Lessons from a Catholic Funeral

My uncle passed away. This was the second relative in the past 6 weeks as well as the second trip to Washington State. Darrell placed faith in Jesus about 4 and half years ago when diagnosed with leukemia. He was also a devout Catholic. I learned a lot from my Catholic brothers and sisters in the Lord. I know there are theological differences, but I am writing about lessons learned. So here are my thoughts.

"Devout Catholic"
I loved that the church had a quiet chapel where those who came can pray and meditate. I wasn't sure how long the chapel stayed open, but I had a hunch it was always open. This led me to think that no one ever says, "Devout Protestant." Why? There are some catholics who go to mass every day. This is similar to the earlier church in Acts 2:46, "They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity." I think there is much for me to learn here.

The Power of Ritual
Ritual was a big part of the Old Testament and the Catholics are no different. I grew up in the catholic church but have not stepped inside one since junior high. Yet, when the ritual began, I could recite the confessionals. I never enjoyed it as a kid because God was distant, never personal. But this time around, I actually enjoyed it. These repetitions pressed truth in my heart. But only because I am different now. I have been given God's grace instead of the futility of trying to earn it. We are people of rhythm and the Catholics know this.

The Power of Symbol
Incense. Water. Robes. Crucifixion. Symbols are visually compelling but only so by what they are associated with. Religious symbols are the most compelling but can be idols when one's heart loses touch with God who is personal. Yet, Catholics recognize their church building as a holy place. Protestants put more emphasis on the people being holy, rather than the place. This is a good emphasis since the sacred space of the Old Testament (Temple) to the New Testament (Body as Temple) has changed. Yet, when protestants gather, I think we lose a sense of being separated unto God. Our space should reflect this. At blue sky, our aim is to converge an ancient cathedral and a coffeehouse. The coffeehouse tells of our emphasis on community and the ancient cathedral reminds us that we are here to worship.

Comments

[Stacey]

I have been learning a lot about ritual in the church. We have focused on the development of the church, what it was before Christ and especially after his ascention. The Acts church had a great balance of ritual with community. Where has the "ritual" gone today in the protestant churches? All of us interns went to a Greek Orthodox Church service. They have been practicing the same "rituals" for almost 2000 years. Sometimes I wished there was that kind of ancient feeling around still...