Letter just received from a former pastor. Reproduced here with his permission…

Dear Rowland,

Hope you are well. After the last number of years, which has included loss of parents, others and jobs, I have returned to Rome.

So, Sunday mornings our family attends the hard line Presbyterian church, [truth minus love] church 50 weeks a year, and on Sunday nights I attend the Cathedral in town and go to Mass.

Sunday mornings is all about Certainty, Sunday nights are all about Mystery, that’s not a bad balance really.

I’ve found over the years, the more exclusive a church culture, the more exacting in theology, the less love they have, churches for me are so ironic.

Returning to Mass in my mid 40’s has been a completely different experience and I do feel I worship God, rather than listen to information and relate to people who never called me when I dropped out of church for a year with a breakdown and grief. Now I’m better and I see the picture clearer.

I love that saying “I don’t care how much you know, I want to know how much you care.”

I was thinking recently with most people I’ve met at Evangelical churches I experience neither fellowship nor friendship, so what do you call those kind of “relationships”?

Recently a Catholic priest friend of mine said a priest mate of his was in St. Andrews Cathedral Sydney and had rosary beeds on. He was approached by Dean P. Jensen with an ultimatium, “You will need to remove the rosary beeds or leave.” For me, that sums up so much when I think about Evangelicals and I don’t even like Rosary Beeds much!

Has there ever been a study done on how particular theological views affect people and the way they relate to others and the world around them?

[Note from Rowland: I sent him my little review of Richard Rohr’s book THINGS HIDDEN: Scripture as Spirituality (See http://jmm.org.au/articles/21059.htm )].

Take Care,

[Name withheld].