RayneBeau
Well-known member
Yeah--talk about straw-men.
Protestants threw out the Mass. Power abhors a vacuum. Since Protestants aren't celebrating Mass, but essentially just getting together for an extended Scripture study, which they call worship, teaching filled the void.
Put an other way:
The Mass is a combination of two things: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Word is the first part of the Mass. The reading of the Gospel is the culmination or high point in the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy of the Word takes about half the time of the Mass. Preaching takes place within the context of the Liturgy of the Word where the Scriptures are "broken open." The goal of a homily is not parsing Greek or Hebrew words, academic study, exegesis, etc, but to "break open the Word" that is---to apply the Scriptures to daily life. Catholics would see the academic study of the Scriptures as valuable, but more appropriate to a Scripture or Bible study course taught during the week in the evening.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist is the second part of the Mass. This culminates with reception of Communion. This takes the other half of the Mass. The Protestant Reformers threw out the Mass. Something had to fill the void. Thus, what a Protestant worship service actually is, from the Catholic vantage point, is just an extended Liturgy of the Word. This is why for Protestants preaching is primary.
Yes, the trustees are elected and these are the people in whom ultimate power rests. The minister answers to them. I have played the organ in Baptist churches, Presbyterian and Methodist churches. I have seen how the trustees abused the minister and their wife, and treated them like garbage--over the stupidest things too---like moving a table. I have seen ministers in tears over the trustees treatment of them. I used to wonder why the ministers put up with it. I know if it were me, there is no way the trustees would have gotten away with treating me or a spouse like that. They could take their church and their job and stick it. I used to joke with the ministers that they need to become Catholic.
Well, whatever. The point is that you have no concept of a Mass. Thus, worship for you is not the offering of a Sacrifice, but in essence, nothing more than a Scripture study with hymnody and prayers thrown in for good measure.
rompop tries to explain his whines by saying: "Protestants threw out the Mass. Power abhors a vacuum. Since Protestants aren't celebrating Mass, but essentially just getting together for an extended Scripture study, which they call worship, teaching filled the void."
The bottom line here is that discernment depends on a knowledge of Scripture. Those who are content to watch another play-by-play performance by Roman Catholic priests, and listen gullibly to some droning voice of human authority rather than hearing God's Word and letting it speak for itself is not, and cannot be discerning.
rompop again foolishly tries to explain his man-made faith by saying: "Put an other way:
The Mass is a combination of two things: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Word is the first part of the Mass. The reading of the Gospel is the culmination or high point in the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy of the Word takes about half the time of the Mass. Preaching takes place within the context of the Liturgy of the Word where the Scriptures are "broken open." The goal of a homily is not parsing Greek or Hebrew words, academic study, exegesis, etc, but to "break open the Word" that is---to apply the Scriptures to daily life. Catholics would see the academic study of the Scriptures as valuable, but more appropriate to a Scripture or Bible study course taught during the week in the evening."
Christ already identified the inward-looking extreme of that kind of heedless faith that rompop desires and defends, as mysticism. It could also be called just another variety of 'rote tradition'. And, that is precisely how God Himself perfectly characterized it best here with this teaching:
Isaiah 29:13;
"These people claim to worship Me,
but their words are meaningless,
and their hearts are somewhere else.
Their religion is nothing but human rules and traditions
which they have simply memorized.
So, I will startle them with one unexpected blow after another.
Those who are wise will turn out to be fools,
and all their cleverness will be useless."