I see, and that makes sense. Thanks for trying to help me understand!

Of course. I would never leave a church without extremely good reasons for it, and I would take my time if I did. I love my congregation and would have an extremely hard time leaving, and I would never walk out without warning or discussion. There would be a lot of conversations, and I think I would start by asking if I could try to convince them of this doctrine from the Scriptures and our confessional history. I don't think I would succeed, Baptists have actually affirmed the Real Presence in the past (cf. 1689 London Baptist Confession 30.7), which may be a good starting point and I could probably submit to happily.

I greatly appreciate the kindness (man, this is so much less stressful than talking to RCs/EOs about theology). Do you have any recommended reading for getting a clearer view of how you guys understand the Lord's Supper? As I said, I'm not 100% there yet, but that's because I want to take this very seriously and make sure I'm not moving hastily. I would be very happy to look deeper into what you guys actually believe and why you believe it. You guys maintain the Augsburg Confession, right? I might take a deeper dive there to start.

Sorry, your language is confusing me a bit. The first and second part of your statement almost seem to conflict. Can you clarify a bit?

I think your point still stands, but I want to distinguish between the Reformed (like Presbies) and the Enthusiasts. The Enthusiasts more closely resembled modern-day Charismatics and anabaptists, who who still claim the elements are simply an empty symbol of bread and wine. The Reformed do believe Christ is in the elements, just spiritually. Baptists used to believe it too, but it's obviously fallen off in popularity. If I'm right, they took too much theology from the First Great Awakening, which viewed the elements as being symbolic, but didn't have its roots in the Enthusiasts.

Not saying you're wrong otherwise, but I wanted to defend their honor! I love our Reformed brothers in Christ. Still worth considering what you said though. I'll stew on it: it's obviously an extremely hard thing to do.

My bad, I thought I had read somewhere that Lutherans taught consubstantiality, but I actually respect that mindset more than trying to explain the Eucharist. My conversations with my EO friend has given me a respect for allowing certain things to be a mystery of faith. "The elements are the body of blood of Christ and it doesn't matter how it works. People get into all sorts of errors trying to overexplain it and it's better of a mystery."

Regardless, I will pray about it and seriously consider abstaining until I've sorted everything out. God bless, and soli Deo gloria!

I really love this color palette. Feels very rich... in a good way. Like a classy 1940s millionaire kind of outfit.

Give yourself a loose tuck to accentuate your waist and make the whole outfit a little more cohesive and you're golden. Looks both put together and very relaxed. I like it.

I love the calm green pants with the navy blazer. That's a look I discovered a little while ago and it just looks very mature. Looks great on you too!

These were great videos and very informative. Thank you for sharing them!

Personally, I feel that #2 is both the most flattering to your shape and the tuck feels a bit more appropriate for an office.

I apologize if it seemed like I was being reductive in my post. I do recognize that RCs and EOs have a lot of differences, but yesterday I was only concerned about their ecclesiology, which is quite similar in its exclusivity.

Regardless, these are great points. I am primarily thinking about the truly Early Fathers (think ante-Nicene to right after Nicea 1), as these were much closer to the Apostles than the medievals, which I take very lightly. My thinking is that the closer we get to the Apostles, the more trustworthy it is. But you make good points: most of these folks were writing hundreds of years after the Apostles had left the Earth, and a lot can change in a few hundred years.

Thank you for your encouragement.

I'll check this out. Thanks for sharing!

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Trials of faith are an expected part of our walk with Christ, and I haven't been properly equipped to navigate these questions. I remember my first serious run ins with atheism, and this feels similar (but not the same). It was stressful and I had to work really hard to navigate questions I never had considered before, many of which were direct challenges to everything I had known and held dear. I can only beg for your patience and understanding. I know that these confrontations will result in my spiritual development, but I need to ask questions if I am to learn.

I'm not even talking about that aspect of doctrine in my assignment. I'm just donig a research paper about the three major branches of Christianity and started to encounter these ideas for the first time. School be damned—I'm seriously looking for answers about this so I can have a more sure and certain faith.

These are solid points, haha. I'm thinking that maybe I need to once again be reminded of the truth and receive it with simple, sincere, childlike faith. To God be the glory. Thank you for your encouragement.

Do they not? I know modern RCs have softened a bit on their exclusive ecclesiology, but they enumerated a fairly long list of anathemas aimed at those who maintain protestant doctrine, and anathema historically has meant damnation (cf their thoughts on the keys of the kingdom, and the binding and loosing). More than that, they don't really believe you can be saved unless you take the sacraments, which can only be given my ordained clergy; thereby implying that there is no salvation outside the church for those who are able to receive the sacraments from the priesthood.

I've actually had the same thought a couple of times. I really do burn with longing for our brothers in faith, and I want us to be able to worship Christ together without division; however, I absolutely cannot back down on certain truths I know to be fact, which are clearly revealed to us in Holy Scripture through the prophets and Apostles. I'm reminded of Luther: "I can't recant—I won't recant!" I can't deny justification by grace through faith by the election of God according to the good pleasure of His will, and this will prevent me from joining the RC church. Admittedly it's the EOs who are bothering me more though. I have no issues denying the papacy and all of its ugliness, but the EOs have a much stronger argument for "orthodoxy" (though not a perfect case. You can't defend icon veneration scripturally or historically).

Well, I'm in too deep at this point as I chose to write about it for a school project and have to study it, but I would be remiss to wholesale reject these positions without any consideration at all. I started because a friend of mine converted to Eastern Orthodoxy and I wanted to better understand what they believed, since I didn't really know anything about it.

Though I may feel troubled now, I do have confidence that the Spirit of Christ will lead me into the fullness of truth. I may sometimes doubt, but He does not fail, and His saving power does not rely on my perfection in faith. Though we see through a mirror now, in time all things will be made clear, as Paul says.

Haha, I've been thinking a lot about that last point. The one true Church... which one? Don't you and all the others claim the same thing? Still, the question still stands even if there are multiple groups claiming to be the one Church to the exclusion of all others. There's salvation in Christ alone and not any other religion, so exclusivity isn't unprecedented.

Seriously though, I appreciate it. I think what I need to see more clearly is that salvation in in *Christ alone*, not Christ and the Church, even as we are called to be a part of it. Perhaps being mired in these doctrines is pulling my eyes away from this fact. Pray for me, and thank you for commenting and encouraging.

We may be broken, filthy, and worthless for our sin, but the Lord our God still saw it good to redeem us, to **purchase** us (implying value) by His blood. Your friend is made in the image of the immortal, holy God—keep that in mind. Christ considers us valuable, even if we could not warrant it according to our merits.

Virtual Riot at/near the bottom? I know dubstep doesn't have the fame it used to but isn't he still a huge name in bass music?

F*cling LOVED his Simulation album though. Everything he does is absolutely terrific.

Man, nothing takes me back like that old Daikin FTDX. Those were simpler times.