Strange. I like the former buildings better.
Men and boys in lace, and ornate, bad art somehow doesn’t make me feel close to the Godhead.
I think I can understand why some people who are disillusioned in Protestant churches might turn to the Roman Catholic Church. In the video, the iconography and vivid artwork were clearly aspects that made it seem ‘more real’ to the person. The same could be said about the grand architecture and vestments. These kinds of things can have a strong sensory impact on a person – but I believe they only work superficially on a person’s mind and emotions (the entire video was clearly intended to be poignant).
It is imperative, in my mind, that the leadership of the our churches seek to instill in the congregation a passion for God’s Word, and a real appreciation for the majesty and beauty of the Gospel. In many churches when the preacher starts, it’s often either a spoken theological commentary on the passage, or a message filled with stories and a couple of verses thrown in for good measure. Why doesn’t the Gospel excite and genuinely motive so many Protestants?
I think it’s our spiritual dullness that causes many to leave the church, and causes our young people to read Harry Potter instead of God’s Word – it’s because when we speak of it, it often does seem like a reality that’s burning within us.
Anyway. I have family and friends who are still in the Roman Catholic Church. I pray for them. And for us – that our churches might burn brightly with the whole counsel of God. When that happens, I hope people will look at statues and paintings of Mary, and long for something deeper and more real.
Amen, Matt.
As I was reading your post I was thinking of the writer to the Hebrews who had the same hope for the Judaizers who wanted to go back to the temple, to Moses, and the sacrifices; they wanted to go back to the types and shadows.
Mary is blessed among women but she’s a mere sinful human. Jesus is the only sinless Mediator between God and man. He, not the saints, is the intercessor.
Jesus righteousness for us not his work in us is the good news of acceptance with God.
God grant grace to those tempted to go back to Moses and to those caught up in Rome to see that Scripture is enough, that Christ is enough, and that salvation is freely given through trusting in Christ alone.
“God grant grace to those tempted to go back to Moses and to those caught up in Rome to see that Scripture is enough, that Christ is enough, and that salvation is freely given through trusting in Christ alone.”
Amen and amen. This applies precisely to all – Roman, NPP/FV, etc.
I was wondering when this would be applied to the FV. Thanks, Jason, for doing that. In any event, thought I saw Wilson bowing to ikons and fumbling around, praying the rosary over on Mablog the other day.
Jokes aside, I especially appreciate Matt’s comments and loathe the spiritual dullness I see in myself and in our circles. May God grant us true and deep revival.
Just to be pedantic. There’s a typo in the 2nd last paragraph of my comments.
Below is the corrected version!
“I think it’s our spiritual dullness that causes many to leave the church, and causes our young people to read Harry Potter instead of God’s Word – it’s because when we speak of it, it often DOESN’T seem like a reality that’s burning within us.”
Sorry about that.
Only Roman Catholics smile and Protestant churches are drab and dreary with no people in them. Is that the sum of it?
One thing that is interesting with these aesthetic converts is they don’t just embrace the imagery of Roman worship but everything else with it. Once you come to realise that Protestants either suck on lemons or let sunshine rule the day then you also seem to realise they don’t just get worship wrong but everything else as well.
It speaks volumes on the relationship between aesthetics and theology in the Roman church.
I can see that this person who posted this video fell in love with all the Roman Catholic accoutrements and trappings. Sadly the person who posted this on youtube did not fall in love with the Gospel it’s self. The Gospel of the full and sufficient grace that saves sinners, that saves Christian who still sin. This person didn’t fall in love with the only thing that could save him that is the imputation of Christ righteousness namely his active and passive obedience to the believers account before God to those who simply trust or rest in Christ. That I say to my Catholic friends is worth falling love with. If this Catholic person didn’t not fall in love with the gospel, then how can he fall in love with Christ? No I say if this Romanist person has fall in love with a system in which your eternal reward of eternal peace and joy in heaven based on his cooperation with infused grace and an accumulation of enough grace points whatever that amount is. It would seem he would have to throw a perfect game more than just a no hitter but 27 up 27 down throughout the entirety of his life from cradle to grave (granted the ump doesn’t blow the last call), yeah good luck; but if he thinks that he can do it and is in love with that kind of theological system of merit that he can pull off with the help of Christ and grace infused then it is fair to say that this Catholic person is more in love with himself than he is with Christ.
The part of the video about rest in peace: What? Huh? What once again! Rest in peace for Catholics??? What one more time??? How can purgatory which depending on which catholic author is supposed to be 10 to 10,000 times more sufferings than here on earth how is that resting in peace? Granted the fact that the Catholic did enough work to even make it to purgatory. When there is no assurance of salvation because there is no imputation of alien righteousness um how can my Catholic friend have any sense of peace in this life or the life to come?
Most angry disillusioned Protestants who convert to Rome, mostly from the Theonomic and FV camps become disillusioned with Rome within a few years. They try to import certain fundamentalism found in particular camps of reformed Christianity i.e. FV and Theonomy and find it doesn’t work in the liberal post Vatican II world.
Strange. I like the former buildings better.
Men and boys in lace, and ornate, bad art somehow doesn’t make me feel close to the Godhead.
I think I can understand why some people who are disillusioned in Protestant churches might turn to the Roman Catholic Church. In the video, the iconography and vivid artwork were clearly aspects that made it seem ‘more real’ to the person. The same could be said about the grand architecture and vestments. These kinds of things can have a strong sensory impact on a person – but I believe they only work superficially on a person’s mind and emotions (the entire video was clearly intended to be poignant).
It is imperative, in my mind, that the leadership of the our churches seek to instill in the congregation a passion for God’s Word, and a real appreciation for the majesty and beauty of the Gospel. In many churches when the preacher starts, it’s often either a spoken theological commentary on the passage, or a message filled with stories and a couple of verses thrown in for good measure. Why doesn’t the Gospel excite and genuinely motive so many Protestants?
I think it’s our spiritual dullness that causes many to leave the church, and causes our young people to read Harry Potter instead of God’s Word – it’s because when we speak of it, it often does seem like a reality that’s burning within us.
Anyway. I have family and friends who are still in the Roman Catholic Church. I pray for them. And for us – that our churches might burn brightly with the whole counsel of God. When that happens, I hope people will look at statues and paintings of Mary, and long for something deeper and more real.
Amen, Matt.
As I was reading your post I was thinking of the writer to the Hebrews who had the same hope for the Judaizers who wanted to go back to the temple, to Moses, and the sacrifices; they wanted to go back to the types and shadows.
Mary is blessed among women but she’s a mere sinful human. Jesus is the only sinless Mediator between God and man. He, not the saints, is the intercessor.
Jesus righteousness for us not his work in us is the good news of acceptance with God.
God grant grace to those tempted to go back to Moses and to those caught up in Rome to see that Scripture is enough, that Christ is enough, and that salvation is freely given through trusting in Christ alone.
“God grant grace to those tempted to go back to Moses and to those caught up in Rome to see that Scripture is enough, that Christ is enough, and that salvation is freely given through trusting in Christ alone.”
Amen and amen. This applies precisely to all – Roman, NPP/FV, etc.
I was wondering when this would be applied to the FV. Thanks, Jason, for doing that. In any event, thought I saw Wilson bowing to ikons and fumbling around, praying the rosary over on Mablog the other day.
Jokes aside, I especially appreciate Matt’s comments and loathe the spiritual dullness I see in myself and in our circles. May God grant us true and deep revival.
Just to be pedantic. There’s a typo in the 2nd last paragraph of my comments.
Below is the corrected version!
“I think it’s our spiritual dullness that causes many to leave the church, and causes our young people to read Harry Potter instead of God’s Word – it’s because when we speak of it, it often DOESN’T seem like a reality that’s burning within us.”
Sorry about that.
Only Roman Catholics smile and Protestant churches are drab and dreary with no people in them. Is that the sum of it?
One thing that is interesting with these aesthetic converts is they don’t just embrace the imagery of Roman worship but everything else with it. Once you come to realise that Protestants either suck on lemons or let sunshine rule the day then you also seem to realise they don’t just get worship wrong but everything else as well.
It speaks volumes on the relationship between aesthetics and theology in the Roman church.
I can see that this person who posted this video fell in love with all the Roman Catholic accoutrements and trappings. Sadly the person who posted this on youtube did not fall in love with the Gospel it’s self. The Gospel of the full and sufficient grace that saves sinners, that saves Christian who still sin. This person didn’t fall in love with the only thing that could save him that is the imputation of Christ righteousness namely his active and passive obedience to the believers account before God to those who simply trust or rest in Christ. That I say to my Catholic friends is worth falling love with. If this Catholic person didn’t not fall in love with the gospel, then how can he fall in love with Christ? No I say if this Romanist person has fall in love with a system in which your eternal reward of eternal peace and joy in heaven based on his cooperation with infused grace and an accumulation of enough grace points whatever that amount is. It would seem he would have to throw a perfect game more than just a no hitter but 27 up 27 down throughout the entirety of his life from cradle to grave (granted the ump doesn’t blow the last call), yeah good luck; but if he thinks that he can do it and is in love with that kind of theological system of merit that he can pull off with the help of Christ and grace infused then it is fair to say that this Catholic person is more in love with himself than he is with Christ.
The part of the video about rest in peace: What? Huh? What once again! Rest in peace for Catholics??? What one more time??? How can purgatory which depending on which catholic author is supposed to be 10 to 10,000 times more sufferings than here on earth how is that resting in peace? Granted the fact that the Catholic did enough work to even make it to purgatory. When there is no assurance of salvation because there is no imputation of alien righteousness um how can my Catholic friend have any sense of peace in this life or the life to come?
Most angry disillusioned Protestants who convert to Rome, mostly from the Theonomic and FV camps become disillusioned with Rome within a few years. They try to import certain fundamentalism found in particular camps of reformed Christianity i.e. FV and Theonomy and find it doesn’t work in the liberal post Vatican II world.