A Catholic Thanks Evangelicals

Colleen Reiss, from First Things:

Then in high school, a friend invited me to her church—an independent fundamentalist Baptist church, to be precise. This was an entirely new experience. At the time, I did not have the theological vocabulary to name the obvious differences in sacramental theology, ecclesiology, and ways of reading Scripture—but as a teenager what I did understand was that for some perplexing reason, these people thought that my faith was of critical importance. I stayed for ten years, attending Baptist churches wherever I lived in the United States, and even visiting one of the rare Baptist churches in Northern Ireland.

As a Baptist, I learned the habits of Christian living—important lessons, for it is in the risks and challenge of actions that we often grow in faith. This is certainly not to say that one cannot learn these things in the Catholic Church, and today these habits blend seamlessly into the fullness of my Catholic faith. …

As I take comfort in the firm hope that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will one day possess full and visible unity as Christians, I express sincere gratitude for the “lessons of church-going” I learned in Evangelical congregations, of which these are a few.

Love preaching: Baptists are not known for short sermons. As a teenager, adults around me in the pews modeled an enthusiasm and heartfelt desire to hear the Word of God proclaimed. When preaching was effective, it was only right to shout “Amen,” “Preach it, brother!” or “Alleluia” in affirmation. I looked around and saw members of the congregation taking notes—this was important stuff—and knew I must pay attention. Listening to sermons was not passive: I learned to bring a Bible and pencil so that I could actively receive and continue to ponder a sermon in personal prayer.

When I hear some of my fellow Catholics grumble about the excessive length of a seven-minute homily, I am thankful that the contagious enthusiasm of my Evangelical brethren rubbed off on me….

Some will read this and think, “she would have learned that in my Catholic parish” or “all of those lessons are found in Catholic spirituality.” The first may be true, and the second is most certainly true. My claim is merely personal: I have seen and experienced the gifts of Evangelical churches in a way that has profoundly influenced my life of faith in a most positive way. Although we have significant doctrinal differences, it is with love that I express deep gratitude to Evangelical Christians who formed me in the habits that enable me to continually respond to God’s call and grow as a Christian.