?"

This division does not stop between Catholic and Protestant....but between the Protestant churches as well.
I wish we could all do away with denominations and just be Followers! Jesus Freaks! That's what I tell people I am when I'm asked, either I'm a Jesus Freak or a Follower of Jesus.
What ministry are we to disbelievers if we cannot love each other.

I completely forgot about church lines....doctrines....traditions during my time here. My writings and opinions have been an expression of my own quiet times with my Bible and God....I have reflected on messages at church, but I hope in a way that has not been offensive to anyone.

If my words have been offensive to anyone here....Forgive me.
Thank you clayonmyeyes for the reminder!

Philippiansfourseven

clayonmyeyes

Posted by:  clayonmyeyes  (Posted: 09/12/06 1:13pm) permalink

philippiansfourseven,

Sadly these issues always seem to surface. One thing that does encourage me though is the love of Christ that I see among ALL the members here. There are thousands of other Christian blogs out there also, all showing their commitment to the Lord. We are a strong force for Christ, despite our differences.

Thank you so much for you kind words.

Grace to you,
clayonmyeyes

venomx

Posted by:  venomx  (Posted: 09/12/06 2:01pm) permalink

I think I know which specific posts you're referring to, Clay, so I would like to take the time to say that I am sorry for my part in your pain. From this point forward, I will not post anything on this site that is divisive or contrary to any established doctrines--Catholocism, Calvinism, Lutherian, etc. (except for those doctrines which we can all agree are heretical--e.g. New Age, Witchcraft, Reincarnation, etc.).

Let me make one thing very clear: I am NOT anti-Catholic. I am anti-Catholic doctrine. I consider Catholics brothers and sisters in Christ (unless they show me otherwise--"You will know them by their fruits" [Mat 7:16]).

My entire family is Catholic. I grew up studying the religion. In fact, I am greatful to God for providing my parents the means to obtain this education for me. I am further thankful that God planted the desire in me to go to that school in the first place--this was instrumental in my conversion later in life. In general, I find Catholicism rich in tradition and history. The churches and cathedrals are breathtaking. Undeniably, the Catholic Church is the founder of our modern understanding of Christianity. Remember, Protestents, that the earliest founders of our movement were Catholic!

Catholicism isn't the path for me for two reasons. First, I don't agree with a lot of the doctrines. Therefore, I cannot submit to the authority who teaches them. (That doesn not imply I do not respect them; Pope John Paul II did a lot more for ecumenism than any Pope before, and I hope Pope Benedict XVI continues that tradition.) This I only developed later in life as I began to study Scripture for myself. Second, my wife doesn't feel comfortable nor spiritually filled in the Catholic Church. As the husband and spiritual head of my household, I am morally obligated to take care of my wife's spirituality as much as my own. For those reasons, we attend Protestent churches.

Small confession: I still enjoy going to Catholic Mass every now and then.

Again, I am
Cory

clayonmyeyes

Posted by:  clayonmyeyes  (Posted: 09/12/06 7:44pm) permalink

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tears of sorrow become tears of joy. The concern that you all have shown for my understanding is deeply appreciated. More importantly, the concern that you all have for me as a brother in Christ is a blessing. I was surprised how much those critical posts affected me, as I've heard all those arguments before, and also since they weren't directed at me personally. I was equally surprised by the effect of the above posts on me.

I'm currently discipling with an Independent Baptist Missionary/Pastor who is strictly Biblical. He makes no bones about his criticism of the Catholic Church. Many times though I have been shamed in my prejudices by this so-called close-minded separatist. I used to think that I should challenge him on his doctrine but this is no longer the case (and would be a waste of time). My desire is only to learn as much as possible from this man and to support his mission as best I can. The tired cliche works well here: the Lord works in mysterious ways.

I've spent much of my life fighting, mostly against myself, and I'm tired of it. I know we must fight for Christ, but armies need water bearers as much as they need soldiers. Christ's victory started with surrender - this is where I try to take my cue. I stumble often and know well the taste of my foot in my mouth.

The passion one has in their criticism for one denomination or the other is not necessarily a bad thing, if it truly stems from a desire to serve the Lord.

Again, thank you all for being concerned and honest. This is not an easy thing to accomplish.

May the Lord strengthen us all in our service to Him.

Grace to you all,
clayonmyeyes

otseng

Posted by:  otseng  (Posted: 09/13/06 3:22am) permalink

Thanks for sharing. I'd consider you a brother in Christ, even if you are a Catholic.

greybear

Posted by:  greybear  (Posted: 09/14/06 6:49am) permalink

clayonmyeyes,

I have a coworker and friend who is a Christian catholic much the same as I am a Christian missionary alliance. I capitalize the Christian and not the denomination because that is what is first and foremost in our faith, in the body of Christ. He knows Christ as his Saviour, he recognizes the saving blood of Christ, he is aware that he is a sinner only saved by the Grace of God. Yes, his worship service is different than mine. He may say some prayers that I don't and I may sing some worship songs that he doesn't. You know what; I bet we don't even say the same exact words when we pray. Each of our own houses of worship also is different in look. And the list of difference can go on and on, but I'm going back to who he is in the eyes of God and who I am as well. Sinners saved by the same Grace and given the same mercy on the day of our judgment. When all that is irrelevant is stripped away, that is all that is left. We are part of the same body, saved by the same Son, and will enjoy the same reward of eternity, side by side in the throne room of the same Almighty and Eternal God.

Love ya brother!

BYIC,
GreyBear

altonturner

Posted by:  altonturner  (Posted: 09/14/06 7:26am) permalink

Dear Clay,

I have to be honest, I have been raised to detest the ways of Catholics and their doctrines. They receive bad publicity on TV shows and books etc etc, they all just confirmed over and over to me that its bad news being a Catholic.

You have won me over, from your testimony and your convictions you are stronger in faith in Jesus Christ than most Christians I know.

In fact I was flabbergasted when I read this post where you admitted to be Catholic.

The Devil has been very successful in dividing the followers of Christ.

God Bless
Alton

clayonmyeyes

Posted by:  clayonmyeyes  (Posted: 09/14/06 7:52am) permalink

Brother,

You really know how to lift up the spirit! Again, it is very hard to be honest when looking long and hard at our convicitons. I'm sure I don't have to tell you there are plenty of Catholics that lack faith as well. Whaddya know - we're ALL guilty! Guess we need a Savior....

Grace to you,
clayonmyeyes

clayonmyeyes

Posted by:  clayonmyeyes  (Posted: 09/15/06 11:07am) permalink

Again, I knew this sort of criticism would come up. I'm going to try to tackle this bit by bit and I hope for continued feedback. "Iron sharpens iron."

Mary and the saints

I was born and raised Roman Catholic and attended catechism. Even though I did not embrace (or rather re-embrace) my faith until my recent adult years I have never once been told that it is acceptable to worship Mary or the saints. In practice I personally pray directly to God (Lord, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit), but some other Catholics find it useful to pray to Mary or the saints as well.

This prayer is not meant to be the same as prayer to God/Christ. It is meant to ask the saints to pray for us. We ask each other to pray for one another all the time - same thing, only this time we ask Mary or a saint to pray. We do not worship them at all.

This is also supported scipturally:


According to the above verse, saints do indeed pray.


This verse shows that there are those in heaven (saints) watching over our trials here on earth (the chapter preceding this verse names many saints).

So if the saints can "see" us couldn't they see us asking them to pray for us? Wouldn't they then respect our request and pray for us?

There's a lot more to this but the basic fact is that Catholics do not worship the saints or Mary. We ask (pray to) them to pray for us. We don't ask them to forgive our sins, we don't ask them for salvation, only their prayers - just like we ask the living to pray for us.

If you are really interested in the Catholic doctrine, do a web search on Catholic Apologetics and read. Just repeating anti-Catholic propaganda from anti-Catholic sources without serious study and consideration is not really fair.

clayonmyeyes

Posted by:  clayonmyeyes  (Posted: 09/18/06 1:13pm) permalink

I would like to widen the scope of this discussion for all those that are interested. I've started a new blog on this subject titled Sola Scriptura - Is the Bible the only authority?

dgerbino

Posted by:  dgerbino  (Posted: 09/18/06 6:51pm) permalink



Wow, clayonmyeyes! You sure started something here, didn't you? Well, I back you up 100% and I, too, say "I am a Christian. I am a Catholic." As you know, by reading my own testimony, I grew up a protestant - and am actually a Preacher's daughter - and am now a Catholic. This was a HUGE step in my faith journey - through movement within my soul from the Holy Spirit. Suffice it to say, I KNOW that the things that I heard about "Catholics" growing up was from people who were simply uneducated about the Catholic faith. I was curious, and attended RCIA (Rite of Catholic Initiation of Adults) classes to learn what the "Catholics" believe - from, who else, but the Catholics themselves. Perhaps some of you may be curious and would benefit from these classes. (Most parishes are starting those classes up now.)

I pray for people to stop throwing stones at each other over "who's right and who's wrong". All this messiness does, is give Satan more power. We should focus our energy on introducing Jesus to those who don't know who He is. We need to stop throwing stones at each other and trying to "convert" each other and "prove someone is wrong". God is the only judge ... thank goodness for that. Only He knows what I've been through, what my heart is like, what my relationship with Him is like.

So, I reiterate and fully back up clayonmyeyes by also saying that "I am a Christian. I am a Catholic"!

God Bless!
-Debi

irawanjohan

Posted by:  irawanjohan  (Posted: 11/13/06 9:19am) permalink

I believe that our relationship with Jesus is more important that religion. I'm a Catholic and I'm a Christian too. Actually I'm a bit confused between called catholic and christian. I hope God will touch us and tell us that religion is a way and Jesus is the destination we're all going to.

promisedbride

Posted by:  promisedbride  (Posted: 12/03/06 9:56am) permalink

I agree with irawanjohan.
It's not about religion, it's about your heart. Your relationship -not religion- is what makes you or breaks you. That's something I've learned from over the years. I grew up Catholic. But, In my situation, it was the common case of family not having a set 'religion' so attending mass was always a good idea to keep a clear conscience. I came to know the Lord as my Love, not the man with the whip, but my true hearts desire, when i was 11-12. I understand that you seem to be torn, but honestly, I think this should be the least of your worries. You know that you are a child of God, you have a relationship with the Lord, you're set. Sometimes you just have to tune out everything and everyone, all the questions, all the noise, and tune into the spirit. Next time you're faced with this issue, just tell the Lord that you don't have the words, you don't have all the answers, but He does. Tell Him to guide you and your words. He never fails. He's always there holding your hand. Trust He will take care of you and trust He will speak to the hearts of those who question you about your faith. Be blessed, and be encouraged..

Nikki

jasmine

Posted by:  jasmine  (Posted: 12/03/06 4:23pm) permalink

wow! is what I thought reading this,
I agree with irawanjohan, and I am so glad that it will not depend on my religion but rather on my faith in Jesus that will get me to Heaven.
may our Lord Jesus guide you in your walk with Him Clay!

cocorcora

Posted by:  cocorcora  (Posted: 01/10/07 9:13am) permalink

Dear Clayonmyeyes,
I too am Catholic, and have also never been instructed to worship Mary or the saints or "idols" as we are so often accused of doing!
I made the decision to become Catholic when I was sixteen. I had been raised in a church which I deemed to be both fanatical and hypocritical. I have too many memories as a little girl of quaking in the pew as the pastor screamed and having the devil "beat" out of me by my parents when we returned home Sunday afternoon.
The Catholic church was the place that I found God's love and the peace that His love brings. I first felt the persecution that you speak of from my family. I have an aunt who is strong in her faith; as a naive sixteen year old, I told her of my decision to join the Catholic church, thinking that she would be happy that I had found a church. I was shocked when she said, "Oh my God, no! You will be going straight to hell if you do that!"
No matter what denomination we are, we love the same God and are saved by His Son. My wish is that everyone embrace our differences. I do not feel that Protestant denominations are wrong and that we are right, or vice versa. We all have values that we can teach to each other. People who think that their way is the only way do not have other's best interests at heart, and it is my prayer that their eyes can be opened to accept fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Whichever path we take to become closer to Christ is the "right" path.
Thank you for your beautiful posts and words of wisdom.
Blessings,
Cocorcora

catholicmom3

Posted by:  catholicmom3  (Posted: 07/17/07 7:23am) permalink

I'm starting to discover this anti-Catholic bias out in the world. I guess it escaped me before, because I really was not aware that this was taking place inside the Christian community.

I love the Lord with all my heart and soul. I do not understand those who embrace lies about the Catholic faith and then feed those lies to others.

Sure there are differences among the Catholic Church and Protestants, however I'm open to discussing them and then accepting that not all Christians will embrace what I believe.

The worst part is, the bias seems to be based on a false perception of what Catholics believe. If you are going to disagree with me, then at least let it be based on the truth. AND if we disagree on faith issues, let's not forget who is the head of our Chruch, our leader, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Together we will always share a love and devotion to our Lord and Savior. WE can work out the small stuff with respect, compassion and love for each other.

I'm happy to be in a Church where I can worship God the way the first Christians worshipped God. I'm happy to have the brightest and most knowledgable theologians at our disposal to examine issues of morality and faith which helps guide us to truth. I do not mind sharing the knowledge of my faith with others, I simply ask that we remain civil and respectful when we do come across an issue that we disagree on.

I just returned from a trip to Rome. I visited the Vatican Museum, the Sisteen Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica where St. Peter is buried. It was the most beautiful trip I've ever taken and would be happy to share those experiences with anyone who is interested in hearing about it.

I come here with an open book. I enjoy discussions on theology and accept that right now, we may stumble upon some differences. We can talk about them if you like. I felt a calling to "LAW" in my younger days and decided to give up that for the vocation of MOTHERHOOD. I love it and I've never looked back. However, I tend to look at issues in a very logical and analytical manner, so let me apologize for that right now!! hahaha I tend to make a "CASE" when discussing matters of theology. I guess since Christ is not using me in areas of "LAW" , I have to use those gifts in other ways?

tchable

Posted by:  tchable  (Posted: 07/17/07 8:44am) permalink

I'm not a Catholic but this I do: I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. If we are Christ's then we are neither Baptist, Pentecostal, Luthern, Methodist, Catholic or any other denominational label. We are all one in Christ Jesus. It is high time that those who are Christ's shed the labels and come together as one lifting up the name of Jesus. Jesus is all in all. Jesus has called us to peace. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all Christians took off their denomination labels and replaced them with: The Church of Jesus Christ on Elm Street (or what ever location)?

Disciples of Christ are known by their love one for another. We will know them by their fruit. There is much fruit shared in this blog and comments. Love, compassion, gentleness, understanding, and what ever else is good.

Blessings to all,
YBIC

maddie

Posted by:  maddie  (Posted: 07/17/07 6:35pm) permalink

>>> Whaddya know - we're ALL guilty! Guess we need a Savior

Isn't it true!

And you know what I discovered.
We're all hypocrites. Every one of us.
Christians and non Christians alike.

One day I was in a dollar store where I had been ministering
over time to a clerk who was dieing of cancer.
The clerk said to me "what did I do to deserve this and that"
and she blamed Christ.

The thing is she had just sold a crack pipe to a cocaine addict
who tried to sell himself to me for ten bucks.
It was legal because the pipe was being sold as a novelty pipe.
And here is thre real kicker. It was legal only as long as she
sold the screen separately. The screen couldn't be inside the pipe
or it would be illegal.

I thought Satan must be laughing his head off cause the whole
world is fooled. We can't even see our own sin.

grandpa

Posted by:  grandpa  (Posted: 07/17/07 7:20pm) permalink

Clay, all I know is this: I don't believe for one minute that when we stand before God, that He is going to ask us, "Are you Catholic, Protestant, or ?....... All He is going to care about is, Did we accept Jesus Christ as our saviour. And Jesus is going to say, They are mine.

And in that moment, everyone of us are going to rejoice for all eternity with each other.

thanks Clay, we needed that.

clayonmyeyes

Posted by:  clayonmyeyes  (Posted: 07/18/07 8:37am) permalink

Amen Grandpa. We are His. Nothing much else needs to be said.

Blessings,
Vince

thehalpinatorlives

Posted by:  thehalpinatorlives  (Posted: 07/18/07 11:59am) permalink

clayonmyeyes, you said:
[I've spent much of my life fighting, mostly against myself, and I'm tired of it. I know we must fight for Christ, but armies need water bearers as much as they need soldiers. Christ's victory started with surrender - this is where I try to take my cue. I stumble often and know well the taste of my foot in my mouth.]

Wow! These are beautiful words.

What do you think the line is (or is there even a difference) between discussing our differences in a healthy way and arguing about our differences in a divisive way. Sometimes it seems like we get offended even if someone simply disagrees with us. Such an

doulos

Posted by:  doulos  (Posted: 07/21/07 1:50am) permalink

Hi Clay,

I may be a bit late jumping into this thread... I'm an actively serving, tongues speaking pentecostal who was once a fervent Catholic. And there are differences between the two but the arguments are really fuelled by ignorance from both sides (I'm not talking about the theologians). There are also some fundamental doctrinal differences that will probably never be resolved and we will each stick by our sides so it is pointless to argue.

The fact is that the denomination doesn't matter; it is about the relationship we have with God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is not the religion, it is not about works, it is not about the law but about His grace, our faith and the love we have for God. We can be totally religious but never know God. But if we know God, if we know that He speaks and we know how to listen, then religion is simply ritual. If we have accepted Jesus as our saviour and confessed it, then we are all part of the body of Christ and that also makes us brothers and sisters. I gotta agree with grandpa and that settles it because no one will disagree with this.

God works through and in every church - and He works through the Catholic church also! We can never say that He doesn't love Catholics or protestants because He loves the world - He loves buddhists and muslims too... And if we keep in mind that church does not mean institution or building, then we can separate our relationship with God from the belonging to a church. Interestingly and conversely this same thinking also means that we cannot separate ourselves from our relationship with anyone who is Christian, regardless of denomination as we are one and the same in the body and as bride of Christ. But when we belong to a certain church, we will be subject to it's governance, its leaders, priests or pastors; and the traditions, rituals and conventions. Hey, even the most charismatic of protestant churches have tradition and ritual although they would never call it that. And there will always be traditions and rituals that are man made. So long as we never allow traditions and rituals to define our relationship with God, we will never become religious and miss God.

Coming from a past as a fervent Catholic, this was the mistake I made. I was trapped in the rituals, I was religious and I never knew the blessings of the Spirit through knowing God. I was a modern day Pharisee or a "Sad-you-see". I thought that meeting all the requirements of the laws as defined by the church to stay "in grace" was what kept me from hell (and purgatory... which itself is another subject of contention). At the back of my mind I hoped that I would have the chance for "last rites" so that I would be sure. But of course, salvation is by faith, we can't earn it and we can never add anything to the perfection of the sacrifice of Jesus... and salvation, grace and blessings are simply given because God is good and not because we are good but I just didn't understand that then, I wasn't taught that at RCIA (well, not the one I attended anyway).

I also didn't know the Holy Spirit, I was taught that we receive the Holy Spirit when we got baptised. But I always wondered then, why there were those few Catholics who could speak in tongues. The character, nature, presence and voice of the Holy Spirit was something I didn't understand. Although now when I look back I know that the Holy Spirit was with me, that I had felt Him and heard Him. And now that I have been baptised in the Spirit and speak in tongues, I have also experienced and seen the power of God through giftings of the Holy Spirit. I have witnessed healings, miracles and deliverance also and been blessed by it. And I know the Holy Spirit speaks to us directly. But of course, the subject of the Holy Spirit causes another divide among denominations...

If we know God, then we will come to an understanding that rituals and traditions don't matter. They don't add to or subtract from our relationship with God (so long as we don't place anything above God) and it'll be up to us whether we want to participate in them or not because we will know that it doesn't matter to God. If we feel they are necessary or feel duty bound, then we need to re-examine ourselves. We could be in bondage to rituals and tradition (or to what another man thinks). We should be doing things out of love for Him and have the heart for others as Christ would. I pray that God helps me to love others as He loves them. God just wants us. He wants us to know Him and be with Him. He wants our hearts, sincere, and just as it is as with all its baggage... He wants us to acknowledge that we need Him and that only He can save us because the price has already been fully paid. He wants a relationship with us and from this relationship all else will follow. If we put Him first everything else will begin to fall in place for our good even though some of the pieces that fit will hurt...

If we stick only to what the bible requires us to do as Christians, we will understand that the rituals and traditions are not part of it. While being Catholic means that there is some other extra stuff (we can't deny the stuff that Popes have added over the ages) it doesn't mean that a Catholic is not Christian. There will always be people who will persecute us and it doesn't matter what we do and it isn't about being Catholic or not. It comes from all angles. The devil just likes to throw things at us to get us to react the wrong way...

So can we be Catholic and Christian? Of course!! And there is no problem with that, so keep it up bro... and God bless you! God is Good All The Time!

My apologies in advance if I have offended anyone. I don't mean to.

tchable

Posted by:  tchable  (Posted: 07/21/07 8:39am) permalink

Doulos . . .

catholicchristian

Posted by:  catholicchristian  (Posted: 08/01/07 1:09pm) permalink

What I have found in the Catholic Church is the Church Christ established and passed on to the Apostles. This Church has survived for over 2000 years now, and I feel that I need to belong to the authentic Church He established. I'm sad to hear from Catholics who've left the Church. On the other hand, the joy Christians have found through Christ in the other denominations is something that i believe Christ wants for all of us. So I do believe that Christ works through the other Christian denominations. Christ comes to us through the Eucharist which He gave to us when he told us to eat His Body and Drink His Blood. This is a sacrament I could never walk away from, as I believe I would be walking away from Christ, in a way. He lost many disciples when He instituted the Eucharist, as many could not take His words literally. He did not correct them and instead this Tradition has been passed down to the disciples who also celebrated Mass with the Eucharist. I can't imagine living my life without Jesus coming into me through the Eucharist at the Mass. I'm grateful for His gift to me along with the other sacraments. As a Catholic we can be as complacent as we want to be, or we can be "on fire" with the Holy Spirit. God doesn't force Himself upon us, and as Catholics it's up to us to open ourselves up to the blessings and graces He bestows upon us. For my dear Catholic brothers and Sisters and my Christians bothers and sisters, I believe there is a call to unity in the Church. But each one of us must be open to that message. We are unified in Christ, however I think there is so much more that Christ wanted for us as a completed and unified Church. We start with our common belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. After that it's up to us to search for the Truth of our Christian faith and our Christian roots. I have found that the Catholic Church is the same Church that Christ brought to the Apostles, whom handed their faith down to the disciples. History will show anyone who is searching for that truth. As a Catholic, I'm on a faith journey that never ends. As I grow older, the love I have for the Lord only grows, and for that I'm truly blessed. So I invite my Christian friends to look deep into your faith. Look at the early Church and how they worshipped God through the Mass and by receiving the Eucharist. You may find some of what you are looking for, maybe not. But I hope that no matter what, we can all remember that we are all one in Christ! God bless !

songbird

Posted by:  songbird  (Posted: 08/02/07 6:15am) permalink

Clay,
As I read your blog, these words came to me and I wanted to share them with you, these are what I call the original thoughts, rough draft to what I know the Lord must intend my next poem to be, but your words are what inspired them,so I wanted you to hear what was layed on my heart as I read your blog.

I am but a lamb,
who follows his shepard's call.
I am but a lamb,
just a single heartbeat in his herd.
I am but a lamb,
not unlike any other lamb.
I am but a lamb,
who knows his shepards voice.
I am but a lamb,
under my shepards watchful eyes.
I am but a lamb,
Saved by my shepards blood
I am but a lamb,
just one of many.
I am but a lamb,
not unlike any other.
Only my shepard's love
gives life to me.
I am but a lamb.

kraftykatz

Posted by:  kraftykatz  (Posted: 08/02/07 7:57am) permalink

What does the word Christian mean? Little Christ, Christ-like, follower of Christ are all terms I have heard. If we have accepted Christ as Savour, we are Christian. Everything else, like the church we attend, is second and a matter of personal preference.

catholicchristian

Posted by:  catholicchristian  (Posted: 08/05/07 10:16am) permalink

What I've found in reading the New Testament is a call to become a unified church. Paul calls for unity. What I find encouraging is the fact that Christian denominations bring others to Jesus. They show them and teach them about the love of Christ and His message. But I think one needs to look at this even further and go deeper into what we as a Church are called to do. Yes, we must come to know Christ, to love Him and to understand that He is our Lord and Savior. It makes sense that, that is our first step. But where do we go from there? The Bible includes instruction on how the Church is to be a unified body. A body of Christ. One that is unified. That is the message that the early Church heard and strived for. It is why you will read from the early Church and how they addressed the heresies that tried to destroy her. They remained unified for hundreds of years. It's how we got the Bible. It was through the authority of the unified Church that they were able to discern which books were inspired and which ones were not. They came together as believers who were unified in faith to choose the books for the Bible. Up to that point, several hundred years passed where Christians were unified and spread the Gospel without a New Testament in hand. They were all part of the same mission, to share the good news and to spread the Gospel to others. I'm sure they had their share of issues to deal with, as you can see from the early Church fathers, some were solid in their faith, only to abandon it and embrace heresies. But through it all, Christianity survived and spread. After the Church chose the books for the Bible, there were no printing presses and for many more years Christians received the Word of God through preaching and evangelization.
I think had the early Church bee in a state of disarray and disunity, they would have never been able to bring us the New Testament.

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