Kelly
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Joined: Feb 21 2005
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Posts: 1211
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| Posted: Sept 11 2005 at 11:47pm | IP Logged
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Today, after Mass, I took the children to our local bagel deli for bagels. Dad wasn't able to join us, so it was just seven of us. As we were winding up our meal, a nice-looking couple came up to us and started talking, complementing me on the nice behavior of the children and so on. But funny, I KNEW, immediately, they were doing Family Evangelization...on US... Or so they thought. Within seconds, the question arose: Where do you go to Church? The mother chit-chatted with me, pleasantly, while the father talked with my 15 year old son, asking where we worshiped and if we attended church regularly, those kinds of questions. I have to admit, I felt a moment of mischevious glee: they didn't realize "The Prey" was about to become "The Predator"!  ...
When I said we were Catholic homeschoolers, they pulled a few local names out of the hat for the do-you-know game. "Yes," I told them, "I know those folks well. You see, years ago they were our neighbors. They were Evangelical Christians, and they used to shake their heads with great concern over their 'idolotrous Catholic' neighbors (us). Meanwhile, we were shaking OUR heads, with great concern, over their decision to homeschool and 'ruin their children'" "Well," I told this Evangelical Christian couple, "Within a few years, those folks converted to Catholicism, and we started homeschooling! Doesn't God have a great sense of humor?" Then I went on to mention the Scott Hahn book, "Rome Sweet Home", and the effect it has had on many Protestants, now turned Catholic. THEN, while they were processing this information, I dropped the bombshell that *I* had converted from Protestantism myself. "Oh" they said, "Was that because of your husband?" "Oh no," I responded, "It was years before I met him" Boy, did THAT throw them for a loop!
After I had quizzed them a little more ("where you from, how long you been here...") I invited the wife to come to a Mom's Night I'm planning. An, ahem, CATHOLIC Mom's Night!
They were truly very nice, and I appreciate what they were trying to accomplish...but I just keep chuckling over the contrast of their image: "oh, the poor little unchurched, broken family, eating their cold bagel, friendlessly, alone, in a bagel deli..." with the reality: "orthodox, traditional, Pope-lovin' Catholic family, related to half the people in town, that loves to evangelize Protestants!"
Kelly in FL
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Funny Evangelical Moment
- love to hear how the tables get turned. 
