Parson to Person
#17 - An ongoing 'imaginative/non-fictional' series.
My next few days were filled with drop clothes, paint rollers and a fair amount of ‘goof-off’ to clean up the mishaps. Dani’s room was officially ‘rusting’ now. She was thrilled! The effort to makeover Dani’s bedroom had given me the opportunity to talk about Catholicism with her. I’d identified the book she had located on my shelf – Roman Catholicism by Lorraine Boettner. Dani and I talked about the book.
“Honey, that book was written 50 years ago. It was a textbook in an Apologetics class, or something like that.”
“Well Dad, the liner notes basically say Roman Catholicism isn’t genuine Christianity, but rather that it gets in the way of real faith in Christ. Do you believe that? Do you believe that someone can’t genuinely believe in Jesus Christ and be active in the Catholic Church?”
“Dani, I don’t think the book is about whether someone believes in Jesus Christ, but rather it questions some of the doctrines of the Catholic Church that are Biblically indefensible.”
As we went back and forth I felt like I was avoiding her real questions. I wondered whether I was sidestepping because I didn’t have answers or because I didn’t like the answers that I had. We both agreed that we would continue the conversation. Before we moved on to other topics, Dani had a surprise for me.
“Dad, Renaldo and his parents are going to come to Covenant on Sunday.”
I was genuinely excited to hear that. In our conversations Dani had spoken very highly of the Santiagos. I looked forward to meeting them.
Sunday came. Dani introduced me to Hector and Lucienne Santiago and to their son Renaldo. Our introduction was nothing more than a quick exchange of pleasantries, however, as it was almost time for me to start the service.
I headed to my office to grab my notes when I heard an all-too-familiar voice: “Good morning Brian.”
Jay and Evelyn Dukes had walked through the door. With them were Earnest and Sylvia Wright, a couple I hadn’t seen at Covenant for quite some time. The Wrights had left Covenant after a church budget meeting saying they disagreed with the direction Covenant was headed. I assure you, it did my stomach no comfort to see the Dukes and the Wrights enter the building together this Sunday morning.
My next few days were filled with drop clothes, paint rollers and a fair amount of ‘goof-off’ to clean up the mishaps. Dani’s room was officially ‘rusting’ now. She was thrilled! The effort to makeover Dani’s bedroom had given me the opportunity to talk about Catholicism with her. I’d identified the book she had located on my shelf – Roman Catholicism by Lorraine Boettner. Dani and I talked about the book.
“Honey, that book was written 50 years ago. It was a textbook in an Apologetics class, or something like that.”
“Well Dad, the liner notes basically say Roman Catholicism isn’t genuine Christianity, but rather that it gets in the way of real faith in Christ. Do you believe that? Do you believe that someone can’t genuinely believe in Jesus Christ and be active in the Catholic Church?”
“Dani, I don’t think the book is about whether someone believes in Jesus Christ, but rather it questions some of the doctrines of the Catholic Church that are Biblically indefensible.”
As we went back and forth I felt like I was avoiding her real questions. I wondered whether I was sidestepping because I didn’t have answers or because I didn’t like the answers that I had. We both agreed that we would continue the conversation. Before we moved on to other topics, Dani had a surprise for me.
“Dad, Renaldo and his parents are going to come to Covenant on Sunday.”
I was genuinely excited to hear that. In our conversations Dani had spoken very highly of the Santiagos. I looked forward to meeting them.
Sunday came. Dani introduced me to Hector and Lucienne Santiago and to their son Renaldo. Our introduction was nothing more than a quick exchange of pleasantries, however, as it was almost time for me to start the service.
I headed to my office to grab my notes when I heard an all-too-familiar voice: “Good morning Brian.”
Jay and Evelyn Dukes had walked through the door. With them were Earnest and Sylvia Wright, a couple I hadn’t seen at Covenant for quite some time. The Wrights had left Covenant after a church budget meeting saying they disagreed with the direction Covenant was headed. I assure you, it did my stomach no comfort to see the Dukes and the Wrights enter the building together this Sunday morning.
1 Comments:
... MY stomach is in knots from those people walking in the door. Grrrrr, people like that really upset me.
... It's only fiction, it's only fiction, it's only fiction...
D--
By Higher Up, Further In, at 2/23/2006 9:30 AM
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