What I Am Doing On My Summer Vacation or A Life-Changing Encounter with Jesus

With Summer right around the corner, you may be starting to think about what fun experiences you might engage in over the next several months. I know that around May 1 I always try to get a schedule of all the weekend festivals, concerts in the parks, and Farmer’s markets in our local area, and there are lots of them. In fact, I’ll share my list tomorrow on my Wednesday post. (This is my Sunday post, only 2 days late.)

Our first Summer adventure will be a weekend at the M Lazy C Ranch “…where you step into the boots of a cowboy and ride in the old west the way it used to be.” It’s

not a “dude ranch” so we won’t be working, we will be relaxing. But we will enjoy some of the activities the ranch has to offer; nightly campfires and s’mores, a horseback ride in the Colorado mountains west of Pike’s Peak, observing owners caring for their horses, and much, much more. We will also use the ranch as our home base as we see some of the sights west of Colorado Springs.

My reason for sharing our plans is not to brag about what we get to do. We are so grateful and it is only because of God’s grace and provision that we are even able to consider taking this time away together. I also do not want to stir feelings of jealousy or envy within you. Rather, I trust that you are making plans to do some things this summer that resonate with you. We are so blessed, as Americans, to have options for recreation, relaxation, and restoration, all of which are important to the health of our body, mind, and soul. So get out there and do something new this Summer for a day, a weekend, a week; whatever you have been blessed with in terms of time and resources.

Speaking of something new, I had a brand new experience this past Sunday that has given me much to think about, which is part of the reason I haven’t written my post until today. In fact, my experience has actually shaken me to the core. When I write, I try to share everything from the mundane to the profound. I hope to make my audience think, laugh, relate, and even question. I believe all of those things are healthy and might I even say, fun. What happened to me on Sunday unexpectedly caused me to do all of those things.

Friends, I attended a Catholic Mass for the first time in my life. Our friend’s daughters were taking First Communion and we decided to go out of love, honor, and support of them. I really had no idea what to expect, except that I knew I would hear some Latin, stand and sit a lot, and that the Priest would likely be in a robe. The rest was up for grabs. I’ll be honest and tell you that I did not know if I would have a worshipful time, but I remained open to it. I cannot begin to tell you what is stirring inside of me as I am reflecting on my experience.

All of my life I have heard of and spoken of the fact that Jesus is alive. I have experienced the presence of Christ in my life. I have understood as best as I could, the love of God. I have tried to have a healthy respect, or what the Bible calls “fear” of God and have engaged in acts of worship, defined as “an expression of reverence, honor, and adoration for God the Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.” Not only have I thought I understood all of those concepts, but I have also been employed as a Worship Leader for much of my adult life. I have also believed that the Word of God, which we know as The Holy Bible, is alive (Heb. 4:12 NIV), vibrant, and carries the power of life and transformation. I believe the Bible is true, all-sufficient, and penetrating. The Word of God is active in the spirit and soul of a Christ-follower, and thus, alive and active in me.

May 16 was Ascension Sunday according to the Liturgical calendar, a calendar that follows a cycle of readings based on events and Scriptural themes. The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy summarizes the meaning of the liturgical celebrations of the Church this way:

“Holy Church celebrates the saving work of Christ on prescribed days in the course of the year with sacred remembrance. Each week, on the day called the Lord's Day, she commemorates the Resurrection of the Lord, which she also celebrates once a year in the great Paschal Solemnity, together with his blessed Passion. In fact, throughout the course of the year the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and observes the birthdays of the Saints. (no. 1)”

It is not only the Catholic Church that follows the Liturgical calendar. Many Protestant denominations follow it, some closely and others loosely. I have been familiar with it, having had a course in High School and in College on church history. I also served in a Presbyterian church, which historically uses the Liturgical calendar. However, it was loosely observed in my church, probably because of my lack of familiarity and lack of practice with it. Ascension Sunday means that the theme of the Mass centered around the places in Scripture where it talks about Christ leaving the Earth in bodily form and “ascending” into heaven. It’s a story from the life of Christ I am familiar with and includes reference to 3 of the 4 gospels (Mark, Luke, and John), as well as the Book of Acts and others. The experience I had on this particular day will forever change my relationship with Christ.

The first point of reflection from this experience is the reverence and respect for the presence of God. I observed this in the parishioners crossing themselves and some bowing or nodding to representations or icons of Christ. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said “We cannot separate our lives from the Eucharist; the moment we do, something breaks…When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now.” While I said that I have a healthy respect for God, the parishioners at St. Mark’s gave an outward showing of the respect that seemed to be inwardly sincere.

Another action in the worship service was the burning of incense, which I had never experienced as part of worship. The smoke of burning incense is interpreted by many churches as a symbol of the prayer of the faithful rising to Heaven. This symbolism can be seen in Psalm 141:2 as well as other places in Scripture. The act of preparing the incense and releasing the smoke appeared to be an extremely respectful act on the part of all those that preformed the ritual.

Respect was also shown by parishioners in the physical act of standing at certain times and by some in the act of kneeling at certain times. What was unique about this here compared to other churches I have worshipped in is that nobody was invited or told to stand. It was as if they were doing so because they knew at certain points in the worship service standing or kneeling was an appropriate posture, not just something they do. This could just be my perspective based on the newness of the experience for me, but that is how I interpreted it.

The next point of reflection for me leads to me closer to the most profound parts of the service. What I heard in the Mass was the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that God sent Christ to die for our sins and rise from the dead, proving His power over sin and death. Jesus later ascended into Heaven, where He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us. The Priest, in his homily, reminded parishioners that Christ, though physically in Heaven, would also be present with us in a very real way “very shortly.” While the Priest described this as one of the mysteries that we are unable to understand, it is true. However, the presence of Christ he was referring to was something much different than the presence of Christ I know and understand to be Biblical.

That leads me yet closer to reflecting on the profound. The worship service ended with what some call the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, or Communion. This is the practice of remembering Christ’s death and resurrection with the eating and drinking of bread and wine. It is something that Jesus asked His followers to do and has been a practice of Christians for centuries. As Christ explained, the bread represents His body that was broken for us and the wine represents the blood that was shed for us. Christ-followers are to eat and drink in remembrance of Him and in a manner worthy of proclaiming the Lord’s death. 1 Corinthians 11 goes on to say “Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe (1 Cor. 11:27-28 TM).  

Here is where Catholics and Protestants differ. Most Protestant denominations and certainly Evangelical churches consider the elements of the Eucharist to be symbols of the body and blood of Christ. The Catholic Church believes in what is called Transubstantiation. Oxford defines this as “the conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearances of bread and wine still remaining.” Here began my profound experience.

The Priest had been talking about the fact that Christ had left Earth at the Ascension, yet was periodically present with us. His description of the presence of Christ referred to the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is the belief of the Catholic Church that Christ is present with His people at the moment the bread and the wine are consecrated and, though it still appears to be bread and wine, it is actually Christ Himself in the presence of His people. This is why devoted Catholic parishioners take communion at any and every opportunity. It is the moment when Christ is literally with them. As a non-Catholic Christ-follower, I understand the words of Christ and those who wrote the Scripture to explain that Christ is always with us, not only at certain times on certain occasions. It is at this moment in the service that the difference in theology was most evident, yet deeply sacred, moving, and mysterious at the same time.

I sat in my pew so intently focused on the Priest as he was preparing the elements for Communion. I’m not sure if I blinked or moved a muscle. There was a very real sense that something special was taking place and I did not want to miss it. My reflection regarding this act of worship in the service has changed my thinking forever. The reverence with which the sacrament of the Eucharist was performed was beyond remarkable. The seriousness and care in the preparation of the elements was something incredible to watch and one could clearly observe the weight of responsibility the Priest felt as he prepared for the Lord’s presence. I wonder how many Priests take extraordinary care with the Eucharist as the Very Rev. Gregory W. Bierbaum, V.F. Those that received communion, including our neighbor girls, were required to come forward and receive it from the Priest or one whom he had appointed. The Priest went so far as to say that the bread and the wine had to be consumed right before them in order for them to observe the consumption out of “protection of our Lord.” Were Parishioners to walk away with the bread and not consume it, but instead let something else happen to it, it would be an offensive treatment of Christ’s body. Again, I reflect on the instructions given in 1 Corinthians where Paul says “Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe (1 Cor. 11:27-28 TM). What I observed and experience and observed was “holy awe.”

While I do not personally believe in Transubstantiation, my life and my worship will be forever changed for this reason; if Catholics believe that in the sacrament of the Eucharist Christ is fully present, and act with such reverence and “holy awe” towards Christ in the moments of preparation, fulfillment of Communion, and subsequent cleaning up (which was another amazing ritual to behold), with how much more reverence should I conduct myself believing that Christ is always with me, every moment, waking or sleeping. I can easily say that I rarely conduct myself in a manner before Christ with the same posture of worship as was demonstrated by the Priest, his appointed assistants, and even the Parishioners of St. Mark’s Catholic Church on Sunday.

The final piece of profound insight I wish to reflect on after having worshipped in the Catholic church on Sunday is that in this specific Catholic church, the gospel message was unequivocally clear, precise, and for those who were listening, could NOT be missed. It was not a false gospel. There was no heretical twisting of scripture. Those who say that Catholics are not Christians or that they do not know or preach the gospel are as wrong as those who say every person that steps foot in a Protestant church is a Christian. In fact, I believe that many Evangelical Christians need to repent of their divisive attitudes towards others who may practice worship differently than they do. Friends, there are people who claim to be Protestant Evangelical Christians that have never heard the gospel because they have not chosen to listen. I will concede that just as there are Protestant churches and pastors that do not present a clear telling of the gospel, I’m sure that there are Catholic churches and priests who fail to do the same. However, anyone who attended Mass on Sunday at St. Mark’s in Highlands Ranch, if they were paying attention, heard the full gospel preached by Father Bierbaum and could have responded, if they had chosen to. Once again, I was convicted of the tendency of Protestant Evangelical Christians to not only be judgmental but to communicate judgment loudly and perpetuate division amongst people. That is something I do not want to have a part in. While I do not agree with all of the Catholic theology (things like the necessity to pray to anyone but the members of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) I also do not agree with all of the Protestant Evangelical theology and may actually have problems with more points of it than that of Catholic theology (a blog for another time). Outsiders looking in on any specific group of worshippers can easily find faults, hypocrisy, and maybe even heresy if they are looking for it. I believe the main thing God is concerned with is what we do with His Son. In that church on Sunday, Jesus was treated with holy awe! Christ-followers, let’s stop going after the differences and judging and condemning those that are not like us and let’s celebrate the thing that truly matters; the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as a result of the reckless love God, our Creator has for us!

Friends, I encourage you to try something new this summer. Go for a hike on a trail you have never been before. Order food from that restaurant you have been wanting to try. Rent a boat and go for an afternoon cruise on the lake with your special person. Go to a church that is different from the church you attend every week. Share your thoughts with the rest of the readers of this blog. We will be glad you did. You will be glad you did.

Thanks for reading,