Do you ever get tired?

[MrJim]

Hi Menno,

I think sometimes you and I are kind of running in parallel circles. I, too, would love to be Catholic, but can't; would love to be Orthodox, but can't; don't really like being protestant, but can't seem to be anything else.

I don't know if this will mean anything to you or not, but the one thing I keep coming back to is this:

"Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s." (1 Corinthians 3:21-23, NKJV)

This scripture was spoken at the very beginning of the church regarding the divisions that were already surfacing.

I have found much that has helped me in a number of different places of Christ's church, Catholic and Orthodox included. Catholic devotional literature, for example (The Imitation of Christ, works by Francois Fenelon, the writings of Mother Theresa to name a few) are my favorites. I frequently pray Orthodox prayers. I am a member of a Methodist church and enjoy the community and active service that goes on there, but also commune almost weekly at a Lutheran church - whose liturgy I love (and because they have weekly eucharist). I also spent a large portion of my life as a non-denominational charismatic.

Now, many would say I'm just mixed up. However, I have come to believe that we are all different parts of Christ's body, with functions that vary accordingly. Since it is His body, and I am His child, whatever belongs to Christ belongs to me as his child (as per the scripture above). So I feel free to benefit (as much as they will let me) from all the different parts of Christ's body.

The idealist in me still desparately wants to find the perfect church, and I still keep banging my head trying to. However, I think the advice that Ashes gave you is good. Serve Christ wherever you are. But I think that you can also joyfully partake of the gifts of others, both of your own denomination, and of those who differ from you.

I don't know if this helps at all. Believe me, I haven't got it all worked out just yet myself.

Your sister in Christ,
Grace

Thanks Grace

 

[joyfulthanks]

This is weird. Everywhere I look it says that the last post in this thread was by Menno, but I can't see it.

 

[joyfulthanks]

Oops, nevermind - it just showed up.

 

[ZiSunka]

This is true. However, from what I've read, he was in the process of converting to Catholcism at the time of his death. He was attending RCIA, and was only weeks from being received into the Catholic church.

-Grace

I used to know his mom and siblings, and his sister and mother told me it was all just a rumor, but no truth to it.

He had looked into converting because of the way Catholicism honors people who choose to remain single for the cause of Christ, but could not reconcile what he believed about salvation through faith alone and the teachings of the Catholic church.

He also kept detailed diaries of his spiritual life and never mentioned the idea in his last journals or in the previous several years.

And the church where it all was supposed to have happened denies that Rich had approached them about converting, and that the parish priest who was supposed to have authored the article was never on staff there or at any church in the Wichita area. Rich didn't even live in Wichita at the time of his death, so whoever wrote the article didn't know him very well, as he had moved to Arizona two years before hand.

So, his family denies it, his own diaries deny it, and the church where it was supposed to happen denies it.

It's just a persistent rumor, part of the mythoology of Rich Mullins.

 

[MrJim]

I used to know his mom and siblings, and his sister and mother told me it was all just a rumor, but no truth to it.

He had looked into converting because of the way Catholicism honors people who choose to remain single for the cause of Christ, but could not reconcile what he believed about salvation through faith alone and the teachings of the Catholic church.

He also kept detailed diaries of his spiritual life and never mentioned the idea in his last journals or in the previous several years.

And the church where it all was supposed to have happened denies that Rich had approached them about converting, and that the parish priest who was supposed to have authored the article was never on staff there or at any church in the Wichita area. Rich didn't even live in Wichita at the time of his death, so whoever wrote the article didn't know him very well, as he had moved to Arizona two years before hand.

So, his family denies it, his own diaries deny it, and the church where it was supposed to happen denies it.

It's just a persistent rumor, part of the mythoology of Rich Mullins.

I read--I think on the wiki article-that he was raised Quaker. When you knew his family were they still practicing Quakers?

 

[MrJim]

I'm personally at the point where it's making less and less sense to me to be a 21st century Christian.

How about being a christian in the 21st century instead? And best to go about this in your opinion?

 

[ZiSunka]

I read--I think on the wiki article-that he was raised Quaker. When you knew his family were they still practicing Quakers?

No, they left the Quakers when the first set of kids were still little. They were long time members of a Restoration Christian church by the time I knew them.

 

[joyfulthanks]

I used to know his mom and siblings, and his sister and mother told me it was all just a rumor, but no truth to it.

He had looked into converting because of the way Catholicism honors people who choose to remain single for the cause of Christ, but could not reconcile what he believed about salvation through faith alone and the teachings of the Catholic church.

He also kept detailed diaries of his spiritual life and never mentioned the idea in his last journals or in the previous several years.

And the church where it all was supposed to have happened denies that Rich had approached them about converting, and that the parish priest who was supposed to have authored the article was never on staff there or at any church in the Wichita area. Rich didn't even live in Wichita at the time of his death, so whoever wrote the article didn't know him very well, as he had moved to Arizona two years before hand.

So, his family denies it, his own diaries deny it, and the church where it was supposed to happen denies it.

It's just a persistent rumor, part of the mythoology of Rich Mullins.

Hi Ashes,

Thanks for clearing that up.

-Grace

 

[joyfulthanks]

Menno,

A friend of mine who ministers in different denominations used to always take this as her approach:

"Eat the meat, and spit out the bones."

-Grace

 

[ZiSunka]

Menno,

A friend of mine who ministers in different denominations used to always take this as her approach:

"Eat the meat, and spit out the bones."

-Grace

Amen to that.

One of the best presentations of the Gospel that I ever heard was from a Catholic priest at my grandmother's funeral. It was all meat, no bones at all.

 

[RenewedbyFaith]

Menno,

A friend of mine who ministers in different denominations used to always take this as her approach:

"Eat the meat, and spit out the bones."

-Grace

And have the wisdom to know the difference!