May 3, 2009

Christianity’s Family Tree: Catholicism

When All Roads Lead to Rome

John 6:53-56

Opening Words: There are six billion people in the world today. Two billion profess to be Christians. What links all these believers together is the very first creed in the church. We find it in Romans 10:9. It says, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” From the very beginning the early church knew the importance of the resurrection. It separates us from the rest of the world. Over two thousand years later the only thing that still really matters is your belief in the resurrection, everything thing else is secondary.

Last week we looked at the oldest branch of Christianity’s family tree, Orthodoxy. Today we look at the largest branch on Christianity’s family tree, the Roman Catholic Church. There are one billion Christian Catholics in the world today, as large as all Protestant Christians and Orthodox Christians combined. Within the United States, Protestants outnumber Catholics two to one. However, the Catholic Church is four times larger than the largest single Protestant denomination. Within your 2009 edition of the AT&T phone book you will find 47 Roman Catholic Churches listed. One of the finest people I have ever known in the ministry is Father Terry Hazel of St. Michael’s in Canfield. For several years we have taken our confirmation class to his parish and I am humbled by the time and respect he has given to our young people. You maybe surprised how many former Catholics call Western Reserve home. You may be more surprised how many former United Methodists call the Catholic Church home! Having said these opening words lets us look at this mornings gospel lesson from the sixth hapter of John, verses fifty-three through fifty six. Let me call this message When All Roads Lead to Rome.

John 6:53-56 53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

There was a time when all roads lead to Rome. In order to understand the Roman Catholic Church you must first understand the Roman Empire. That great empire was established by Augustine in 27 BC. It lasted more than five hundred years. At her zenith the empire covered approximately 2.3 million square miles. For this reason she dominated many cultures. She influenced their language, religion, architecture and law. There is no doubt about it. There was a time when all roads led to Rome.

By the end of the first century Rome dominated the church. There were more Christians in Rome than any other city in the world. Tradition tells us both Peter and Paul died in Rome. The official language of Rome was Latin so the language of the church was Latin. As the world looked to Rome for leadership, so the church looked to Rome for leadership. The bishop of Rome was recognized and accepted as the head of the church. In time the bishop was called the pope or “father.” He referred to the other bishops as bishops or “sons.” For over a thousand years the church was united by the influence of Rome. Then the unthinkable happened. You remember the story. We spoke about it just last week.

In 1054 the Eastern Church broke from the Western Church. The issue was the addition of three little words in the Nicene Creed, and the son. However, it was more than just three words. The Eastern Church always questioned changing liturgy and papal authority. In a certain way it is comical. The Eastern Orthodox Church claims to be the oldest church in the world because of her unchanging liturgy. The Roman Catholic Church claims to be the oldest church because they believe the Orthodoxy left the fold. Just imagine this on the time line of world history. This all happened nearly one thousand years ago! The Protestant Reformation wouldn’t begin for another five hundred years. In one way it doesn’t matter today. However, in another way it does matter because these are the seeds of our own branch of Christianity’s family tree. However, before I go any farther I must make a little confession.

This is my little confession. I really struggled writing this week’s sermon. I wasn’t really surprised. I know why I struggled. This is it. Even after all the progress we have made in the area of Catholic-Protestant relationships a tension still exists. As a good Protestant I believe in something called sola scriptura, scripture alone. Everything we do and believe in the life of the church must be founded in scripture. That is not a Catholic teaching. The Catholic tradition believes the work of the Holy Spirit continued beyond the Biblical writers. Both scripture and tradition are the foundation of their faith. That is why so many things they hold near to their hearts are not Biblical in nature. I could make a long list of ways in which we are different and you could tell me many stories on how people have been hurt. However, my goal is not to stress how we are different; my goal is to celebrate how we are the same. Never forget, the Catholic Church is able to say that early Christian creed. They are able to confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and they believe that he was raised from the dead so they will be saved. So I want to talk about three reminders, we good Protestants can learn from the Catholic Church. I never thought I would say this but if you are ready to learn something from the Catholic Church say, “Amen!”

The Power of Ritual

The Roman Catholic Church reminds us of the power of ritual. During Holy Week, I was listening to a Christian radio station. Many churches were there advising their Easter morning worship services. However, one advertisement caught my attention. It was a church in a Cleveland suburb. They didn’t invite people to their Easter services; they invited everyone to their resurrection day services. I believe they did that because they didn’t want to sound too liturgical. From the very beginning Protestants have rejected rituals as something dead and meaningless. I will confess it. I have bought into that line of thought. How many times have I stood in front of you and warned you about worshiping dead rituals and traditions? How many times have I said we are to learn from the past but never worship the past? I can tell you of many stories of how dead rituals impeded spiritual development. The Catholic Church reminds us that there is power in ritual. With the appropriate knowledge they can link us back to Jesus. If you stop and think about it, the red letter days on the Christian calendar are steeped in ritual.

I will admit it. All the major holidays are linked to the rituals or the traditions of the church. I don’t observed those holidays with you because it is part of my job. I observe those holidays with you because I have grown to love them. They feed my soul. I love Advent because the church is decorated and the energy is building. I love Christmas Eve and preaching about the incarnation of God in a new way every year. I love Ash Wednesday because I have the opportunity to become a better person. I love Palm Sunday because it is fun to see the young with their palms. I love Holy Week and remembering all things that Christ did for me. I love Easter and remembering the empty tomb. I love baptizing babies because in their face I see God. I love communion because I am linked not just to Jesus but to clergy from the past, who have stated those sacred words. Do I have to go on? There are certain ritual and traditions that should never be forgotten. The Catholic Church reminds us of the power of rituals. If you find something significant about the rituals of the church say, “Amen!”

The Power of the Sacred

The Roman Catholic Church reminds us of the power of the sacred. Did you here the words in the Psalter lesson for this morning? Psalm 95:6 says, “Oh Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before our maker.” Could it be that we as Protestants have lost our understanding of the sacred? The sanctuary is not just a big room and the altar is not just a fancy table. The sanctuary and the altar are sacred because they have been dedicated to God.

A year ago in January I found myself in Israel. We saw some amazing things. We walked the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus walked on his way to the cross. The Catholic Church calls it the fourteen Stations of the Cross. Each stop was incredible but one stop stands out for me, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is actually built on the rock of Golgotha, where Jesus died. When you walk in the door there is a large flat stone where they say Jesus was placed and anointed after he died. In complete silence a large crowd circled that stone waiting to touch it. The incense was thick and the Holy Spirit swirled in my heart. I prayed from the inter-chambers of my heart. It was a special moment to think I was touching the rock that they laid Jesus upon so many years ago. There is power in the sacred. Where are the sacred spots in your life? Where do you go to meet God? The Catholic Church knows what we as Protestants often forget. There is power in being sacred. If you believe that is true say, “Amen!“ If I could add one thing to our informal society it would be an appreciation for the sacred.

The Power of the Eucharist

The Roman Catholic Church reminds us of the power of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is nothing more than communion or the Last Supper. In the Protestant tradition we understand the preaching of the word to be the most important part of worship. That is why we call ministers “preachers.” In the Catholic tradition the climax of the worship service is the Eucharist.

If you want to start a great fight within any congregation bring up the topic of communion. Everyone seems to have an opinion. Should we take communion weekly? Should we take communion monthly? Should we take communion quarterly? Do you want your communion sitting in the pew or at the rail? Does anyone here believe we should use a common cup? Should we use grape juice or red wine? Should we use the little cups or should we dip a little piece of bread? This is the point. Everyone has an opinion about communion. The sacrament can bring a debate to any local congregation so why shouldn’t we debate as Protestants and Catholics?

In a certain way Catholic and Protestant communion is similar. Everyone agrees it links us to Christ and the fellowship of all believers. However, in others ways communion is different for Catholics and Protestants. The Catholic Church observes a closed communion table. Which means you must be a member to partake. The Protestant Church observes an open communion table, which means anyone of faith came partake. The Catholic Church believes in something called transubstantiation, the elements actually become the Christ‘s body and blood. They take the words of the Gospel lesson literally, Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Protestants believe in consubstantiation, where the elements only represent the body and blood of Christ. Those are issues that theologians love to debate but one point is clear. Communion is important because it links us to Christ and it links us to the fellowship of believers. We take communion here at Western Reserve regularly because we too recognize the power of the Eucharist. If you have every benefited from feasting on the body and blood of Christ say, “Amen!” Let me end by saying this.

There was a time when all roads lead to Rome. At the Empire’s zenith it covered 2.3 million square miles and influenced countless societies. Maybe it was for that reason Peter and Paul died in Rome. They knew if they could win the hearts of the Roman’s for Jesus then they could influence the world for Jesus. The date 395 is significant. For it was in that year the Western Roman Empire ended. The Caesars had been replaced by military strongmen and Germanic mercenaries attacked Rome, herself.

There was a time when all roads lead to Rome but that is not our time. The Italian capitol is still an amazing place but her influential days are in her past. Now people just want to go to heaven. I have never met a single individual who didn’t want to go to heaven. With all the tension that exists between the Protestant Church and the Roman Catholic Church, maybe there are a few things we can learn from one another. Maybe the Roman Catholic Church can learn something from us! Maybe we can learn something from the Roman Catholic Church? What did the Roman Catholic Church teach us today? The Roman Catholic Church reminds us of the power of ritual. The Roman Catholic Church reminds us of the power of the sacred. The Roman Catholic Church reminds us of the power of the Eucharist. If you believe these things maybe helpful to you in your spiritual development say, “Amen!”