But the dawn comes, and we march on. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes entire days are stayed in the same location. It's hard to travel with young children. The steps are slow and small.
With that said, I do want to share things I learn along the way. Perhaps even clear up misconceptions some may have (including myself).
Something I think a lot of people will find interesting- that I came across in my reading, which actually really encouraged my heart during this process.
Did any of you know about this document?
JOINT DECLARATION
ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION
ON THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION
by the Lutheran World Federation
and the Catholic Church
and the Catholic Church
I came across this in one of the books I was reading, and was floored by how little attention this has been given in the evangelical world. It was written in 1999. This document is so important because if you have studied the Reformation at all, you know that this was one of the key issues of Martin Luther and his persistence in the necessity of a Reformation. I won't relay the entire document here, but if you are interested, definitely check it out. I went to Seminary well past 1999 and never heard one iota about such a document. The Reformation is historical, and so is this. We should not leave it out. It's important.
From the document.
"In faith we together hold the conviction that justification is the work of the triune God. The Father sent his Son into the world to save sinners. The foundation and presupposition of justification is the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ. Justification thus means that Christ himself is our righteousness, in which we share through the Holy Spirit in accord with the will of the Father. Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works"
amen.
(click on blog title post for entire document)
2 comments :
Brooke, reading about your journey with much interest. I definitely have a more sympathetic (that's not the right word) view of catholicism than I did growing up. Curious to know how you're handling the emphasis on Mary. The Catholic church seems to be right on in so many areas, but that really feels creepy to me.
hey katie- thanks for your comment. Of course the Marian doctrine is a bit foreign to me, but am open to learning and understanding. I can tell you from my experience at Mass, I have not felt there to be "Mary Worship" at all- but more of a profound respect and honor for her role in the incarnation. It's definitely on my radar- but I haven't encountered anything I am uncomfortable with yet. Thomas Howard has been my main informant on Catholic Theology- Howard is Elizabeth Eliot's brother, converted later in life, and has written lots of books about it. His conversion memoir, Lead Kindly Light is a short, beautiful and gracious book. His other book, "On being Catholic"- gets a bit more into the the finer points. Both are incredibly insightful and humble, and I think would be of interest to any Christian, Catholic or not. This has been such a humbling process for me, thanks for tagging along!
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