PROTESTANT AND SITTING IN THE MYSTERIES

Since I wrote my last blog some people have asked me about my "Protestant" tendencies. That actually was a very good question and one I wanted to address in my blog so put your Holy Ghost seat belt on!

I have been Protestant my whole life having been baptized when I was four months old at Wesley United Methodist Church. Throughout my life, I have visited various Protestant churches for different lengths of time to learn about them. This helped greatly as I studied theology and taught it at various churches and at the college level. I have pastored and preached at different Protestant churches. So I have had decades of interaction with the Protestant faith.

I admire their deep desire to know the Holy Bible and their love of the Bible. Secondly, the burning passion to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Third, they are not afraid to share Jesus and the liturgical churches could learn more about evangelization from them.

So having spent time in the Liturgical and Protestant churches I see one major flaw in the Protestant side I will address. The strong belief in sola Scriptura brings about a black-and-white truth in Protestants' lives that can lead them to a spiritual meltdown when they encounter an area of life that is unclear and messy. Sola Scriptura can lead a protestant to, if not careful, to worship the Bible and not the God of the Bible.

So about 2011 I settled into the Anglican faith which provided Catholic-style worship and other Catholic-style practices along with Protestant study of the Holy Bible and a pursuit of a personal relationship with Jesus. We use both ancient prayers and individual prayers from the heart.

And one very important part of liturgical life that I have learned and loved. It is being willing to sit in silence with the mysteries of our faith life that have no explanation or definitive answer. Areas where the Bible is silent. This is where acceptance is in the sovereign will of God. We peacefully have faith that God has our best interest in mind with His love surrounding us. We do not have to have all the answers to life, God, and faith. This is a time to let the Holy Spirit comfort us.

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