My thoughts on my Theology Class

For my last theology class I'm taking Protestant Christianity. Honestly, I chose the class for two reasons. One, it was the only one that could fit into my schedule, and two, I wanted to open myself up a bit and experience what other Christians believe in.

Now, we've just been talking about the Reformation until recently, so it's been Western Civilizations all over again, but it was from a different perspective.

Now, we're really looking into the United States and Christianity. I guess I've always known, but it didn't really occur to me that this country was founded on Protestant beliefs. The Catholics were actually foreign to the country...the country was founded by the Puritans to try and get away from Anglicans and Catholics. I actually can chuckle at that.

I'm finding that the class is based on what I call "New England Protestant" beliefs. What we talk about in class and what we're told we're going to be seeing in the churches around the college (field trips, yay!) is not a lot like what I've experienced when I've gone to church with either Jake or his mother. It just seems like middle ground to me. That and there's something in me that can't bring myself to fully accept the teachings that we're learning about.

I wonder about that. Last Saturday, before I left for my best friend's house, I was talking to Jake's grandmother. She's incredibly wise, and I love her dearly. She made me realize that I didn't have to be just Catholic or just Protestant; I could have both, and that would be okay.

I think that's what I've been trying to do up until this week. I've been trying to look at Catholicism and Protestantism as two different sects that can't be mixed together. The class kind of supports that thinking as well.

All I know is that I want to try and balance my faith, which is based on Catholicism and understand what's going on outside of my faith as well.

At the same time, I just don't think I agree with all of the things that Protestants agree with it seems. All I want to do is integrate some of that into my faith and have everyone okay with it.

Is that bad?

To Everything, There is a Season...

...and a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
~~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8




Today is the start of Lent; Ash Wednesday, and I was thinking about what I was going to do during Lent. I've found what I want to do, but as I was thinking about it, I thought about the fact that I didn't really make any New Year Resolutions. I did this consciously mainly because the Resolutions I make never get accomplished, or at least get accomplished a little, but not to the extent I want them to go.

Back to the moment. It wasn't until college that I figured out Lent is a lot more than repenting for our sins and the sins of the world. For those who don't know (and that's a lot of you out there), as a Catholic, during Lent I have to PRAY, FAST, and GIVE ALMS. In English that means I have to figure out something to pray about or just plain pray more than normal, fast, or give up something that I enjoy but do not need, and give alms, meaning giving something back to those less fortunate. All of this has to be in secret, meaning, I have to look like I'm not in repentance while I'm doing these things.

Now I know what comes to my mind first is that I'm writing a blog about what I'm going to do during Lent, and it sounds a bit hypocritical. However, what I've stated, anyone can go look up on any Catholic site about Lent and read what I just wrote, so I don't think I'm going to get a lightning bolt thrown down at me because I revealed the practices of Lent.

Anyway, I feel that my Lenten Resolutions hold more weight for me because it literally forces me (with a bit of Catholic guilt and a priest on campus) to go through forty days of changes. And usually, these changes stick throughout the rest of the year because I practice it everyday and it's on my mind.

Lent is all about reconciling with God. I'm a sinner, and shouldn't even deserve what He gives me every single day. Because of this, I have to repent. The entry is titled the way it was because everything has a season, that includes repentance and atonement.

Now is just my time; my time to atone and Easter will be a time to rejoice.