The Nicene Creed & The Filioque

A core issue leading to the schism revolved around the Nicene Creed, formulated at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 in Nicaea, not far from today’s Istanbul, still referred to as Constantinople by the Orthodox community. This creed clarified the church’s beliefs concerning the Trinity, and thus definitions of heresy concerning non-Trinitarian teachings such as Arianism.
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This creed is the bedrock of the worldview through which European peoples came to view reality as the story of Jesus spread from the Mediterranean up through the European peninsular to the islands of Britain, Ireland and Iceland. It is the creed that verbalised Europe’s common heritage, a belief in the Triune God, the original and ultimate expression of unity-in-diversity towards which the European project still strives. It is the creed that made such a dream possible. It is the creed that gave Europe a fundamental unity.
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However, the ‘filioque’ controversy catalyzed the final rupture in 1054. The Western church first added this phrase as early as 589 to the section of the creed concerning the Holy Spirit ‘who proceeds from the Father’. Translated ‘and the Son’, its inclusion was meant to show that both Father and Son were fully God. But the Western church did not consult the Eastern church about this addition.

The resulting 900-year broken relationship, with mistrust, name-calling and even the sacking of Constantinople by Crusaders, profoundly shaped historical developments of the second millennium, including paving the way for the Ottoman conquest.

Source: Jeff Fountain  -  Weekly Word eNewsletter, 8 April 2019, "The Creed That Unites And Divides"
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Imitators of Other Churches? Really? :-)

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from others, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s other churches around you ...

Source: Bible  -  1 Thess 2:13-14

Yachad BeYeshua

Yachad BeYeshua (Together in Jesus) is a newly formed international body which seeks to unite Jewish followers of Yeshua from diverse backgrounds in loving fellowship as a witness to God’s eternal faithfulness to Israel and the Church.
Yachad BeYeshua is not a synagogue or a church, nor does it seek to compete with or replace any existing institutions. We respect the genuine differences that distinguish various groups of Jewish disciples of Jesus, and view those differences as an asset rather than a liability.
Yachad BeYeshua is a fellowship—a growing network of friendships. We seek to build relationships of trust that will permit us to learn from one another, and to work together to fulfill a common call: to bear witness to God’s unfailing love for Israel, a love which has become flesh in the Messiah.
To learn more about Yachad BeYeshua, go to yachad-beyeshua.org

Source: Richard Harvey  -  Posted on FB 11 Nov 2020

A Peacemaking Priest in Northern Ireland

Fr Magill’s determination to push the boundaries in terms of ecumenical outreach is evident from his practice of what the late Michael Hurley SJ called “ecumenical tithing”.

This means that part of his time each week, usually on a Sunday afternoon or evening is devoted to worshipping in another Christian denomination, sometimes St George’s Church of Ireland in Belfast “a very beautiful very high church”.

He believes this commitment comes from “the imperative I get from Jesus Christ in John 17”.

Fr Magill reveals that it is “only a matter of time before I will worship in a Free Presbyterian church as part of ecumenical tithing”.

He is also working on a list of ten things that Catholics can learn  from other denominations and “top of the list is welcoming because 90% of churches do welcoming better then we Catholics”, followed by singing.

Source: Martin O'Brien  -  "A Quiet Peacemaker", The Irish Catholic, 11 Dec 2014, http://www.irishcatholic.ie/article/quiet-peacemaker

Richard Foster on the State of the Church

Right now we remain largely a scattered people.  This has been the condition of the Church of Jesus Christ for a good many years.  But a new thing is coming. God is gathering his people once again, creating of them an all-inclusive community of loving persons with Jesus Christ as the community's prime sustainer and most glorious inhabitant.  This community is breaking forth in multiplied ways and varied forms.

Source: Richard Foster  -  Streams of Living Water, p. 273

Learning from Biblical Intercessors

The great intercessors of the Bible all approached God with a genuine sense of shame and embarrassment.  They did not come into God's presence in order to cover up sin but to agree with His assessment of it, to face with stark honesty the wickedness of the culture around them.  The prophet Jeremiah is a good example of this, as he stated:
"... For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know Me, declares the Lord.  Everyone take heed to his neighbor, and do not trust any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanderers.  Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity." (Jeremiah 9:3-5)
Intercession is not an escape from reality.  Our communication with God must be rooted in the truth - the eternal truth of His holy standards and the awful truth about our society as God sees it.  The intercessor experiences the broken heart of God through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  The intercessor also identifies with the sin of the people, because the intercessor has personally contributed to God's grief.

Source: John Dawson  -  What Every Christian Should Know About Reconciliation, p. 19

A Proud Pastor

I gave the same kind of advice to Ted. Sadly, his pride clouded his judgment, and he continued trying to vindicate himself in the eyes of his elders and congregation. One defensive argument led to another, and within three months, he was voted out of the church.

Neither of these results is inevitable, but you will always better off if you live out the wisdom of 1 Peter 5:5:

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Source: Ken Sande  -  "The Best Way to Rewrite History", EmotionalWisdom360 Blog, 2017 Jan 23, https://rw360.org/2017/01/23/best-way-rewrite-history/

A Humble Pastor

But what made their situation truly remarkable is what Andrew did the Sunday after Susan and Elaine came to talk with him.

With Susan’s permission, he described their conversation to the entire congregation, commending Susan for her graciousness and courage as well as Elaine for her wisdom and advice.

And then he said this:

“As I’ve reflected on what Susan told me about my behavior toward her, I realized I’ve probably treated other people in our church with the same kind of pride, thoughtlessness and impatience. So I’m asking for your forgiveness today as well. If you need to talk with me about how I’ve treated you, my door is open. Please pray that God would help me to become more sensitive to how I’m treating others, and if you see me stumble, please do me the favor of pointing it out so I can continue to grow.”

Source: Ken Sande  -  "Public Confession is Counterintuitive", Relational Wisdom 360 eNewsletter, 7 August 2016
https://rw360.org/2016/08/07/public-confession-counterintuitive/

Glenn Beck's One Way Out

We are a country in trouble, and we have only one way out: reconciliation. We must follow the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message and method and move away from a pursuit of “winning” and toward reclaiming our shared humanity. We cannot reconcile with those who want to tear up the Constitution or those who want blood in the street. But we can and must reconcile of our own free will with our neighbors and friends.

Source: Glenn Beck  -  "Empathy for Black Lives Matter", opinion column for NY Times 7 Sept 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/opinion/glenn-beck-empathy-for-black-lives-matter.html?_r=1

Unity - Theoretical in the West, Vital in the East

The divisions of Christendom do not appeal to the Christians in these lands.  Christians in India, for instance, did not have a share in creating them.  They entered into this ready-made system, and it has not really taken hold of them …
We must have one Church.  We want a Church of India, a Church which can be our spiritual home, a Church where the Indian religious genius can find natural expression, a living branch of the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, a Church which, being visible symbol in that divided land, will draw all [persons] to our blessed Lord ...
Unity may be a theoretically desirable ideal in Europe and America, but it is vital to the life of the Church in the mission field.  The divisions of Christendom may be a source of weakness in Christian countries, but in non-Christian lands they are a sin and a scandal.

Source: V.S. Azariah  -  Talk given in 1910 at the World Missionary Council in Edinburgh, as found in the Mission as Common Witness section of Classic Texts in Mission and World Christianity, edited and with introductions by Norman F. Thomas

Start with biography

And that's why it's important for us, again, when we're thinking of ecumenism, when we're thinking of reconciliation, that's why it's so important not to start with theology, but to start with biography.  That's why we enter into the story.  Because the biography tells how the theology forms. 

Source: Daniel Malawkowsky  -  Daniel Malakowsky, The History and Nature of Church Divisions, Lesson 6, http://www.churchdivisions.com

Everything In Him Resisted ...

Andrew later told me that everything in him resisted making such a confession. He feared he would lose the respect of the congregation and destroy his credibility as a pastor and preacher. But as he had prayed about it, several Scripture passages had come to mind and moved him to go against his feelings and do what he knew was right.

Of course his confession had exactly the opposite effect from what he feared. Instead of diminishing his congregation’s respect for him, his humble obedience to God catapulted him to a new level of credibility and trust in the eyes of the people God had called him to serve. In fact, years later when visitors asked what kind of pastor he was, his people would often describe this incident as an example of his character.

Once again, Jesus made good on his promise: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

May God help each of us to remember Andrew’s example the next time we’re tempted to conceal, deny or minimize our own sin, and to trust God’s promise to bless those who humble themselves under his mighty hand.

Source: Withheld

An apology - any apology

Naysayers similarly questioned the sincerity of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd when, in early 2008, he made a public apology to his country's aboriginal peoples for the government's longstanding policies of racial segregation, containment, and de facto abuse.  Others welcomed the Prime Minister's words.  One was Fr. Michael Lapsley of South Africa:  "Of course, an apology does not take away the truth of the wrong that was done and the pain that continues to be felt through the generations of indigenous Australians.  Nevertheless there is no doubt that this representative acknowledgement ... can be balm in the wounds, a major step and a turning point on the long journey towards restorative justice and healing for all. Over the years I have heard many of you speak about your own sense of guilt and shame about what happened in your country's history.  Today I am sure that many of you shed tears of joy that finally the day has come in a dignified way to squarely face the horror of what happened and to travel a new journey." ... He realized that an apology - any apology - is singularly important because if often represents the first crucial step without which dialogue, let alone forgiveness, can never develop.

Source: Johann Christoph Arnold  -  Why Forgive?, pp.211

Together for Europe

My wife and I have just returned from such a time of dialogue and mutual listening in Vienna, a three-day gathering of 120 representatives of Christian movements, Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and Charismatic, from Portugal to Russia, and Ireland to Greece. This Together for Europe (TfE) umbrella began with a pact of love 18 years ago between leaders of several movements, including the YMCA, a Lutheran sisterhood, the Focolare movement and the St Egidio community. It has grown to embrace over 200 movements all professing Jesus Christ as Lord.

Source: Jeff Fountain  -  Weekly Word, 13 November 2017, "Time to Listen"
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Paul's Plea

(2) I plead with Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other (be of the same mind) in the Lord. (3) Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women because they have labored side by side with me for the cause of the gospel (good news) of Christ, along with Clement and the rest of my ministry partners, whose names are written in the book of life!

Source: The Apostle Paul  -  Philippians 4:2-3

The Will of God is Clear

The church in its 2000 year history has done much to make vain the grace of God within it by its splintered fellowship and the discord found between those who confess the reconciling truth of the Gospel in Christ.  It has forgotten that its working together is a working with the one who expresses his love in service, humility and sacrifice.  This appeal to remember God's favor and working is now an appeal through the Spirit to us, reminding us that God is once more a deliverer and is capable of bringing his saving power to our disunity and divisions.
 
Much time is spent speculating on the circumstantial will of God and how we are to use our time.  We can become mired in our inability to know how and in what way the Lord is leading us.  In situations like this though the will of God is clear.  Now is the time of God's favor, the time of healing and reconciliation, where once more his grace finds its fullness in us, those who are working together with him in his salvation.  

Source: A2J Community  -  Apprenticeship to Jesus Community, Phoenix, Blog Post "Unity Week Devotion - Day7", 23 Jan 2016, http://www.a2jphoenix.org/blog/unity-week-devotion-day-7

Generational Faith

(5) I remember your sincere faith—a faith that first lived in your mother Eunice and your grandmother Lois (see Acts 16:1-3) and I am convinced now lives in you. (6) Because of your faith, I encourage you to fan into flame the gift of God, which was imparted to you through the laying on of my hands. (7) For God did not give us a spirit of fear but the Holy Spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

Source: The Apostle Paul  -  2 Timothy 1:5-7

The Vatican on Luther & the 500th Anniversary

In 1517 Martin Luther raised concerns about what he saw as abuses in the Church of his time by making public his 95 theses. 2017 is the 500th anniversary of this key event in the reformation movements that marked the life of the Western Church over several centuries. This event has been a controversial theme in the history of inter-church relations in Germany, not least over the last few years. The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) has been building up to this anniversary since 2008, by focusing each year on one particular aspect of the Reformation, for example: the Reformation and Politics, or the Reformation and Education. The EKD also invited its ecumenical partners at various levels to help commemorate the events of 1517.

After extensive, and sometimes difficult, discussions, the churches in Germany agreed that the way to commemorate ecumenically this Reformation event should be with a Christusfest – a Celebration of Christ. If the emphasis were to be placed on Jesus Christ and his work of reconciliation as the center of Christian faith, then all the ecumenical partners of the EKD (Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite and others) could participate in the anniversary festivities.

Given the fact that the history of the Reformation was marked by painful division, this is a very remarkable achievement. The Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity has worked hard to produce a shared understanding of the commemoration. Its important report, From Conflict to Communion, recognizes that both traditions approach this anniversary in an ecumenical age, with the achievements of fifty years of dialogue behind them, and with new understandings of their own history and theology. Separating that which is polemical from the theological insights of the Reformation, Catholics are now able to hear Luther’s challenge for the Church of today, recognising him as a “witness to the gospel” (From Conflict to Communion 29). And so after centuries of mutual condemnations and vilification, in 2017 Lutheran and Catholic Christians will for the first time commemorate together the beginning of the Reformation.

Source: Vatican  -  "Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017", Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/weeks-prayer-doc/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20160531_week-prayer-2017_en.html

NPR on V2

The animosity and resentments left by the Reformation only began to heal after the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, with the start of an ecumenical dialogue aimed at promoting Christian unity.

Source: NPR  -  National Public Radio, 28 Oct 2016, "The Pope Commemorates The Reformation That Split Western Christianity", http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/10/28/499587801/pope-francis-reaches-out-to-honor-the-man-who-splintered-christianity