Honestly, I am so thoroughly low Prostestant in my upbringing, I don't know one feast day from another. I do know that All Saints Day is November 1 and St. Francis day is October 5 (my son's birthday-and I think it should be his patron saint. I actually gave him a saint card of St. Francis and St. Clare). So, I rely on the Daily Office to tell me. And I guess I should confess I am as completely fascinated by the lives of the saints, as I am by the stories of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. On my bookshelf, (which rivals that of any pastor or spiritual director), I have biographies of St. Francis, St. Ignatius, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Augustine, St. Benedict, St. Clare, St. Paul, St. Peter and St. John (if the New Testatment counts), St. Basil, St. Hildegard and Mother Teresa Pope John Paul, both of who are waiting canonization. I also have a book by John Sweeny, "The Lure of the Saints for Prostestants" and many other books on the various theologies and spiritual practices of the saints. Once for a college class, I did a video presentation of St. Hildegard. It was a music history class. She wrote some of the most complex chant music the Church knows.
When I was younger, I was envious of my Catholic friends who got to celebrate feast days. In the low Prostestant or evangelical tradition, you won't find any feasting. Just church suppers, which could be construed as a feast. (Another blog all together). I have to confess to my more Catholic friends that I used to think that commerating a feast day meant just that. Feasting. Party. Well, it does mean feasting, but on the Eucharist, not chicken pie, chocolate cake, fried chicken, green beans or casseroles. The Common Book of Prayer list about thirty major feast days and over 100 minor feast days. Feast days could also mean fasting and that is something I am not too fond of, but Richard Foster makes a compelling argument for practicing fasting in Celebration of Discipline. I read that book twice but still haven't taken up fasting. Fasting would make me give up my peanut butter cookies and iced tea and I am just not there yet. Fasting also involves the idea of praying when you would be eating, and I probably would find my mind wandering, thinking about my shoes or new color of nail polish.
So today, July 31 is St. Ignatius Day. He was the founder of the Jesuits. The story of Ignatius begins with a wounded soilder (Ignatius), daydreaming on his sickbed. It is my personal belief that the finest physicians you will ever meet were educated by Jesuits. Just saying. He is also the patron saints of soilders, (which I did not know until today).
Ignatian spirituality is rooted in the experiences of Ignatius Loyola (1491–1556), a Basque aristocrat whose conversion to a fervent Christian faith began while he was recovering from war wounds. Ignatius, who founded the Jesuits, gained many insights into the spiritual life in the course of a decadeslong spiritual journey during which he became expert at helping others deepen their relationship with God. Its basis in personal experience makes Ignatian spirituality an intensely practical spirituality, well suited to laymen and laywomen living active lives in the world.
Learning about this made me think, what is my theology and am I Benedictine, Franscian or Ignatian. And that led to google, and more reading and more thinking and since I am lacking a spiritual director, I thought I would share with you. Ignatius would have wanted me to write this all down and examine it and see where God was speaking in all this. Perhaps the only negative I found in Ignatian spirituality was that many contemporary, "spiritual" pyscologists find his spiritual exercises useful for clients. Who knew?
Ignatius was a contemporary of John Calvin. I had no idea. Talk about opposites. But Ignatius did believe some of the Five Points of Calvinism (obviously not with Calvin's break with the Church or th priesthood of the believers). Calvinism which was at the heart of the reformation, (Luther was a Calvinite, Huss was not. Luther was exiled and Huss burned at the stake for his beliefs by the Church), is best known for its doctrines of predestination and total depravity, stressing the total contingency of man's salvation upon the absolute sovereignty of God. Ignatius believed in the sovereinity of God. So did Wesley, but he lived about 250 years later. I discovered today that I am a one point Calvinist not a five point or a four point Calvinist. In case you are wondering, the literature does not refer to a one point Calvinist. You are either a five or four point Calvinist. So, I guess I am not a Calvinist. Predestination as Calvin taught really does not sit well with me. Or four of the other five points. I, only if it matters to God, (which I suspect it doesn't), agree with Wesley, Calvin and Ignatius, Augustine and Paul on the sovereignty of God. Knowing I was a one point Calvinist led to me to understand why I struggle with the evangelical arm of Christianity. Most evangelicals probably don't know this, but they are either five or four point Calvinists, except for the Methodists, Wesleylans and Nazarenes, who are you guessed it- Wesleylan.
And of course, then I had to read about Wesley's theology. (Wesley fasted once a week-I would struggle). Since my husband and son are baptized Methodists, I thought I should probably know a little. Wesley's theology is pretty complicated as was Calvin's. Wesley disagreed with Calvin on many levels. Wesley believed in a previenient grace. I wish I could explain it better...but basically...all is grace...unmerited favor. I am sure I will have friends who fill me in on all the finer points of Calvinism and Wesleyan theology.
Then there is this thing called the Weselyan Quadrilateral. Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. Scripture [however] is primary, revealing the Word of God 'so far as it is necessary for our salvation.
Scriptura Prima (scripture is primary) led me to read why I might struggle a bit being a Baptist. Believers baptism and faith alone are tennets of Baptist doctrine. I kind of like grace. But then my sacramental friends would kindly explain that baptism is a means of grace. How much water? Well that divides us too. And here is where I figured out that my heart is far more Catholic, Eucharist is sacramental for me. The autonomy of the local church has way too much power and not enough oversight. Just an opinion. But then the Catholic Church is the most powerful political force on the planet, so cleary that power structure has not always worked out so well either.
I do however confess that the best preaching I ever heard (and I am a preacher snob-which makes me a Prostestant), came from a pulpit in the Baptist church.
Monday, one of the best orators in the church and a leader in the civil rights movement and a mentor to pastors for over six decades died. J.R. Samuels was the longtime pastor of St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church in Winston Salem. I heard him preach once and he was one of the finest. One of the finest. They don't preach like that anymore. I have also heard Billy Graham, which I confess me, scared me to death. The tribulation with all those horses was pretty horrifying to me. Of note, Ignatius thought Revelation should not be in the canon of scripture and one of the saints really thought the book of James was for the birds.
So where did all this lead me today? Well, in a circle really. I guess if pinned down I would say this: I have a Prostestant theology but a Catholic heart. The Protestants taught me how to read the scripture but the Catholics taught me how to pray.
I am a one point Calvinist, amillenialist, liturgical, sacramental (there are either two or seven depending on your point of view and no-you can't have them all), redemption always happens in the mess and glory of it all, it really is all about grace, justice is at the heart of the gospel and really when it comes down to it Christian...as Wesley said...Do all the good you can in all the ways you can as long you can... and as Ignatius said...Act is if everything depended on you and trust that everything depends on God.
All is grace,
counting today's blessings:
blogs
google
boys who clean their rooms without being asked
washing curtains and hanging them
the smell of freshly laundered sheets (and I wish I changed my sheets everyday)
iced tea (I could never fast from it)
hot fudge sauce with sea salt melted ben and jerry's cherry garcia
bing cherries in July
garden fresh tomatos and BLTs (my favorite sandwich)
polishing wood floors
the theme song for the Olympics
sleeping late (8 am for me)
Kindle fire (never thought I would like it better than books)
butter beans from the garden
discussing the finer points of why a pitch out works
batting cages really do look good in a yard
St. Ignatius
manicures that last weeks
flip flops that are made out of yoga mats and you can never have too many flip flops
washing machines
Gain-lavendar scented
Lemon-Thyme fresh from the garden
Basil fresh from the garden
the feel of water on your feet
cool showers
tan lines
For more on Ignatian Spirituality:
http://norprov.org/spirituality/lifeofignatius.htm
For more on the history of Prostestant Theology and this will link you to Wesley, Luther, Calvin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination_(Calvinism)
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