Romans 12:1

Theologically liberal 20-something, about to graduate college. I'm considering seminary, but I'm nowhere near ready. So I'm trying to figure out what God has to say to me and what to do with that. "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him."

[societykillscreativity]

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1-2

[spiritualinspiration2]

Matt Chandler Sermon Jam Prayer

[newbigin]

If I understand the teaching of the New Testament on this matter, I understand the role of the Christian as that of being neither a conservative nor an anarchist, but a subversive agent… We do not spend enough of our energies training undercover agents.

Lesslie Newbigin, Truth to Tell: The Gospel as Public Truth (via newbigin)

[hereiam-foundinchrist-deactivat]

[thefullnessofthefaith-deactivat]

I know it looks really long, but it’s not.

Please take the time to read it, and if you do, I really appreciate it. If you like this or agree with it, or think it is worthwhile reading, please “like” or “reblog” it. Let’s spread Jesus’ love amongst our struggling brothers and sisters. This is my post about the entire “Are Catholics Christians?” thing. Enjoy and God bless! 

Thank you for this message, its nice to see that we are making strides for greater understanding. The way you described the way we view saints is perfect.

I would like to clear up some things though.

1.  The infallibility of the Pope:  This does not mean he does not make mistakes.  (We’ve had enough Borgia Popes to teach us that.) What it means is that when he teaches from the throne of St. Peter, (ex cathedra,) on only an issue of faith or morals, and on something that has previously been taught but not yet made part of dogma, the teaching he makes is infallible. This is not because of who the Pope is, but because of the position he holds as being the vicar of Christ.  The Holy Spirit protects the Church and the Pope from being taught something that is wrong.  Just so you know,   there have only been two ex cathedra statements in history and they were made by the same Pope.  The immaculate conception of Mary, in other words that Mary was conceived without sin, and the assumption of Mary, that she did not die but instead was ‘assumed’ body and soul into heaven.

2.  We believe we are saved through our faith, but we believe faith to be an ongoing process. We do not believe that one day we don’t believe, one day we do.  It is a struggle that goes through many different struggles.  We don’t think its a one time thing.  We also believe that works our an important part of our faith.  While we are saved by our faith, faith without works is dead.  Also, while we believe baptism is a fundamental part of salvation because it is through baptism that our original sin is cleansed, we do not believe that if you do not get baptized you will necessarily go to hell.  There are baptisms of desire, issues of “invincible ignorance” and “Anonymous Christianity” that all can lead to salvation outside of the sacrament of baptism.  (Nor do we believe that all baptized people go to heaven.)  These are fascinating issues but this note is already too long so I’ll close it with “The Catholic response” to the question, “Are you saved?”

http://nikosnature.tumblr.com/post/19227407147/this-is-the-answer-whenever-sowmeone-asks-you-are-you

3.  The seven steps you listed there are what we call “Sacraments,” and they are visible manifestations of God’s grace.  (They are a little out of their usual order but don’t worry about that.)  These are if you will, milestones in the spiritual life of a Catholic.

4.  As for the 5 Hail Mary’s to forgive sins, don’t worry, we don’t believe saying 5 Hail Mary’s will forgive sins either.  (Though it is a powerful prayer, and when in a rosary can confer incredible gifts.)  We believe that the salvation comes from the sacrament itself.  From God working through the priest who speaks the words of forgiveness.  Could God forgive sins without a priest?  Sure.  However, we as a Church believe that God chose to forgive sins through a priest. 

5.  As far as communion goes.  We do actually believe that the body and blood are literally the body and blood.  I’m going to try to give the briefest explanation possible so don’t worry if you don’t totally understand because I’m giving you a paragraph when there have been books written on this subject.  Let’s go to Ancient Greece where we have Aristotelian metaphysics.  Basically things are made up of “the substance” and “the accident.”  The substance is the essence of the thing, the thing itself, the inscape, “the essential catness of a cat.”  Confused yet?  Good, so am I.  Now the accident is all visible and physical signs of a thing.  So what makes a cat look like and appear to be a cat as we know it.  Now, we believe in Transubstantiation.  Do you see where I am going here?  We believe that the bread undergoes a change in the substance so that it becomes the body of Christ.  However, the accident remains the same.  So the body of Christ has the appearance, and all the physical characteristics of the bread that was there, but the substance of the bread has changed into the body of Christ.  Same with the wine into the blood.

As for everything else, great job!  I really enjoyed reading this.  By the way, if you or anyone else has any questions about Catholicism, feel free to message me, or better yet, thepapists.tumblr.com or fathershane.tumblr.com, or any of the other tumblr Catholics.

God Bless!

[dregking]

Daily bread or special occasion dessert?

[giovannypanginda-deactivated202]

Amen to the bread.

[beingblog]

Bubble Map Breaking Down the World Religions (Infographic)

An excellent graphic from the National Post on the number of adherents of the world’s believing and non-believing constituencies. What factoid surprises you?

[confessionsfemaletrumpet-blog]

So Easy to be a "Christian"; Not so easy to Love

I make up bits and pieces of songs everyday and hope that someday they become something bigger. This is just a snippet that ran through my head this morning. I’m kind of at the crossroads where I have to ask “Is anything I am doing right now really gonna matter in 20 years? How many of these people am I actually going to know”

—————————-

And your Christian love leaves me so cold

Take back your Jesus that you sold me

He’s broken, this Savior gave,

How can wishful words and chapel doors

save a wretch like me

I’m lost and I don’t want to be found

Don’t force me to your holy ground

It hurts,

seeing how much I’m not worth

——————————————————-

[giovannypanginda-deactivated202]

In seminary, we talked about the importance of perspective and interpretation. When it comes to Biblical interpretation, we have to let the text and context frame the interpretation.

[thethirdkindofking]

Theological criticism: More conservative members of the UCC have complained that the UCC has lost members because of its “theological surrender to the moral and spiritual confusion of contemporary culture.” This movement has focused its complaints on the “often radically liberal political agenda” of the UCC. Social criticism: Conservatives have complained that UCC members are “probably the most left-leaning of all major U.S. denominations.” These critics have complained that the UCC attempts to control “how liberal Christians should think in politically correct terms about climate controversies, socialized medicine, the U.S. presence in Iraq, immigration and the Welfare State.” Criticism over same-sex marriage: The UCC has been severely criticized for its stand on same-sex marriage. In fact, citing differences over “the membership and ministry of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians”, the UCC’s Puerto Rico Conference left the church in 2006. Criticism of sex education: Critics have complained that the UCC’s focus on sex education, including the distribution of condoms, does not provide appropriate moral context for sex and has failed in “reinforcing the traditional Christian ethic reserving sex for marriage.”

-Wikipedia for United Church of Christ (Congregational)

So, this is the wikipedia list of criticism that the congregational church has received. Every single one of these is a reason that I like this church, hahahaha.

(via thethirdkindofking)

^haha yes

[christisenough]

e-Boasting

Galatians 6:14:

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Blessings,

David Jee [Eternity Bible College]

[lovethelittlethings15-blog]

[religiouscritic]

Quote mining is the deceitful tactic of taking quotes out of context in order to make them seemingly agree with the quote miner’s viewpoint. It’s a way of lying. This tactic is widely used among Young Earth Creationists in an attempt to discredit evolution.

[romans-12-1]

Chapter 8

I love the final poem in this book.  There is something so amazing about the idea of being truly broken before we can ever hope to be whole and fully experience the world.

[romans-12-1]

Chapter 7

I know that I have personally felt really detached from God, and this book overall (and especially this chapter about the call within a call) are making me ponder if that is a possibly advantageous toward living a Christian life.

[justgenesiz-deactivated20121211]

[bhagyawati]

[confessionsfemaletrumpet-blog]

Islam is the religion of peace

Even when it’s not our own, it is not our place to judge, true peace comes from true understanding, and true understanding begins with the willingness to love your neighbor for who they are…

[backstagekath]

Corporation

Since I’ve gotten a job at an insurance company, I’ve been super-sensitive to how people view big business.  Right now in night class we’re talking about how if you are playing the money game, you’re going to need to make moral compromises.  I take this really personally.  I’m a religion major, and a Christian, and I really try to work for social justice. But sometimes I feel like such a sell-out because I’ve taken a job at a for-profit, large company.  I actually had someone at my church come up to me while I was still working there as an intern and told me that I needed to stop working there and had to be a teacher because insurance is an awful business and I need to be helping people.  I really do like where I’m going to be working, I’m so excited to start.  But we were talking at lunch with a religion professor today, and everyone is going around the room talking about what they want to do post-college.  People want to work for non-profits, or get their degrees in theology, or start programs for kids with mental health problems.  And I want to be a minister or a chaplain one day, I really do, but right now I’m perfectly happy working for an insurance company.  I don’t think it goes against any moral or religious obligations for me.  You can still work in a big business and be a moral person.  My job does not define my basic moral ideas.  As a Christian, I do feel called to follow Jesus’ example of extravagant welcoming of every person, and helping those who need help.  I want to, and believe I should constantly want to, work for a world where everyone feels valued and has basic health and safety rights.  And I can still do this while working for an insurance company.  No one I have met in the two years I was an intern (and I would venture to guess that no one I will meet as I start my new job) is an evil person who wants to undermine everyone.

I don’t really know where I’m going with this anymore, but it just bothers me that people have this view of people who work for large corporations.  Maybe I’m just feeling defensive and not fitting in to the rest of the Christians at my school.  Which I haven’t done for the past 3.5 years, so I don’t really know why it’s bothering me now.  Or maybe I’m just disappointed in myself for not doing more to live like Christ.  Who knows.

End rant.