What is Conversion?
Have you ever gone through a monumental life-changing experience? How is it different than a change that occurs slowly over time, or is it different? Just how are we converted to new life?
Have you ever gone through a monumental life-changing experience? How is it different than a change that occurs slowly over time, or is it different? Just how are we converted to new life?
Three "conversion" stories
Paul New Testament
Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.9:3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"9:5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.9:6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."9:7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.9:8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.9:9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord."9:11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,9:12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."9:13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name."9:15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;9:16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."9:17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."9:18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,9:19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."
Medieval St. Augustine
Medieval St. Augustine
In Milan, Saint Augustine came under the influence of Saint Ambrose the bishop; he began to go to his sermons, not so much with an expectation of profiting by them as to gratify his curiosity and to enjoy the eloquence. He found that the discourses more learned than the heresies he adopted and began to read the New Testament especially Saint Paul's writings. In the same time, the mother of Adeodatus his son left back to Africa leaving the child behind.
Saint Augustine's spiritual, moral and intellectual struggle went on; he was convinced of the truth of Christianity, but his will was weaker than the worldly temptations, and delayed his return to Christ for many months. "Soon, in a little while, I shall make up my mind, but not right now" he kept telling himself. In his half desires of conversion he was accustomed to beg of God the grace of chastity, but was at the same time in some measure afraid of being heard too soon. He realized that his problem was a moral one. The Divine truth for which he was seeking would never be his unless he first overcame his weakness.
Soon after, Pontitian, an African, came to visit Saint Augustine and his friend Alipius; he told them about two men who had been suddenly turned to the service of God by reading about the life of Saint Anthony. His words had a powerful influence on the mind of Saint Augustine. He was ashamed his will has been so weak and said to Alipius:
"What are we doing to let the unlearned seize Heaven by force, whilst we with all our knowledge remain behind, cowardly and heartless, wallowing in our sins? Because they have outstripped us and gone before, are we ashamed to follow them? Is it not more shameful not even to follow them?"
He rushed to the garden, greatly upset; tears filling his eyes, he threw himself on the grass under a fig tree and reproached himself bitterly crying out:
"And Thou, O Lord, how long? How long? Is it to be tomorrow and tomorrow? Why not now? Why not this very hour put an end to shame?"
As he spoke these words he heard a child's voice singing "Tolle lege! Tolle lege!" (Take up and read! Take up and read!). He could not remember any childhood game he played with any such words. He remembered that Saint Anthony was converted from the world by hearing a single verse. He took up Saint Paul's epistles and read the first chapter that met his eyes: "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, fulfil the lusts thereof." (Romans 13:13-14)
When he told Alipius what he had experienced, Alipius took the book and read, he found the next words to be: "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye" and applied them to himself and joined his friend in his resolution.
This high point in the conversion of Saint Augustine took place in the September of 386, when he was 32 years old. He, his son Adeodatus and Alipius were baptized by Saint Ambrose at Easter the following year in the presence of saint Monica. She knew that her prayers were answered and died shortly after.
Saint Augustine's spiritual, moral and intellectual struggle went on; he was convinced of the truth of Christianity, but his will was weaker than the worldly temptations, and delayed his return to Christ for many months. "Soon, in a little while, I shall make up my mind, but not right now" he kept telling himself. In his half desires of conversion he was accustomed to beg of God the grace of chastity, but was at the same time in some measure afraid of being heard too soon. He realized that his problem was a moral one. The Divine truth for which he was seeking would never be his unless he first overcame his weakness.
Soon after, Pontitian, an African, came to visit Saint Augustine and his friend Alipius; he told them about two men who had been suddenly turned to the service of God by reading about the life of Saint Anthony. His words had a powerful influence on the mind of Saint Augustine. He was ashamed his will has been so weak and said to Alipius:
"What are we doing to let the unlearned seize Heaven by force, whilst we with all our knowledge remain behind, cowardly and heartless, wallowing in our sins? Because they have outstripped us and gone before, are we ashamed to follow them? Is it not more shameful not even to follow them?"
He rushed to the garden, greatly upset; tears filling his eyes, he threw himself on the grass under a fig tree and reproached himself bitterly crying out:
"And Thou, O Lord, how long? How long? Is it to be tomorrow and tomorrow? Why not now? Why not this very hour put an end to shame?"
As he spoke these words he heard a child's voice singing "Tolle lege! Tolle lege!" (Take up and read! Take up and read!). He could not remember any childhood game he played with any such words. He remembered that Saint Anthony was converted from the world by hearing a single verse. He took up Saint Paul's epistles and read the first chapter that met his eyes: "Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, fulfil the lusts thereof." (Romans 13:13-14)
When he told Alipius what he had experienced, Alipius took the book and read, he found the next words to be: "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye" and applied them to himself and joined his friend in his resolution.
This high point in the conversion of Saint Augustine took place in the September of 386, when he was 32 years old. He, his son Adeodatus and Alipius were baptized by Saint Ambrose at Easter the following year in the presence of saint Monica. She knew that her prayers were answered and died shortly after.
Modern Day Experience
The NDE story of Dr.Tony Cicoria is an orthopedic surgeon from Oneonta, New York, who experienced an unusual near death experience (NDE) after being hit by lightning on a summer day in 1994. He remembered seeing the lightning, which struck him on the mouth, but after that there was nothing. He felt himself falling backward, then he seemed to be going forward. His mother-in-law rushed past him without speaking to him and he suddenly came to the realization that he was dead. He was surrounded by a bluish-white light and he could see and hear the people around him, but they didn't seem to notice him. They were all looking at his lifeless body lying on the ground some distance from where he was standing. Tony was filled with an "unbelievable feeling of peace and love and warmth."
Return to Life
Cicoria could sense speed and direction while 'dead' and he saw highs and lows of his life pass by. His scientific mind was analyzing what was happening, and he was happy to go where where he seemed to be headed. Suddenly he was being jolted back to life by a woman who was administering CPR. He felt anger and pain, and cried out "Please don't make me come back." But he was back in his body and experiencing excrutiating pain. After some time thay were able to get him to sit up and they insisted that he go to the hospital. He refused. "When you are hit by lightning you are either dead or alive, and I was alive," he says. So he made his way back to the place where his family had gathered in a pavilion for a picnic. He was in great pain, his mind was in a fog, and he allowed them to take him home.
Classical Piano Music
Tony Cicoria was a child of the 60s and was raised on rock and roll, especially Led Zeppelin. He had no interest in classical music at all. However, after being checked out by a cardiologist and neurologist and being pronounced well after his experience, he began to have an insatiable desire to hear classical piano music. He purchased records and cassettes and spent most of his spare time listening to these artists. He says that he was possesssed.At this time his baby sitter needed a home for her piano for a year and Cicoria gladly offered to keep it. He began piano lessons and tried to play a composition he had first heard in his mind a few weeks after his near death experience. Every time he would sit at the piano this music would keep playing in his mind. On January 29, 2008, his 56th birthday, Tony Cicoria played this composition, along with two others he had composed, in a concert performance.
Tony Cicoria was a child of the 60s and was raised on rock and roll, especially Led Zeppelin. He had no interest in classical music at all. However, after being checked out by a cardiologist and neurologist and being pronounced well after his experience, he began to have an insatiable desire to hear classical piano music. He purchased records and cassettes and spent most of his spare time listening to these artists. He says that he was possesssed.At this time his baby sitter needed a home for her piano for a year and Cicoria gladly offered to keep it. He began piano lessons and tried to play a composition he had first heard in his mind a few weeks after his near death experience. Every time he would sit at the piano this music would keep playing in his mind. On January 29, 2008, his 56th birthday, Tony Cicoria played this composition, along with two others he had composed, in a concert performance.
How would you tell the story of your own conversion?
Was it sudden? Has it been over time?
Is it a mission accomplished yet?
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