Year: 2013

  • 5 Reasons This Millennial Went High Church

    Rachel Held Evans and others have been posting about the recent trend for Millennials (those currently in the 18-29 age bracket) to end up in the high church traditions–Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, etc.


    St. Giles, Cheadle Interior 6

    After years attending and leading worship in the non-liturgical settings, I was nevertheless also strangely drawn to liturgical and sacramental life. I finally ended up in the Anglican Church1.

    Here’s why I came to embrace the way of ancient Christianity.

    1) It points me to Jesus.

    The ancient liturgical traditions each have specific theological reasoning behind them. Each one, whether it be saying a corporate confession of sin, “passing the peace,” or even the style of vestments used are meant to communicate something about God. They function as a continual guide during worship back to meditating on Jesus.

    2) It connects me with history.

    The past matters for the high church traditions. We worship with prayers, songs, and actions that have been practiced since the Apostolic era. This connects us with with all those saints that have gone before us, keeping us grounded in what God has done and living in the reality of the “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1).

    3) It fosters communion.

    Not only do we actually have Holy Communion each week, but the liturgical way is in fact much more interactive than the typical “sing, sit, listen” pattern in mainstream Evangelical services. “Liturgy” means “work of the people,” and together we stand, kneel, join hands, make the sign of the sign of the cross, respond with written and spontaneous prayers. There’s a rhythm of back-and-forth in most liturgies that reminds us we’re all engaged in the work of worship, and brings us closer together as a community centered around the person of Jesus.

    4) It gives me tools to grow.

    The ancient traditions include robust devotional tools for daily prayer, meditation, and discipline. The most important for me have been the Daily Office (set prayers and appointed Bible readings for morning and evening), prayer beads, the Church Year, beautiful and ancient art, and of course the writings of the Church Fathers.

    5) It reintroduces me to the Triune God.

    Fully Trinitarian prayer is a beautiful thing. Without a high degree of intentionality, it’s quite easy to leave out certain members of the Trinity in our daily spirituality. This can sometimes be a especially true when it comes to the Holy Spirit. In the ancient ways of worship, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all addressed according to their function within the Godhead, and we are often reminded that they are together one God. This simple prayer has been incredibly influential on my spirituality:

    Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

    1. Technically, the church I attend is really kind of “broad-church,” that is, it incorporates elements of both very simple liturgy and more ornate rituals. We’re between high and low church (with a preference toward high compared to most Evangelical services). We’ve got this cool casual-yet traditional, informal-yet-liturgical thing going on that I love. For instance, we ring bells to start the service (high church), but we sing Hillsong and sometimes the clergy wear jeans. ↩

  • Why Protestants Don't Get How Roman Catholics Talk About Justification

    Cemented in the Protestant doctrinal ethos is the great Reformation declaration, Sola Fide! We are justified before God by faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by any efforts or works of our own. Even this faith is a gift from God. Justification for most Protestants (especially those in Reformed circles) means the declaration before God that we are made right with him by virtue of Christ’s merits. Read More “Why Protestants Don't Get How Roman Catholics Talk About Justification”

  • Hail Mary: What Roman Catholics Really Think About the Mother of Jesus

    Templo Expiatorio San Luis Gonzaga,Monterrey,Estado de Nuevo León,MéxicoHail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

    This petition causes no small amount of distress to self-identified Protestants and Evangelicals the world over. I hope I’ve already demonstrated that Roman Catholics are not engaged in worshiping the saints when they ask them for prayer, so that particular issue won’t be in view here. However, Marian devotion can still be confusing to those of us that have backgrounds in the free churches or conservative Evangelical traditions. What’s up with making such a big deal out of Mary? Have Roman Catholics elevated her to the status of (a) God? What do Roman Catholics think about the role of Mary in salvation?

    Let’s get started!

    First it’s important to establish that in Roman Catholic theology, Mary truly is of secondary importance when it comes to basic Gospel message. However, just like the nation of Israel, Mary has a special place in God’s plan to save the world through Jesus, and thus worthy of special honor. After all, Mary’s devotion and humble obedience to the Father meant that she carried the Incarnate Word in her womb. In her humility, she continually directed praise and worship back to the Father and her son, Jesus. Nevertheless the Scripture also records that she and others knew that all generations would call her blessed (Luke 1:46-48).

    Evangelicals have at least something to learn here. Although many of us will disagree with the degree to which Roman Catholics honor Mary, if we only remember and honor her once a year (for a few days around Christmas) are we really being faithful to Scriptures? I think we have often over-reacted in our attempt to correct perceived excesses from our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.

    As previously stated, I’ve already addressed prayer to saints, but many Evangelicals take note that for Roman Catholics, there’s a special emphasis on asking Mary for her prayers. Why? Not because she some sort of superhuman or divine being, but because her special maternal relationship with Jesus has implications for us also. If we are indeed united to Christ in a special way as believers (and for Roman Catholics, through the Church and the Sacraments) then Mary becomes a “spiritual mother” for us also. So among all the saints, there is a unique relationship between those Jesus calls a “friend and a brother” and his mother (John 19:26; John 15:15; Hebrews 2:11). For Roman Catholics, this is expressed (with all the saints in heaven) as a ministry of intercession for those Jesus loves. As an intercessor and the one who freely chose to bear Jesus, she is a source of grace (gifts), however this grace is understood to be ultimately from God the Father through Jesus the son.

    Because of Mary’s special role in the plan of salvation and because of her ministry of intercession, some in the Roman Catholic Church have given Mary titles like “Mediatrix” (Mediator) or even “Coredemptress.” These kinds of words sound especially bad to us Evangelicals (they definitely rub me the wrong way)–after all, isn’t there only one mediator between God and man for salvation (1 Timothy 2:5-6)?  To this Roman Catholic teachers and theologians give a resounding, “YES!” Yet God does use other human beings daily to show us his grace, love, mercy, and to pray for us. These are mediated experiences. Although Jesus is the One High Priest, the Bible also states that every Christian now has a priestly, intercessory role–God graciously allows us to share in the work of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). Only in this sense does Mary “mediate” between us and God.

    The Second Vatican Council said it this way (emphasis added):
    [The intercession of Mary] in no way obscures or diminishes the unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. For all the saving influences of the Blessed Virgin on men originate, not some inner necessity, but from the divine pleasure. They flow forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rest on his mediation, depend entirely on it, and draw all their power from it. In no way to they impede the immediate union of the faithful with Christ, Rather, they foster this union.1

    1. Second Vatican Council, “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,” no. 60. ↩

  • This is the Best Book on Marriage I've Read

    The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God was written by popular pastor Timothy Keller (from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City) with his wife Kathy, and is based on an acclaimed sermon series he delivered on the topic of marriage and Christianity. It is hands down, without a doubt, the best work on marriage I’ve read. Read More “This is the Best Book on Marriage I've Read”

  • The United States of America Is Not God's Chosen Nation

    D is for....320/365I believe that God can and does use all circumstances to ultimately bring glory to himself. I am grateful for the prosperity and freedom I enjoy here in the U.S., however I am hesitant to elevate God’s purposes for America above his purposes for any other country for the following reasons: Read More “The United States of America Is Not God's Chosen Nation”

  • Do Roman Catholics Worship Saints? The Answer May Surprise You

    I’ve often heard accusations against Roman Catholics of idolotry–even a subtle polytheism–because of the language that they often use of “praying to the saints.” It’s common to hear further allegations that Roman Catholics engage in “conjuring the dead,” an occult practice that is forbidden in the Scriptures.

    In fact, Roman Catholics do not worship the saints, and are not engaged in occult practices. Read More “Do Roman Catholics Worship Saints? The Answer May Surprise You”

  • Formed by Love, Not Fear

    ~(_|_)~The most-repeated exhortation in the New Testament is “do not be afraid.”

    Fear is the antithesis of spiritual formation, because spiritual formation is ultimately about becoming more like God, and God is love. The spirit that he gives us is one of love, not fear (2 Tim 1:7).

    The Apostle John writes that perfect love (John 15:13; 1 John 4:18) casts out fear. Fear keeps us from abandoning ourselves to Jesus, yet, because of what he has done our behalf we no longer have any cause for fear, even as we share in his suffering (Phil. 3:10). We are not afraid; instead we have great hope and confidence (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

    The Good News of Jesus means we are now free from all kinds fear, to live in faith, hope, and love.