Last weekend, a chunk of my OCIA class were baptized at the Easter Vigil, and became Catholic. This weekend, on Divine Mercy Sunday, another group of us who have already been validly baptized will be confirmed. At tonight’s class, we broke into discussion groups to share how we’re feeling during these final days before Coming… Continue reading Reflections during my final week as a Protestant
Tag: Catholicism
“Catholics have convoluted Christianity with tradition”
Recently I came across this post from a Catholic I follow on X: The context is about how Catholics supposedly “over complicate” worship, adding in all these unnecessary requirements like mandatory mass (including certain holy days of obligation), going to confession, participating in the Eucharist, etc. The Protestant view of discipleship is far simpler: focus… Continue reading “Catholics have convoluted Christianity with tradition”
There’s something about Mary
The first time I ever prayed a Hail Mary was during my miscarriage. With my own mother 1500 miles away, I needed to be mothered: particularly by someone who also experienced the pain of child loss. One year later, in active labor with my daughter for several days, every contraction felt like it would break… Continue reading There’s something about Mary
A tale of two church families
Two of the most common questions I get on this Rome-ward journey: what does your Protestant husband think of all this? And what about your Anglican church family? It’s truly a testament to my husband’s patience and faithfulness that he’s tolerated so many versions of me over the last almost 11 years of marriage. We… Continue reading A tale of two church families
Coming home: The appeal of a consistent sexual ethic
Part 2 of the Coming Home series. As a columnist for my campus newspaper, I wrote an article during the month of “Sextober” (yes, for real) questioning the effects of birth control on the female body: is it really healthy to shut down the entire reproductive system, just to avoid the natural occurrence of pregnancy?… Continue reading Coming home: The appeal of a consistent sexual ethic
That awkward Jewish girl at RCIA
I was naive to think I had ever “arrived” in my Christian journey. I’ve thought I found my permanent place, my forever spiritual family, many times throughout adulthood, only to have schisms tear apart the church. Or have close friends move away. Others got married or had babies long before I did, and virtually disappeared.… Continue reading That awkward Jewish girl at RCIA
Why I’m (still) not a Messianic Jew
Nearly ten years ago now, I wrote a blog post explaining why, despite my Jewish heritage and faith in Jesus Christ, I do not call myself a Messianic Jew. It went semi-viral, and not in a good way. I received – and still do, on occasion – many emails criticizing my reasons, which mostly had… Continue reading Why I’m (still) not a Messianic Jew
What Christians get wrong by saying “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship”
There are rhythms to certain relationships that are not only enjoyable, but indicators of good health. In my marriage, it’s making coffee for myself and my husband (he still doesn’t quite understand the French press) in the morning, which we sip in our home library as our daughter races her toy cars across the carpet.… Continue reading What Christians get wrong by saying “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship”
Pope Francis and the importance of moral clarity
If there’s one takeaway from my brief stint in progressive Christian spaces, it’s this: certainty in faithful matters is not a goal, but rather an enemy (ironically, they seemed pretty certain about that). But when I read books and blog posts about people’s de-conversion journeys, it seemed that certainty itself was not always the problem:… Continue reading Pope Francis and the importance of moral clarity