About Me...what is an 'evangelical-catholic?'

Elk Grove Village, IL, United States
I was born & raised in rural mid-Michigan (M-go blue!). Life & work have taken me to many different places. God has too, as I've come to learn that faith is a pilgrimage. I very much resonate with the label 'EVANGELICAL-CATHOLIC.' I was raised Baptist, but found myself drawn to the Sacraments & Liturgy of the Church. I appreciate very much the words of the Augsburg Confession: "...nothing has been received among us, in doctrine or in ceremonies, that is contrary to Scripture or to the church catholic." Evangelical-catholic is a term of self-designation used by Christians coming from a broad spectrum of theological perspectives and commitments, ranging from Lutherans, Anglicans, and various Evangelicals yearning for greater catholicity .....to faithful Roman Catholics longing for an evangelical renewal of the Church. Perhaps beneath the apparent denominational differences there lies a common...groaning of the Spirit of God, who is seeking to draw the members of Christ’s mystical body into a communal life that is both fully catholic and fully evangelical. One can always hope and pray!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Holy Trinity, morning after thoughts

Top of the morning to you!

So, if you're still pondering the mystery of the Holy Trinity this morning, perhaps you're wondering WHY it has to be that way? Why not simply remove ourselves from the realm of mystery and simply come down on one side or another--either God is ONE and that's that, or there are three Gods.

Well, in short, this is a classic example of living with paradox. The Scriptures have always presented God as one. The ancient 'Shema' (creed/confession) of Israel says as much: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deut 6:4). Yet the Apostle Paul, one of the most zealous Jews who ever lived, states in Col 2:9: "For in Him [Jesus] all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form..." Hence the paradox. Either the Bible is inconsistent and incapable of being trusted, or it presents a truth/picture of God that is beyond our ability to comprehend fully. I prefer the latter. I'm always ok with it when there's more God than what will fit in my box.

On the other hand, maybe you're wondering why my egg example used with the kids was less than perfect. Well, it gets the message across nicely that there is one-in-three and three-in-one (one egg=shell/yolk/white). The example breaks down, however, when one just looks at the PARTS. In looking at just the yolk, one is not viewing the entire 'eggness'.....one is just viewing the yolk. Ditto that with the white & the shell. In order to see the entire 'eggness' one needs all 3 together. This is not true of the Holy Trinity. In looking at Jesus of Nazareth, even tho he is the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, one is nonetheless looking at 100% of God (as opposed to 33.3%). The Father is likewise 100% God; the Spirit is likewise 100% God; and yet, to paraphrase the Athanasian Creed, God is not 300%, etc. Now we're back to the realm of mystery.

All of which supports my contention that while it is necessary that we are to KNOW what it is that we're supposed to believe, there's really no way we can COMPREHEND it........and in the end, the more important thing is that we've been touched by this God who is mysteriously one-in-three, than it is that we merely say the right things about this God.

cheers,

TM
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