Why I L-O-V-E Being Catholic

[Ratatösk]

A friendly reflection on my brother's exuberance:

1. The church is named after the objective gospel foundation that has been acknowledged by saints stretching from the apostles to today, not an innovation or proposition that I’ve certified with my own sinful and limited understanding.

2. I have a theology that says that I am saved, right now, by grace through faith. No wishful thinking; just the sure hope of the glorious expectation. There is no need to turn inward. This certainty is based on the objective promise of God in his sacraments.

3. The church has real power- the reality of which doesn’t depend on an appeal to a proof text, but is demonstrated by the actual transformation of a pagan world into Western Civilization through the sacrifice of her martyrs and one life at a time.

4. I can be assured that the mission I seek to understand and implement is that of the apostles.

5. I can treasure the relationships that mirror the image of God- not inwardly, alone- but as a human being- with action, word and physicality. Its also nice not having to cluck my tongue at St. Paul. As he was the Father to Timothy, I have many spiritual fathers, too.

6. I know where the real, actual, ‘you can touch’ it church that has existed for over two-thousand years is located. I don’t have to appeal to a theoretical invisible church that no one has ever experienced. I learned this from the Evangelical John Murray- “the problem with an invisible church is I’ve never seen one.” I appreciate the recognition that for something to exist; it has to be distinguished.

7. Since my relationship to a real community is based on God’s objective and personal word to me in his sacraments, I don’t have to look inward to ascertain my relation to an invisible community that no one can distinguish nor see.

8. I don’t have to be afraid of history or ashamed of the hierarchies of the church- no matter how counter-cultural they are.

9. Every Lord’s Day we actually celebrate the truth that Xians can believe different things and yet remain part of the body that is formed at our common table- the world over.

10. While we recognize that modern culture values efficiency and minimalism above all, we can mimic our Father in being prodigical with creation. He likes all sorts of unnecessary things- symbolic clothing among them. We glory in being able to love our wives by kissing them- not having to choose between a kiss (that oughtn’t be needed) and authentic love.

11. I know that I'm a priest, a saint, a child and a father and don't have to wait until I'm "dead" to find out because God has said so in my baptism- not because I can point to something in myself.

12. I am not ashamed to receive Christ from the hands of another- it’s the way of grace and the kingdom.

13. Against the obviously delusional position of an individualistic world, the church knows that all we have, we’ve received from another. Others aren’t a weakness that needs to be overcome. Our isolation isn’t something to be applauded. God is Triune, and it’s not good for men to be alone.

14. My conception of what God desires in worship is fed by scripture- not the cultural emphasis of the day, and all the physicality of bowing, vestments, incense etc that we find around his heavenly throne are present in our participation of it.

15. We show respect for holy things and people with the same fullness of humanity that we naturally extend to family members or national symbols. Communication is more than talk, talk, talk. Humanity is more than ‘Mind.’ Every human being venerates and 'values through another'. The church refuses to withhold this part of our humanity from God.

16. The greatest minds of Western Civilization have been part of the church, the sciences and the university are the result of her commitment to intellectual pursuits.

17. I have a sure place to stand- having the ‘non-negotiable’ clearly spelled out in the Creeds of the church- as I examine myself and the world.

18. Within the confines of the gospel- confidently known and preserved- the church promotes true conviction and dissenting opinions, but all for the good of the church (the actual one- not the invisible on) and with a spirit of submission.

19. When those in the church make a chart, graph or list, they can appeal to the scripture, which the church (again, the actual one) has identified and preserved with impunity and… in addition to asserting individual opinion, they can draw on the work that the Holy Spirit has been doing over the last Two thousand years without worrying about how their brothers and sisters will react.

EDIT:

20. We can post numbered lists without dropping a single digit.

[Marv]

Rey had 20, you only have 19. So he wins, right?

[Ratatösk]

I couldn't figure out the distinction between the point made in Rey's 4 & 5, so they both went into my 4.

I'll edit the thing and make it a tie.

[Marv]

Luther had 95.

[Ratatösk]

Yeah, you'd expect that. Lutherans are evangelical Catholics.

[Marv]

ECT

[Ratatösk]

Hey Ser,

I don’t think I did any proof texting in number 14. Doesn’t that require a text?

In speaking about what goes on in heaven, we are dependent upon revelation. The totality of the revelation we have- from Genesis through the Apocalypse has the Creator of stuff, clothing himself with stuff raising the stuff into the Godhead and all because he loved stuff, then being worshiped by complete human beings (stuff persons utilizing stuff for worship) for his salvation of stuff. Not sure where else to go.

In regards to a power we claim for ourselves, it’s fair to expect ‘we’ will demonstrate the validity of the claim. I don’t doubt that Evangelical’s are empowered by the Holy Spirit. The world is a better place because of the lives of many of them. That distinction is hardly theirs alone, though… and they produce few Saints. :-) Anyway, trying to distinguish oneself with the claim “We have life transforming power because the Bible says we do’ over against the community through whom God has actually transformed the lives and civilization of millions seemed a bit odd. Maybe, it shouldn’t have.

I didn’t slam the invisible church. That would be like slamming a Jackalope. You'd have to find one first. I appreciate the point that is trying to be made with the theory, but its a very unfortunate and harmful way of putting it. I just don't believe in an invisible churches or invisible marriages, for that matter.

By the way, being a part of the church doesn't mean that I never think the other members are sometimes silly. When y'all think that of me, my pride might be hurt over your opinion of my views, but not over your opinion of my salvation. We Xians all have our silly moments. We don't need to pretend it isn't so.

You misunderstand Catholic and Universal. The church isn’t either because everything and everyone is included in her. She stands over against the other communities of the world.

[Rey Reynoso]

Hey you cheated! You didn't use HTML!

I have to be honest though. The only reason I wrote my list was because someone did before me.

[Ratatösk]

That was my point- your disagreement with me doesn't imply a questioning of my salvation; so likewise... my disagreement with those who relativize the church in a negative way for a commitment to another one that no one can see, isn't a denial that they are part of the church.

That's a matter that is objectively established or not.

Bad day?

[Ratatösk]

That makes sense, Rey.

:-)

[Rey Reynoso]

I'm confused.