Revisiting Streams of Faith

One of the topics I remember from my early college days was about "Streams of Faith." Coming from a Private Liberal Arts college, this topic was particularly one-sided. The majority of my fellow students came from Christian Missionary Alliance churches (a denomination I had never heard of till college), some where Baptists, Lutherans, Calvinists, and who-knows-what-else. Everyone who identified themselves as a Christian also identified themselves as Protestant. A very small number of students identified themselves as Catholics. Now I came from a Calvary Chapel background (not really a denomination, more like a brand). I found that Protestants viewed Catholicism as being Non-Christian. Catholics were viewed as worshiping Mary and the Saints (both are not true), and actually believing the bread and wine of communion really became the blood and body of Christ (the radicals). I really want to talk about some very theologically important issues here. I'm sure that if anyone comes from one or more of these backgrounds that I'll garnish some criticism, but I'm willing to take that risk.

First off for us who call ourselves Christians we need to revisit just exactly what that means. Most important to recall is that being a Christian means to encounter Christ, Jesus, and to develop a relationship with Him. This isn't about jumping through hoops or doing certain things or even praying specifically worded prayers. Being a Christian literally and historically means "little Christs." It was a term the Romans used as a way of mocking people of the Way (how early Christians identified themselves). It means to be a Christ-wannabe, a reflection of Him, to become more like Him, another way of saying it is "to be a follower of Christ." Being a Christian is believing Jesus to be who He said He was and is, God. Jesus the 100% man and 100% God. He's more than a good moral teacher, He claimed to be God and was in every way a radical for the setting. As the writer and theologian C.S. Lewis stated it so well, "There are really only two options, either Jesus was a lunatic or He was who He claimed to be, God" (paraphrased as I couldn't find the exact quote).

And it's more than just believing in Jesus for even the demons do that (yes, that's straight from the Bible folks). It's about having a living relationship with Him, getting to know Him better and allowing Him in your life. Meaning a growing relationship. From here alone we can branch into what I want to talk about concerning streams of faith. My college described the many different denominations of Christianity as different streams that come from the same river. Those who know God, who know Jesus and are living in Him are called His own- this goes outside of our "titles." For those who are Protestant, we are quick and yes, even eager to argue that Catholics are not "really Christians." And why? Because they pray to Mary, the Saints, they pray for the dead and believe that every time a Priest prays over the bread and wine they use in communion it actually becomes the body and blood of Christ though the substance didn't change in a scientific way. Do these things have theological implications? Yes. However these assumptions are not entirely correct.

Catholics do pray to Mary and the Saints. Nevertheless there is a BIG difference between what they do and worship. Praying to Mary and the Saints is like asking a good friend to pray for you, which is common practice in nearly every Christian's life. They believe that God has given special tasks to these people (Mary and the Saints) to aid believers, like God invited them to take part in His work. They do honor Mary- but we are called to honor lots of people, that does not make it worship and they make it clear never to cross that line between giving Mary honor and worshiping Mary. (Do people worship Mary anyways? Yes, but it's not common).

Catholics pray for the dead. Why? Because God is eternal and time doesn't limit Him. Sure Aunt Suzie died, but they'll pray for her anyways because who knows what God is doing. It's quite possible that God and Aunt Suzie are talking together even though Aunt Suzie was a hardcore atheist because God is outside of time and when you died, who knows how times works for you.

My response to the transubstantiation view of Communion (also known as the bread and wine becoming the body and blood of Christ): we, as Christians, believe that God does miracles everyday that we cannot see and no doubt overlook. Why is it so horrible then, to believe that when a Priest prays with faith that those things would be changed that they actually change? Since when does it go against our faith as Protestant Christians that God can do things we do not understand? It may not change in such a way that we can test scientifically, but since when were we so caught up on explaining EVERYTHING. God raised Jesus from the dead- we can't scientifically test that but we believe it.