Rise and Rhetoric!
Sue and I had a late night out Saturday. And I knew even as the hours ticked by that I had to give a presentation to an adult Presbyterian church group miles from home at 9 a.m. The subject was "The Basis of Christian Authority: 2000 Years of Theological Thinking On the Matter.'' The presentation was supposed to last no longer than 40 minutes.
No sweat.
On the other hand, Sunday morning arrived quickly. I've never hit the snooze button on my alarm. But this Lord's Day I hit it three times.
Finally, Sue rolled over, nudged me and said, "Honey, you have to get up and talk.''
What a wonderful phrase, I thought.
And what a wonderful life as well: Arise and speak. We create the universe anew everyday with what we say and how.
What were your first words this morning?
I try to start my days with some variant on "I love you.''
No sweat.
On the other hand, Sunday morning arrived quickly. I've never hit the snooze button on my alarm. But this Lord's Day I hit it three times.
Finally, Sue rolled over, nudged me and said, "Honey, you have to get up and talk.''
What a wonderful phrase, I thought.
And what a wonderful life as well: Arise and speak. We create the universe anew everyday with what we say and how.
What were your first words this morning?
I try to start my days with some variant on "I love you.''
posted by Michael Riley at 12:24 PM
7 Comments:
Thank you Lord for giving me a new day comes to mind..
The subject was "The Basis of Christian Authority: 2000 Years of Theological Thinking On the Matter."
Good morning, Ladies & Gentlemen. As advertised, today I will be speaking on the topic of authority insofar as it relates to the Church. Quite simply, this is what you need to know:
(1) Jesus was, is and always will be God.
(2) Jesus gave St. Peter, the first Pope, the "keys to the kingdom of Heaven." He also told Peter that what he "bound on earth would be bound in Heaven, and that what he held loose on earth would be held loose in Heaven."
(3) Christ told St. Peter that he was "the rock upon which I shall build my Church." Please note: Christ did not say churches (plural) and Christ certainly wasn't referring to those churches that would, 1,500 + years after His death, be founded upon someone's heresy. The Catholic Church is the one church that Christ founded.
(4) Christ gave his Apostles, the first bishops of the Catholic Church, the authority to either forgive sins or retain those sins. (e.g., You don't get to forgive yourself simply by praying to Jesus that your post-baptismal sins are forgiven.) That "authority" has been passed down for 2,000 in what we call "Apostolistic Succession." Only the Catholic Church can lay claim to the authority that Christ gave his Apostles.
(5) RCIA is the process by which adults become Catholics. Please contact your local Catholic Church for more information.
End of lecture. Where's my check and where is that free food that you Protestants are always throwing at people just for showing up?
"And if you're Catholic, you've got even more."
Baby got Book
not if your Catholic parish priest is embezzling your donation box/coffers/bingo/50/50 profits or your Catholic diocese is using your donations to pay for the sins of child rape, molestation,fraud,embezzlement"Convicted Priests/Bishops" Fund-of-the-month. Praise the Lord, I am not Catholic!
Baptist Pastor Arraigned on Molestation Charges
Baptist Pastor Who Resigns Amid Money Probe Has New Job
Cocaine Addicted Baptist Pastor Wants To Keep His Job
Lincoln School Baptist Church -- A Pedophile Sanctuary
Sweet Jesus! What Happened To Our "Building Fund?"
That's only 5 you could quote? Catholic incidents are in the thousands (those that were reported, that is)..and thousands more over the centuries!
I imagine I could have gone on all day. Moreover, I could have focused on the "thousands" of other Protestant denominations that have sprung up -- are springing up -- since The Reformation.
In that it doesn't take much to become a Protestant "Reverend," -- any idiot with a bible in his hand can do that -- I suppose I could have also focused on the transgressions of Protestant "ministers" themselves. Perhaps one of the "newly ordained" clergy members in the, say, "The Church of New Life" has a criminal record? It wouldn't surprise me. All you have to do be ordained in that Protestant church is click on a URL link and fill in some blanks.
Click Here To Be Ordained
Or maybe we could look to the "clergy" of The World Christianship Ministries:
"We Make Ordination Simple and Quick Because We Believe In You"
But that would be a waste of time. This thread is about authority. Jesus Christ founded one Church, and He promised that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. When Christ spoke of "my church," he was speaking of the Catholic Church. If one is interested in authority, one need look no further than to Rome.
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