God is bigger than denominations, -and yet!..

Story time:

I was working with a new elderly client with Parkinson’s over the weekend. As is often my custom, I scoured this woman’s bookshelf first chance I got to clue me in to her possible interests (and beliefs). From flipping through a few books and noticing a bible or two, I determined she was catholic and so, just assumed she probably grew up with that religion and it was likely more cultural and ritual/duty-based than anything else.

Then Sunday came around, and this client (being rather housebound) watched a Sunday TV service by a Catholic priest… I have to say though, this priest’s message was so right on, full of condensed and clear truth, and pointing to Jesus and the heart of what Christianity is about more so than most other teachers I have ever heard in all the churches I’ve visited. A Catholic priest, of all people! He made it clear he was not trying to convert people to any particular denomination, or even tell them that they should start going to church. Being clear also, that doing good or participating in any catholic rituals are not what will earn us any standing before God. But just pointing them towards learning about and choosing to follow Jesus and immitating his sacrificial love in the best, most down-to-earth, simple (though knowledgeable), and non-church-language-y way (which I find a particularly rare thing). He was explaining the good news of the gospel of the Kingdom of God! And EVERYTHING he said resonated as true and scriptural -and inspiring/challenging- to me!

On top of this, I got chills when, as the priest explained the catholic “Corporal Acts of Mercy” (to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to give shelter to the homeless or travellers, to visit the sick, to visit the imprisoned, and to bury the dead), my client recited these to herself under the priest’s voice. She knew these things by heart because (as I learned about her and her late husband from our conversations over the weekend) she had been living out this love for others in her own way for years and years in some beautiful ways.

Wow! I am always encouraged when I discover there are followers of Jesus sharing the Truth -and living it too!- in the most unexpected places.

Have any of you had similar experiences?

God is bigger than denominations, –and yet!!– He is not above stooping down to our level and making Himself present even in the most empty, ritualistic, or culturally clouded and isolated denominations we have created for ourselves. Throughout my travels, I have met several others who believe God is calling them to stay present in their ‘dead’ churches as a light to others. I am growing in admiration for people like this catholic priest, willing to stand (often) alone in speaking truth and pointing to Jesus.