Separation Of The Anabaptist And The Catholic Church

Reflection of the Catholic Church
Christians of today have been influence by the Catholic Church. However, as Anabaptist or Protestants, we forget that just five hundred years the Catholic Church was part of the lives and Christian development of our forefathers. Understanding the history of the separation of the Anabaptist and the Catholic Church can help Christians to evaluate those changes: Was it worth it? Did Anabaptist loose good practices? If yes, can the Anabaptist re-incorporate them? In 1500, the Anabaptist separated themselves from the Catholic Church because of its heretical doctrine of the sacraments and salvation. However, this separation produced a reaction against the Catholic Church created a lack of active learning participation
in the liturgy and appreciation of the aesthetics in the Anabaptist and Protestant services.
In 1500, the Catholic Church suffered of a deficiency of teaching correct doctrine and Christian practices within the church.
People like Erasmus, Wycliffe, and many others searched for tools and reforms within the Catholic Church. The desire of a reform brought Bibles, tracts and pamphlets to the public. A new knowledge spread and the “traditional catholic thinking” had its first three trials in the supreme court of God´s judgement. The first judgement was nailed in a German Church. It contained the ninety-five thesis against the corrupted Catholic practices. Subsequent to this judgment, a second trial was base in a more “legal support” from the ruling authorities of Zurich, the city council. God was trying to call the Catholic Church to repentance and to change before the great judgement.
God sent prophets that preached to return to the “ad fonts”, others added “solo scripture” and others validated the Gospels as the “fidelis” source of knowing the will of God in the Church. In January 21, 1525, God cut the Catholic Church the same way God ripped Samuel from its blessing forever. With this in mind, our brother Blaurock disrupted the worship on the first Sunday in February at a church in
Zillikon.
As the minister was making his way to the pulpit, Gorge asked him what he intended to do. “Preach the word of God,” was the reply. “You are not sent to preach, it was I,” declared Blaurock. Thereupon he proceeded to the pulpit and preached .
From this point, the Anabaptist separated themselves from all idea and thought concerning with the Catholic ideals.
This separation brought a consecrated body of believers.
Their zeal was outstanding! However, during this process, the Anabaptist and Protestants let themselves react against every practice and action of the church. They sub estimate the power of the Catholic liturgy. The continuous seating, standing, keeling form habits produce an impact of the heart of the person that worship. Anabaptist and Protestant moved from an active participation of worship between the members and the preacher, to a single oral preacher. Even if the oral preaching was an effective tool, it took away an important role of worship that included not just listening but the whole sense of the individual.
During the mass, Catholic worshipers show reverence and develop constant habits of worship that includes repetition of words and constant movement of the body as part of worship. Reverence reminds the participant of the attitude of the children of Israel towards the Holy place where God dwells. Each one of the equipment is use and treats as if consecrated for the Lord. The acolytes take every work seriously and try their best to develop correctly their work because in this way they gain
grace.
Anabaptist obtains grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. There is no necessity of gain grace through the practice of the sacraments. This doctrine causes great effect in the Sunday ceremonies of the Anabaptist believers. Movements and response in worship is kept into a minimum.
Catholic Churches use also different types of symbolism through icons that help the people to express their religious aesthetics. It increases a religious awakens of the senses that mix the Christian reason and the feelings of the individual. Every icon of the Catholic Church makes the participant of the service to reflect events of the past, present and the future. As a consequence of this reflection, the Christian soul can be reminded of the huge cloud of witnesses that died and live for Jesus Christ.
James K. A. Smith writes about the importance of liturgy:
The liturgy is a “heart and mind” strategy, a pedagogy that trains us as disciples precisely by putting our bodies through a regimen of repeated practices that get hold of our heart of our heart and “aim” our love toward the kingdom of God. Before we articulate a worldview, we worship. Before we put into words the lineaments of an ontology or an epistemology, we pray for God´s healing and illumination.

Anabaptist should be able to stand firm of the doctrines and practices the Lord have conferred to them. However, they should study, analyze, and reflect the history of the church (including the history and development of the Catholic Church). By doing this they can learn to appreciate and re-adapted some good practice and teachings that have been pass from one generation to the othe