Come To The Table? Really?

Good Day!  The Lord has blessed this part of the country with sunshine and warmer weather.  It will all even out.  No need to worry.  The Lord is taking care of us.  We will get our moisture and cold.  It's all part of His big plan. 

I bring this message today with much prayer.  I am not a Catholic or Lutheran hater.  I am a recreated Christian, now only leaning into the Lord.  I will not worship where rituals and customs rule over the biblical truth.  I will not worship ANYWHERE where I feel there are excluded members or non-members.  All are welcome, minus a very rare circumstance of an ousted member.  (Yes that does happen, apparently, and the New Testament gives instruction on how to do this, (see below) whether it be a friend, brother or church member.  It all includes privacy first as you are confronting them in love, then if no results, bring along a strong believer to assist in the confrontation and restoration.  If no results after all of these attempts, yes, we have to make big changes).  I also am a new Jesus Follower, not Jesus Watcher.  Relationship, relationship, relationship.

I am well educated in Catholicism.  I converted in an RCIA program (very intense) from September 1997 to April 1998.   I had read their catechism from the years 1998-2005.  I have met with priests, as a Catholic, on at least 5 occasions, with deep questions, and also deep hurts about my life.  I have also met with a highly respected religious leader in our community, a number of times from the years 2001 to 2011.  His name is Jimm.  And he is a teacher like Jesus in that he usually asks you a question as an answer.  Think about that.  It really isn't about what he or these priests think.  It is about our relationship with Jesus, how are we gaining that knowledge to cultivate that relationship.  It does come down to me plus Jesus. 

I grew up in an American Lutheran Church.  Our pastor was really neat, but we were scared of him.  He was very loud and fire and brimstone type preacher.  I wish I would have listened more then.  I would enjoy getting another chance to sit in on his sermons if we could only rewind our lives!  But, he is retired now. 

That is the neat thing about Christian growth.  We can spend time with people and not get the point.  Then, with wisdom as we age, we spend time with these folks again and we see their perspective.   We can read the bible over and over and get something else.  We can read books and take another spin on it later.  My example is some of Frances Chan's books.  I read Crazy Love and Forgotten God before I was saved.  Now, boy, I can't wait to read them again!



No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.”
― C.S. Lewis

The title of my blog: "Come To The Table".  Well, that breaks my heart.  You see, this is a canvas, shiny yellow poster strapped to my Catholic Church in town.  It is very near my home.  I see this poster most every day.  This church is on a busy street. It is a beautiful, stately church.  Why does that break my heart?  Because really not everyone can come to the table.  Only after you meet requirements can you "recline at table" with Jesus.  At least there, in the Roman Catholic Church you can't.  You need to do many cartwheels to get the privilege of taking the body and blood of Jesus.  WWJD?  I don't think the Jesus I have come to know as my Papa these last 1.5 years would say, "Wait!  You must be clean and perfect and if remarried you must be annulled, and Wait!  You must be married to a Catholic whose prior marriage has been annulled!".  "And Wait!  You must go through a priest to be purified in confession at least a couple of times a year.  You can't do that on your own.  You can't go to me, Jesus, with that confession.  It's best you go through a priest. 

And oh, did the apostle Paul have a hey day with that, which was already happening around him so quickly after Jesus left the earth and left His Spirit here to fill us. 

I pray these words come to you with comfort, not bitterness.  I only blog because the Spirit drives me.  I don't have time to blog, but somehow, I find time.  I don't have time for Bible devotions daily but I find time.  The Lord carves out my day now.  He has circumcised my old ways.  A religious "circumcision" and a personal "circumcision".  Religious in that he has helped me see what was standing in my way.  I used to find peace in the rituals, the laws of the church.  The bells ringing at the altar as the Host was raised, the incense at funerals, the sprinkling of the water.  I felt so cozy there.  I thought I found home.  The problem was, it was distraction.  I stopped at the rituals and didn't proceed into the relationship.  Many, many do what I did.  And millions of Christians are stopping short of the full glory that Christ promises here on the earth, as we wait for His return.

A dear friend in my life was so patient with me and my defending MY Catholic church.  I took him to mass a couple of times.  One time, the entire homily (sermon) was about building a new Catholic school.  There was no meat for us that day to go home and saver on all week.

He said to me, kindly once or twice, "Melissa, really those things are not in the Bible", when I discussed the virgin Mary and her elevated place in the church, about confession and communion. 

I saw the striking contrast between our churches after attending his.  He was fair and attended mine.  And the difference was so stark.  There was such open talk of love that Christ has for us, talk of stepping over the faith line, Bibles in most parishioners hands as they walked in.  And the Word was opened and discussed each service.  I saw few people bored.  I saw tears and emotion.  I saw people not really wanting to leave when it was time to go.  Hugs and smiles and hand shakes and welcome, welcome.

And in the Catholic church I saw boredom.  Yawning.  Staring at who is going up to communion.  People leaving as soon as they walked through the communion line.  (Check mark..., complete!)  People not singing.  People leaving during the final verse of the closing song. 

I have attended 6 different Catholic churches regularly in 14 years.  I have moved and lived in multiple communities.  The common denominator is the above paragraph.  I have the experience to say this is what I saw.  If your church is different, Amen.  I just want people to see what worship is meant to be.  We are there to sing to God, to praise God, to give to God.  To be fed.  Raise it up to God.  Alleluia!  To feel so wanted that we don't want to leave that setting with other believers.

I used to be the church pianist in three different Catholic churches.  I would become so frustrated.  The complaints about too many verses.  Too much singing.  Too long of songs.  Come on, people. 

A beloved Catholic friend, Ann and I were the perfect duo in the music department of one of my churches.  We had a pack and that was to sing all verses, every song.  She loved to sing and we had such beautiful music, together.  David Haas is one of the song writers/composers, and Ann adored him.  Ann was a spiritual sister of mine and will always be.  Life has taken us down different paths.  But, in that Catholic setting, we were so enjoying our music, amidst the complaints of the elders and long time members.  We were a fortress.  I was seeking God my entire life and I look back at these times before I was an all out Jesus Freak, and see what God was doing the entire time.  He loves me so!  Oh, how he loves.... John Mark McMillan. 

Please understand my sadness, frustration and heartache.  I loved my Catholic church.  But, I found after I searched further, I found obstacles that I could not tolerate and I had to leave.  The last time I attempted to go to the Catholic church, I decided to see where I was lead regarding communion.  Guess what?  The priest spent the homily speaking of rules for receiving communion.  That, my friends is not in the Bible.  What is in my heart?  The Word of God.  The Holy Spirit mulling over the Word of God in my heart.  I will not attend where there are chains on the Body And Bread Of Life.  My heart will not allow that.  No wonder I cried so hard for so long about my sin, shame and pain.  I didn't catch the part about unconditional love at the Catholic Church.  My heart deserves to soar.  And it now does.  Try to catch me!  Flying, free.  Amen, Lord Jesus.  The Maker of all that is good and just.  You saved me from the pit, and I am forever yours, doing Your work here. 


Dietrich Bonhoeffer:  "A country has seldom produced so many different kinds of people as has the Catholic church.  With admirable power, it has understood how to maintain unity in diversity, to gain the love and respect of the masses, and to foster a strong sense of community...But it is exactly because of this greatness that we have serious reservations.  Has this world of the Catholic church really remained the church of Christ? Has it not perhaps become an obstruction blocking the path to God instead of a road sign to salvation?"


John 14:6  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me. 

Matthew 18:15-17  If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 
 

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