It was kind of on my mind today, for several reasons.
One was that, following the election and the concession/acceptance speeches last night, I am hopeful that there can be reconciliation between the political left and right under Obama's leadership, as well as some degree of racial reconciliation in the country.
But another reason is that over lunch today I went to Assumption parish downtown to take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
I was glad I got there early; it was pretty crowded. I have to think that a lot of people were there to confess that they voted against their consciences yesterday! ;)
That's a sin I managed to avoid. I did vote my conscience yesterday, and not the way you all think, I'm guessing. :)
But even without a miscast vote to repent of, I still had plenty of business to conduct with God. :( It had been a while, and after my retreat weekend and all of my soul-searching that happened there... it was time.
Reconciliation is really a wonderful thing. I wish Evangelicals had a process for it. We always say that "we don't need to confess to a priest", but the reality is - we do not confess to one another, either. We don't confess to another soul; at least not the deep, dark stuff.
The Catholic church has a mechanism for it. And again today, it was wonderfully healing. Just because it's a process doesn't mean it has no life. It has plenty of life and restorative grace, at least in my book.
Plus, it allows us to practice routinely what we otherwise would avoid doing: "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed." (James 5:16)
So today, after some tears and a humbled heart, I feel much more "whole and healed."
And if I may ask... how is it with your heart?
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Huh, my assumption, growing up, always was that within one's small group was where evangelicals shared their "deep, dark stuff." I thought that the purpose of these groups was not to solidify cliques within the church, as some may view them, but to serve as a place where bonds were strengthened and deepened and people felt safe enough to share what was going on in their lives with a small, intimate group of fellow believers. Perhaps not the deep recesses of the soul, but things they may not share with the congregation at large.
Alternately, it seemed like it was stressed that one would share their "hearts," the big ugly stuff (addictions, spiritual wrestling, doubts in God's sovereignity, etc.,) with their spouses, accountability partners, or pastors/deacons/elders, etc., I felt it conveyed that God has built in special relationships with people who are here to lighten our burdens, to share the metaphorical yoke. That no, evangelicals don't have a formalized ritual in which they achieve reconcilliation, tho I have attended several churches where the theme of reconciliation was stressed (the whole plank in your own eye, to forgive AS [not a typo] Jesus has forgiven us, etc.,).
I was especially impressed when my church in Naperville was about to move to a new building, the pastor urged the congregation not to bring emotional baggage with them, but to start afresh just as God has given us a new start.
However, some subjects just can't bear the light of day, but isn't it fortunate that our Savior can bear all things? If only we'll let Him?
Remember how you used to warn me against painting the Church in big broad strokes when a small segment of dogma bothered me? (Dr. Dobson, the Master's etc.,) Be mindful to do the same. The Church is NOT supposed to be the gathering of Happy feel good feelings, true enough, but it IS supposed to be a haven for believers.
I'm glad you're finding answers within the Catholic faith, but be careful not to paint everyone with the same brush.
Remember, the Church (in the contemporary sense) is still very, very new. Yes, we may not have had the feel-good (vaguely superficial)vibes under a steeple fifty years ago, but I doubt personal counseling achieved such heights either as people felt unable to explore the dark parts of their souls and share them with another believer, not a priest.
***This is what always bugged me about the Catholic Church- (blame it on a Lutheran schooling)- but they on a whole, put TOO MUCH emphasis on a priest interceding on our behalf's. I understand the therapeutic/cathartic benefit of openly voicing the acts that grieve God's heart, but it's outright heresy to say that a mortal, even the non-Virgin Mary, has a say in your forgiveness for any act. Take it for what you will.***
Irregardless, forgive and look upon the world with an open heart as your Savior does. WWJD may have turned into a cliche, but it doesn't make it any less true. We may not know exactly what Jesus would have done, but we can follow in His footsteps and emulate His heart for a lost, broken, and bleeding world that needs Him, even and especially, His fallible little flock.
**PS- please keep my class in your prayers, a friend of mine is an outspoken Jehovah's Witness and it bothers me that she thinks that she is believing "the right things" as they twll her that it's Biblically based, but how the hell can you not acknowledge Hell when it's written in the Bible? Not everything is a metaphor! I feel much spiritual warfare, but I am praying that God will reveal His truth, not the half-truths she is receiving. One can believe something 100% sincerely and still be 100% wrong.
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