From Protestant to Catholic: Following the Nudge
~Contributed by Mim Phillips
David wrote in Psalm 139: 7-10, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? I ascend to heaven, You are there, If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even your right hand will lay hold of me.”
It’s been around 10 years now since I was a practicing Protestant for 40 years and involved in at least 7 different protestant denominations - I wanted to close that chapter of my life. Done. In today’s vernacular, I took some time to “deconstruct” what I believed and learned since coming to faith in Christ as a young teen. Something was missing.
Fast forward to last year, Easter Vigil 2022 and with much joy, I joined the Catholic Church. When I look back, I believe God was guiding me, nudging me and not letting go. I wanted more depth in my walk with Jesus. I focused on the four Gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Around the same time, my son joined the Catholic Church, married a beautiful faith-filled woman and I started to wonder what the difference was between Catholics and Protestants.
One day I stumbled upon Benedictine Way of life. As I perused some of the basic tenets, I saw it as a quieter way of following Christ rather than the noise and distraction in our western churches. I’d never studied the Catholic Church or history and was curious to understand its roots. we decided to attend RCIA at one of the local churches in our area.
As I reflect on this first year becoming Catholic, here are my top three things I found meaningful:
Senses
There is a quiet beauty of active worship in reverence to Christ through a holistic use of our senses; incense, light, art, music, statues of our Holy Family (Mother Mary, Joseph, and Jesus). Physical actions such as kneeling, bowing, adoration, acknowledging baptism with water, the liturgy, and the Rosary.
Professionally, it’s been a challenging year having to lay off 6 employees and myself deciding it was time to leave, working in a startup that folded and currently training in a new vertical. I believe these acts and ambient have helped me to focus on God being glorified and not so much myself.
Sacraments
Through the Sacraments, understanding God’s grace and mercy in a whole new context through the Examination of Conscience, Reconciliation, and the Eucharist. I’ve learned there is much humility needed to practice these sacraments and am in awe of Christ in the Eucharist. I call this peace.
Human Dignity
Defining human dignity, the Catechism outlines and clarifies the meaning and purpose as in (CCC 356) “rooted in his image and likeness of God.” The way Catholics value humans in such a loving way is so misconstrued in our world today.
I’m thankful God kept pursuing me and I look forward to another year of learning as a new Catholic.
David wrote in Psalm 139: 7-10, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? I ascend to heaven, You are there, If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even your right hand will lay hold of me.”
It’s been around 10 years now since I was a practicing Protestant for 40 years and involved in at least 7 different protestant denominations - I wanted to close that chapter of my life. Done. In today’s vernacular, I took some time to “deconstruct” what I believed and learned since coming to faith in Christ as a young teen. Something was missing.
Fast forward to last year, Easter Vigil 2022 and with much joy, I joined the Catholic Church. When I look back, I believe God was guiding me, nudging me and not letting go. I wanted more depth in my walk with Jesus. I focused on the four Gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Around the same time, my son joined the Catholic Church, married a beautiful faith-filled woman and I started to wonder what the difference was between Catholics and Protestants.
One day I stumbled upon Benedictine Way of life. As I perused some of the basic tenets, I saw it as a quieter way of following Christ rather than the noise and distraction in our western churches. I’d never studied the Catholic Church or history and was curious to understand its roots. we decided to attend RCIA at one of the local churches in our area.
As I reflect on this first year becoming Catholic, here are my top three things I found meaningful:
Senses
There is a quiet beauty of active worship in reverence to Christ through a holistic use of our senses; incense, light, art, music, statues of our Holy Family (Mother Mary, Joseph, and Jesus). Physical actions such as kneeling, bowing, adoration, acknowledging baptism with water, the liturgy, and the Rosary.
Professionally, it’s been a challenging year having to lay off 6 employees and myself deciding it was time to leave, working in a startup that folded and currently training in a new vertical. I believe these acts and ambient have helped me to focus on God being glorified and not so much myself.
Sacraments
Through the Sacraments, understanding God’s grace and mercy in a whole new context through the Examination of Conscience, Reconciliation, and the Eucharist. I’ve learned there is much humility needed to practice these sacraments and am in awe of Christ in the Eucharist. I call this peace.
Human Dignity
Defining human dignity, the Catechism outlines and clarifies the meaning and purpose as in (CCC 356) “rooted in his image and likeness of God.” The way Catholics value humans in such a loving way is so misconstrued in our world today.
I’m thankful God kept pursuing me and I look forward to another year of learning as a new Catholic.