I heard an analogy the other day that seemed particularly astute, given the misperceptions and vilification of the Catholic church from those outside her walls. The analogy had to do with windows – particularly stained glass windows. From outside a church, a stained glass window is unreadable, dark. The picture in the window can’t be seen, it’s message hidden. From inside the church, however, with the Light of the outside sun (I could say “Son”) to illuminate them, the stained glass windows come to life, and their full glory revealed. So it seems to me that the only way to truly see the fullness of God’s glory is from inside His church.
I’ve been thinking about some simple facts lately, which compels me again back to the Catholic church. One is this verse:
Matthew 16:16-19
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,[b] the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter,[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[d] will not overcome it.[e] 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[f] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[g] loosed in heaven."
I ask myself, WHICH church can trace itself back directly to Jesus through Peter? Which lineage is recorded in an unbroken line, and ends up directly at the grave and physical remains of St. Peter himself, deep within a church at the Vatican? Not to a man establishing a denomination – not 200 years ago to a Joseph Smith, or Charles Russell. Not 500 years ago to John Calvin or Zwingli, Henry VIII, or Martin Luther. But back, all the way back, greater than 2000 years back, to the very person who soaked up the same air as Christ Himself, and was granted by Christ His authority hold the keys to Heaven.
I have heard people outside the church claim time and again that Paganism crept up inside the Church, distorting it beyond all recognition, and that the church, millennia after inception, needed to be “restored” or “reformed”. I cannot deny that the Church can stray, has strayed, and is made up of sinners and frail human beings. The church is not the pristine bride Christ commissions her to be. What I DO know is that Christ NEVER LEFT THE CHURCH, never repealed His blessing of her. I know this because of the “new and everlasting covenant” He established with His church. I know this because He promised to be with us, until the end of the age. I know this because He sent the Holy Spirit, the Advocate ( John 14: 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. ) Even when the Church sinned, even when the gates of Hell TRIED to prevail, they didn’t. Because Jesus said they couldn’t. He is stronger. I often wonder, for those so convinced that Christ abandoned His church to paganism for millennia…. at what point do they think He left? Or rather, when did the Church leave Christ so completely… when did the “divorce” occur? At the time of Constantine? Before that? After? Did the church really only “last” for 300 years, despite Jesus Himself promising that it would last until His second coming?
I go back to the writings of the Early Church. Any “reformation” needs to “reform” back to an original, or it’s nothing more than a change to something new and novel. Are we “restoring” or are we “changing for our own reasons?” So the writings of the Early Church NEED to be crucial to us. This may not be the full revelation of God the Father through the Son, with the help of the Holy Spirit, as sacred scripture is. But it is a history of the early church, their beliefs, their practices. It is Christianity in it’s infant, pure form. And it is worthy of study. It is UNDENIABLE that those Christians were “catholic”, in every sense of the word. That church was sacramental, believed in the literal Power of God to act in every day lives of it’s people, through the authority invested in the church. That church believed in the actual and true presence of Jesus Christ, body, soul, and divinity, in the Eucharist and wine. That church knew liturgy, was solemn and sacred. That church had a structure, an organization, and that church was centered in Rome, because that’s where Peter was. That church believed in a communion of saints, living and dead, that could pray and support each other, petition to God on each other’s behalf. Undeniably.
I’ve been thinking about some simple facts lately, which compels me again back to the Catholic church. One is this verse:
Matthew 16:16-19
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,[b] the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter,[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[d] will not overcome it.[e] 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[f] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[g] loosed in heaven."
I ask myself, WHICH church can trace itself back directly to Jesus through Peter? Which lineage is recorded in an unbroken line, and ends up directly at the grave and physical remains of St. Peter himself, deep within a church at the Vatican? Not to a man establishing a denomination – not 200 years ago to a Joseph Smith, or Charles Russell. Not 500 years ago to John Calvin or Zwingli, Henry VIII, or Martin Luther. But back, all the way back, greater than 2000 years back, to the very person who soaked up the same air as Christ Himself, and was granted by Christ His authority hold the keys to Heaven.
I have heard people outside the church claim time and again that Paganism crept up inside the Church, distorting it beyond all recognition, and that the church, millennia after inception, needed to be “restored” or “reformed”. I cannot deny that the Church can stray, has strayed, and is made up of sinners and frail human beings. The church is not the pristine bride Christ commissions her to be. What I DO know is that Christ NEVER LEFT THE CHURCH, never repealed His blessing of her. I know this because of the “new and everlasting covenant” He established with His church. I know this because He promised to be with us, until the end of the age. I know this because He sent the Holy Spirit, the Advocate ( John 14: 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. ) Even when the Church sinned, even when the gates of Hell TRIED to prevail, they didn’t. Because Jesus said they couldn’t. He is stronger. I often wonder, for those so convinced that Christ abandoned His church to paganism for millennia…. at what point do they think He left? Or rather, when did the Church leave Christ so completely… when did the “divorce” occur? At the time of Constantine? Before that? After? Did the church really only “last” for 300 years, despite Jesus Himself promising that it would last until His second coming?
I go back to the writings of the Early Church. Any “reformation” needs to “reform” back to an original, or it’s nothing more than a change to something new and novel. Are we “restoring” or are we “changing for our own reasons?” So the writings of the Early Church NEED to be crucial to us. This may not be the full revelation of God the Father through the Son, with the help of the Holy Spirit, as sacred scripture is. But it is a history of the early church, their beliefs, their practices. It is Christianity in it’s infant, pure form. And it is worthy of study. It is UNDENIABLE that those Christians were “catholic”, in every sense of the word. That church was sacramental, believed in the literal Power of God to act in every day lives of it’s people, through the authority invested in the church. That church believed in the actual and true presence of Jesus Christ, body, soul, and divinity, in the Eucharist and wine. That church knew liturgy, was solemn and sacred. That church had a structure, an organization, and that church was centered in Rome, because that’s where Peter was. That church believed in a communion of saints, living and dead, that could pray and support each other, petition to God on each other’s behalf. Undeniably.
It’s possible to think, however, that none of this is important. That regardless of these facts, the “culture” of the Catholic church is such that it doesn’t "speak” to me. It’s too solemn, not joyous enough, not friendly enough, boring. The people are hypocrites, the structure leads to corruption. Whether you believe that as true or not, I would argue that it is all CULTURE. It is not what is important. It is environment. That is the result of frail human beings. And culture can be changed, is changing at any given second. The church itself, though, is unchangeable. It hasn’t changed substantially, theologically, liturgically, in over 2000 years. It is the church established by Christ Himself through St. Peter, and that is enough for me. Because Christ promised never to leave it.
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED .
I AM A PART of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.
The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look
back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God's hands. I am
finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth
knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and
dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity. I
don't have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live
by faith. I lean on Christ.s presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the
power of God's grace.
My face is set. My gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my
companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I
will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the
table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid
up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know,
and work until He stops me.
And when He returns for His own, He will have no difficulty recognizing me. My banner is
clear: I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.
Adapted from the original (author unknown) by Patrick Madrid
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED .
I AM A PART of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.
The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look
back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is in God's hands. I am
finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, the bare minimum, smooth
knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, frivolous living, selfish giving, and
dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, applause, or popularity. I
don't have to be right, first, the best, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live
by faith. I lean on Christ.s presence. I love with patience, live by prayer, and labor with the
power of God's grace.
My face is set. My gait is fast, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my
companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I
will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the
table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid
up, and spoken up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give until I drop, speak out until all know,
and work until He stops me.
And when He returns for His own, He will have no difficulty recognizing me. My banner is
clear: I am a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.
Adapted from the original (author unknown) by Patrick Madrid
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