Patron Saint Medals As Methodists?

[orangelm]

Some of my Methodist friends wear patron saint medals and ask saints to pray for them. I'm kind of torn on my opinion about it. What do you guys think? Is it idolatry or just the same as asking a friend to pray for you?

 

[BryanW92]

If they just wore them, I'd say that its just a fashion statement. But since they ask the saints to pray for them, its idolatry. We are all priests, so why ask a saint to pray for you when you can take your prayers straight to God through Jesus Christ.

 

[revanneosl]

It's not idolatry to ask a saint to pray for you.

In the same way that I used to ask my mother & father to pray for me when they were alive, I continue to ask them to pray for me now that they have joined the Church Triumphant. Also, I sometimes ask St. Anne (whose name I share) to pray for me.

 

[Qyöt27]

It can be extremely foreign and seem idolatrous to those from the highly-Protestant strains in Methodism, but the high church portions that have more exposure to the Anglican (and Anglo-Catholic, by extension) side of Methodist heritage might do so (although I'd still see it as sort of uncommon, and I personally don't, but that's just from conditioning rather than theological objection).

The distinction is much clearer when Catholics describe it in Latin, because the terms for praying in the sense of worship (which is *only* directed at God) and praying in the sense of community (whether friends, family, or saints) are different. Although I cannot remember the exact terms right now. In English it's all rolled into one word, not entirely unlike the situation of agape, philos, and eros all being translated as 'love'.

 

[revanneosl]

You're thinking of latria (the worship that belongs only to God) and dulia (a form of filial devotion that can properly be offered to the saints).

 

[Qyöt27]

Yep, that's it. I could remember latria, but not dulia.

 

[Historicus]

Some of my Methodist friends wear patron saint medals and ask saints to pray for them. I'm kind of torn on my opinion about it. What do you guys think? Is it idolatry or just the same as asking a friend to pray for you?

It's the same as asking a friend to pray for you.

 

[BryanW92]

It's the same as asking a friend to pray for you.

Do you wear an image of a person whom you ask to pray for you around your neck?

 

[Creech]

I think your friend is taking it way too far with the medals. As for asking saints to pray for you, I don't know the UMCs offical position on this. I was always taught to pray to God alone.

Also I'm assuming when you talk of patron saints, you are talking of Roman Catholic saints. Unlike Roman Catholics, we as Protestants believe a saint is another name for a Christian. The saints the Roman Catholics have a distorted view on saints IMO though most of the Roman Catholic saints were good people.

I personally would advise against doing it.

 

[GraceSeeker]

It's not idolatry to ask a saint to pray for you.

In the same way that I used to ask my mother & father to pray for me when they were alive, I continue to ask them to pray for me now that they have joined the Church Triumphant. Also, I sometimes ask St. Anne (whose name I share) to pray for me.

I just want to affirm Anne's statement here.

For some who don't consider those who have died in Christ to actually be alive in Christ, it may be an act of foolishness. But it certainly isn't idolatry, it is nothing more than considering those people who we claim are alive and looking down on us as also being able to hear our prayer concerns and share them with Jesus on our behalf. We do that in many of our congregations of the church militant on a regular basis. Why would we think differently when it comes to sharing such praises and prayer requests with the church triumphant?

Be assured, even among Catholics, though sometimes our sloppy language might make it sounds like one is praying to a saint, one is not praying to anyone but God. Nothing more than prayer requests are what is shared with others.

 

[JCFantasy23]

I personally would never pray to anyone other than God. I hadn't heard some Methodists were doing this, maybe it's not a popular practice in my area.

 

[GraceSeeker]

I personally would never pray to anyone other than God. I hadn't heard some Methodists were doing this, maybe it's not a popular practice in my area.

Did you not read? No one is PRAYING TO anyone other than God.

 

[JCFantasy23]

Did you not read? No one is PRAYING TO anyone other than God.

I'm wondering how they are contacting people who are dead asking for prayer requests then. I assumed it was prayer. I doubt it's ouija boards.

 

[GraceSeeker]

They are not believed to be dead, but alive in heaven.

 

[JCFantasy23]

They are not believed to be dead, but alive in heaven.

So how are they contacted for prayer requests?

 

[GraceSeeker]

You're really asking the wrong person as I don't personally engage in it. But I assume they just speak to them as you would anyone, just as we talk to Jesus.

 

[revanneosl]

Yep! I'ts pretty much, "Good morning, Dad & Mom. Today's going to be a real challenge, so could you pray for me?"

 

[Roger Baker]

Maybe I can help a bit. I became a Methodist on my way to ordination some eight or 9 years later. I began as a Presbyterian. So I had no inclination in favor of saints.

When I was about 14 years old in a dream I was shown an oil portrait of a middle-aged Saint David and heard a voice telling me that this was Saint David and that I could count on him as a friend who would look out for me. Strange, because I haven't seen the actual painting before or since. It doesn't match anything I have seen. I awoke and remembered, and still remember.

I became a United Methodist many years later, and later became a seminarian, then pastor, elder, theologian, etc. Now I am just retired. But when I pray, I also ask and give thanks for the help and prayers offered beside me by Saint David.

I know - an odd story.

 

[revanneosl]

Is your family of Welsh lineage by any chance - because St. David is HUGE with the Welsh.