Traditiooooon. Tradition!

So, I've been pondering my spiritual upbringing for awhile. In case some random person has stumbled across this blog, I'll give a summary. My father is Catholic, and my mother is Protestant. Yes, they're still married, and happily at that. My parents, my brother, and I go to Saturday evening Mass, and my mother, my brother, and I go to Sunday morning worship service. I was baptized Catholic, went through all the religion classes, had my first confession, had my first Communion, and was confirmed Catholic. I even sing at Mass sometimes, with the choir. I was also my brother's sponsor when he was confirmed, and I am about to be my cousin's sponsor as she gets confirmed. To top it all off, I attend a Catholic college.
Yet, I always tell people that I'm not Catholic. I always identified more with a faith that encourages a personal relationship with Christ. I am a child of God, and I have the privilege of calling him Abba Father. I don't need to pray to saints to make intercession for me. That's the Holy Spirit's work. I also prefer prayer that is not simply memorized words.
For a good portion of my life, I had what some might call a deal with myself: I would not marry a Catholic. I did not want my children going through the stress of two beliefs that conflict. I would never be able to give up the wonderful fellowship of a Protestant service or the intimate relationship with my Saviour. But, if I married a Catholic, I would go to Mass with him as a supportive wife. And I did not want my children going through that, going to different churches. It was very hard for me at times, even leading to spiritual struggle.
Let's take all the problems in that paragraph one by one.
First of all, upon reflection, I would have to say that the beliefs of the Catholic and Protestant churches can more complement each other than conflict with one another. Catholicism sustains a beautiful reverence that should never be forgotten. Being in a Catholic church can help me remember the fear of the Lord that ought to dwell in my heart. (Fear, Endear, Adore, and Revere - thanks, Mr. Waldy, for the acronym) There are also traditions in the Catholic church that I wish to continue in my family. Lent is one of them. There is more emphasis on celebrating Advent in the Catholic church, as well. Confession can be healthy, as long as you see it as an opportunity to truly repent, rather than paying a due to enter heaven. And, although I hate that it is not directly read from the Bible, there is always a large portion of Scripture reading. Protestantism fulfills my thirst for intimacy with my God. I know I can come before Him with anything, and He will not forsake me. I can worship Him with all my heart, singing out with a joyous noise, praising His holy name. I also believe that salvation is attained through faith, not works. If it were through works, if I had to be good enough to get into heaven, well, I'd be screwed. And, as it happens, Jim Congdon is a Protestant minister, and I would not want to give up his sermons. So, there are aspects of both denominations that I hope to sustain in my spiritual life. Whether or not I marry a Catholic, I may continue to attend both services regularly.
Secondly, I would never have to give up fellowship or an intimate relationship with Jesus. Fellowship can be in any body of believers. If you find the right church, there can be phenomenal fellowship. And, how on earth could I ever lose my connection to Christ? I would have to slip away from the faith entirely to do that! While I do not believe in transubstantiation, I do believe that Communion is a wonderful time for remembrance and thanking God for His invaluable gift. That's a time when I really draw close to Him.
So, my children "going through that" would not be such a terrible thing. It might be a fantastic thing! It could offer them so much more than just one perspective. It would pass on the traditions of my fathers and keep the legacy going. It would also instill a wonderful spiritual relationship in my children.
The last thing in that paragraph - spiritual struggle - really bothers me. We need struggle in our lives if we are ever to grow. Suffering draws us to God; we realize we are not self-sufficient. It brings us back from our humanistic views that we pretty much rock. Newsflash: we don't. We are dust. We need God to do anything at all. We wouldn't be alive if He didn't give us another day. We would have no hope of heaven had He not sent His Son to die for us and pay the cost of salvation. Spiritual suffering strengthens the realtionship with God. Though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
So, these have been my thoughts over the past few months. I'm glad I finally organized them into a somewhat firm conclusion.