Raised Catholic myself so I get it, I was away from church for nearly two decades after falling away.
There are Bible-believing churches that are filled with wonderful people who love God and joyfully praise him together. I don't trust "religion" either which is why I don't do it. I celebrate a relationship with Christ with other likemind…
Raised Catholic myself so I get it, I was away from church for nearly two decades after falling away.
There are Bible-believing churches that are filled with wonderful people who love God and joyfully praise him together. I don't trust "religion" either which is why I don't do it. I celebrate a relationship with Christ with other likeminded people, that is fellowship that the Bible describes. It's joyful, heart-felt praise for all God has done for us and the wonder of His creation. Thankfully I've found a church that focuses on Him and not "religion".
I was in your exact same position and had lots of excuses not to attend. God had other plans though, and my life has been thoroughly blessed by it. God bless.
Just like we need to love the sinner and hate the sin, so must we separate the truth of the Catholic Church handed down from Christ from the fallen members (including leaders) that have compromised that truth. It is important to learn what the Church teaches so that what people “think” The Church teaches doesn’t get in the way of what Is the truth. I am beyond grateful everyday that I can truly receive the body and blood of the same Jesus that died for me. AMAZING!
Thank you, Jackie. Love Coffee and Covid, but I wish people would do some more research on what the Church actually teaches. Those who left truly do not know what they rejected, or they never would have done so.
Amen, sister! So well said. I need all the grace that’s available 🙏🏻 Can we commune with God on our own? Of course! But we live by our senses, and the same way Jesus used mud and spit to heal the blind man when he could have easily just said “be healed,” illustrates that we need concrete expressions of God’s presence. Receiving Holy Eucharist is life-changing!
Amen. The Lord, in the Eucharist, was my lifesaver during covid. I found a TLM Church that did not close down, did not require masks and were honestly practicing their faith. I found myself back in the Faith of my Fathers.
I too am a lapsed Catholic who wandered in the wilderness for many, many years looking for ‘something’. Jeff Childers is entirely correct in saying that Covid brought (at least some) people back to religion. I’d been slowly rediscovering my Christian faith, but it was in March of 2020 that I began to seriously read and study and pray once more. Where I live there are no churches which did not close their doors during Covid and, even re-opened, they are only interested in preaching the ‘religion’ of diversity. So I continue to worship alone, supported by online communities of faith. I have prayed to find a physical community, but so far that prayer has not been answered. Communities like this one help keep me sane - thank you all!
Former Catholics—I am also one— continue to be the largest group of non-churched folks. Praise God I found a Bible-based church that is my church home. We are about 2000 strong—although counting attendance is not a priority— don’t have a building, meet in a conference center, and donate over $2M annually to local and international faith-based initiatives. God is so good!
I'll add here that my comment wasn't meant to denigrate the Catholic church as "religion" but was meant as a general comment regarding people getting wrapped up in the mechanisms of religious practices at the expense of knowing Jesus.
Christ calls us to be in a relationship with Him, if that occurs in the Catholic Church then praise God! God works in all sorts of wonderous ways, and as the Bible says by our fruits they shall know us. By "religion" I meant those that mouth platitudes or went through the motions but don't actually know Him. Unfortunately I saw plenty of that growing up. Twelve years of Catholic schools culminated with our Catholic priest principal being taken down with the biggest sex abuse payout in LA and Orange county history at the time. It was not an isolated incident back then as several of our parish priests were also exposed over the years.
That was my experience but I recognize it's not that of everyone, and that there are plenty of Protestants and Orthodox who were also awful hypocrites.
If you are in a Catholic Church and love the Lord, then who am I to tell you that you are doing it wrong? Gods' grace covers us all, he doesn't expect us to tick every box on the salvation checklist but to love Him with our whole heart, mind, and soul. We are sanctified in this life through the renewing of our minds as Paul says, through that we draw closer to Him. If that is happening for you in a Catholic Church then God bless you as my brother or sister in Christ.
Raised Catholic myself so I get it, I was away from church for nearly two decades after falling away.
There are Bible-believing churches that are filled with wonderful people who love God and joyfully praise him together. I don't trust "religion" either which is why I don't do it. I celebrate a relationship with Christ with other likeminded people, that is fellowship that the Bible describes. It's joyful, heart-felt praise for all God has done for us and the wonder of His creation. Thankfully I've found a church that focuses on Him and not "religion".
I was in your exact same position and had lots of excuses not to attend. God had other plans though, and my life has been thoroughly blessed by it. God bless.
Just like we need to love the sinner and hate the sin, so must we separate the truth of the Catholic Church handed down from Christ from the fallen members (including leaders) that have compromised that truth. It is important to learn what the Church teaches so that what people “think” The Church teaches doesn’t get in the way of what Is the truth. I am beyond grateful everyday that I can truly receive the body and blood of the same Jesus that died for me. AMAZING!
Thank you, Jackie. Love Coffee and Covid, but I wish people would do some more research on what the Church actually teaches. Those who left truly do not know what they rejected, or they never would have done so.
Yes and this can be proven out by the many Protestant and formerly anti-Catholic people that on seeking the truth, end up in the Catholic faith.
Amen, sister! So well said. I need all the grace that’s available 🙏🏻 Can we commune with God on our own? Of course! But we live by our senses, and the same way Jesus used mud and spit to heal the blind man when he could have easily just said “be healed,” illustrates that we need concrete expressions of God’s presence. Receiving Holy Eucharist is life-changing!
Not only that, it’s BIBLICAL! Matt 26: 26-29
Amen. The Lord, in the Eucharist, was my lifesaver during covid. I found a TLM Church that did not close down, did not require masks and were honestly practicing their faith. I found myself back in the Faith of my Fathers.
I thank God each day.
Perfectly & kindly said Jeff C.
I too am a lapsed Catholic who wandered in the wilderness for many, many years looking for ‘something’. Jeff Childers is entirely correct in saying that Covid brought (at least some) people back to religion. I’d been slowly rediscovering my Christian faith, but it was in March of 2020 that I began to seriously read and study and pray once more. Where I live there are no churches which did not close their doors during Covid and, even re-opened, they are only interested in preaching the ‘religion’ of diversity. So I continue to worship alone, supported by online communities of faith. I have prayed to find a physical community, but so far that prayer has not been answered. Communities like this one help keep me sane - thank you all!
Former Catholics—I am also one— continue to be the largest group of non-churched folks. Praise God I found a Bible-based church that is my church home. We are about 2000 strong—although counting attendance is not a priority— don’t have a building, meet in a conference center, and donate over $2M annually to local and international faith-based initiatives. God is so good!
I'll add here that my comment wasn't meant to denigrate the Catholic church as "religion" but was meant as a general comment regarding people getting wrapped up in the mechanisms of religious practices at the expense of knowing Jesus.
Christ calls us to be in a relationship with Him, if that occurs in the Catholic Church then praise God! God works in all sorts of wonderous ways, and as the Bible says by our fruits they shall know us. By "religion" I meant those that mouth platitudes or went through the motions but don't actually know Him. Unfortunately I saw plenty of that growing up. Twelve years of Catholic schools culminated with our Catholic priest principal being taken down with the biggest sex abuse payout in LA and Orange county history at the time. It was not an isolated incident back then as several of our parish priests were also exposed over the years.
That was my experience but I recognize it's not that of everyone, and that there are plenty of Protestants and Orthodox who were also awful hypocrites.
If you are in a Catholic Church and love the Lord, then who am I to tell you that you are doing it wrong? Gods' grace covers us all, he doesn't expect us to tick every box on the salvation checklist but to love Him with our whole heart, mind, and soul. We are sanctified in this life through the renewing of our minds as Paul says, through that we draw closer to Him. If that is happening for you in a Catholic Church then God bless you as my brother or sister in Christ.