The Date of Easter

Francis closed his blessing noting that all Christians this year [2017] celebrate Easter on the same date- a rare occurrence since different churches use different calendars.

“With one voice, in every part of the world, we proclaim the great message: ‘The Lord is truly risen, as he said!’ May Jesus, who vanquished the darkness of sin and death, grant peace to our days.”

Source: Pope Francis  -  Quoted by Inés San Martín in "‘The resurrection is not a fantasy,’ Pope Francis insists on Easter Sunday", Crux, 16 April 2017, https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/04/16/resurrection-not-fantasy-pope-francis-insists-easter-sunday/

Ecumenical Tithing Ideas

But could Presbyterians tithe their Sundays to the Church of Ireland, i.e. go to the Church with the Anglicans rather than with their fellow-Presbyterians some five times a year? Could a member of the Church of Ireland reciprocate this ecumenical gesture or do likewise with the Methodists, worshipping with them on the occasional Sunday and also transferring the tithe of their support for the Church Missionary Society to the Methodist Missionary Society? Could Roman Catholics transfer a tithe of their support for Trócaire to Christian Aid? And sometimes buy and read the Church of Ireland Gazette instead of the Irish Catholic or Catholic Herald? Could Roman Catholic ordinands tithe their theological studies to another Church? In other words, could they study and live with Anglican, Orthodox or Presbyterian ordinands for a part of their course?

Source: Fr Michael Hurley  -  Christian Unity: An Ecumenical Second Spring? (Dublin: Veritas), p. 83-84, as quoted by Gladys Ganiel in her blog post "Fr Michael Hurley on Ecumenical Tithing", 5 November 2011, http://www.gladysganiel.com/irish-catholic-church/fr-michael-hurley-on-ecumenical-tithing/

Fr. Tom Ryan

[Thomas] Ryan envisions a reunified church that expresses the best of every Christian tradition: “When God puts us back together again . . . this great Church will be marked by the dignity and repentance of the Anglicans, the order and sacraments of the Roman Catholics, the warm fellowship of the United Church, the Presbyterian desire for good preaching and the Lutheran respect for sound theology. There will be the Evangelical concern for individual salvation, the Congregational respect for the rights of the lay members, the Pentecostal reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit and the Quaker appreciation of silence. We will find there the Mennonite sense of community, the social action of the Salvation Army and the Reformed love of the Bible, all wrapped in Orthodox reverence before the mystery of God” (179). Ryan recognizes that the path to reunion is the path of penitence, so in each case we can hope for a renunciation of all that is contrary to the Lord and His gospel.

Source: Thomas Ryan  -  As quoted by Peter Leithart in "Christian Unity", First Things blog post reviewing Thomas Ryan's book, 14 Feb 2017, https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2017/02/christian-unity

Jimmy Carter

That's what we're trying to do with the New Baptist Covenant:  We need to let the black and white churches reach out to one another, first in a tentative way - maybe exchange pastors or exchange choirs.  In Plains we've initiated a Christmas pageant where all the choirs in the area come together, black and white churches.  So that's a wonderful experience we've had now for a few years that came out of the context of the New Baptist Covenant.  We want people to reach across the racial divide.

Source: Jimmy Carter  -  Christianity Today, October 2016, "Jimmy Carter:  Pursuing an Arc of Reconciliation", pp. 66-69

What Could Have Been?

As recounted in From Conflict to Communion, jointly produced by the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Reformation was an academic dispute that careened into a division of the church.
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It's hard to read this without thinking what might have been. . . . if everyone had stopped, quieted, breathed, listened, talked, disputed, clarified, taken a decade off to sort through the issues. What then?

Source: Peter Leithart  -  "Careening Toward Division", First Things, 10 Jan 2017, https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2017/01/careening-toward-division

Anglicans and Catholics

In the course of these two centuries, much has also changed between Anglicans and Catholics, who in the past viewed each other with suspicion and hostility.  Today, with gratitude to God, we recognize one another as we truly are: brothers and sisters in Christ, through our common baptism.  As friends and pilgrims we wish to walk the path together, to follow our Lord Jesus Christ together.

Source: Pope Francis  -  Address to the Anglican Parish of All Saints in Rome, as reported by Vatican Radio, 26 Feb 2017, http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/02/26/pope_catholics_and_anglicans,_brothers_and_sisters_in_chris/1295193

Chip & Joanna Gaines

The Gaines shared, “Our family has made a commitment to put Christ first, a lifestyle our parents modeled for us very well. They showed us how to keep our marriage and family centered around God.

As for ‘Fixer Upper,’ we have been surprised at the impact of our faith through the show. We haven’t been overtly evangelical, but the rich feedback we have received on family and love all source from our faith. Jesus said the world would know His disciples by their love for one another, and we’ve glimpsed this in practice and strive for it every day.”

Source: Chip & Joanna Gaines  -  On CBS Sunday Morning, http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-couple-behind-fixer-upper/ , as quoted on http://qpolitical.com/1-chip-joanna-gaines-changing-america-easy-see/

Paul: Make Sure No One Treats Timothy With Contempt

Now when Timothy visits you in Corinth (sent from Ephesus), make sure that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, because he is carrying on the Lord’s work just as I am. Therefore, make sure no one treats him with contempt. Instead, send him on his way in peace so that he can return to me, because I am waiting for him along with my other ministry partners.

Source: The Apostle Paul  -  1 Corinthians 16:10-11 (IEB)

History from Germany

Centuries ago, Germany consisted of many kingdoms and principalities but was united by a common church. The Reformation, led among others by Martin Luther, resulted in schisms within Western Christianity and ultimately in wars between Catholic and Protestant forces. The Peace of Augsburg (1555) temporarily put an end to these conflicts by stipulating that the people of a kingdom or principality were to adhere to the faith of their ruler. Those who believed differently were forced to convert or move to a different region. These provisions applied to Lutherans and Catholics, but not to the followers of Calvin and the Anabaptists, who were thus subject to persecution. The Peace of Augsburg held for over six decades until the outbreak of the Thirty Years War (1618–1648). Peace was regained again by the Peace of Westphalia which affirmed the Peace of Augsburg, this time, however, including the Calvinists. As a result, the German people lived in regional denominational isolation. Confessional diversity within a sovereign land was unthinkable and, driven by the horrors of war, mistrust and loathing between the denominations were rampant. The 19th century saw the advent of other churches and denominations in Germany, among them the Baptist and Methodist as well as old-confessional churches. Their rise was often due to inner church protest movements. As a result, these churches were relatively small in number and mostly disinclined to ecumenical relations.

Source: Council of Churches in Germany (ACK)  -  "The Ecumenical Situation in Germany", http://geii.org/week_of_prayer_for_christian_unity/prayer_worship/ecumenical_situation_in_Germany.html

Fr. Peter Hocken

As we were repenting for the sins against the Eucharist, we were very careful not to criticize the teachings and beliefs of other Christians.  Our desire was to confess what a treasure this gift of the Eucharist is, and the deep longing of the Lord that we partake of it together.  The problem is not the rules, discipline or practice of any one Church or denomination, but the distortions and deviations in practice that have brought about the present situation.  We believe that confessing these sins with which we identify clears the ground and opens the door to new breakthroughs in the future.

Source: Peter Hocken  -  TJCII Communique, 2016-1

Encouraging News from Richard Foster

It is precisely at this point that I have encouraging news.  We are not the only ones from a different culture and age who have wanted to imitate the life of Christ.  Others - myriads and myriads of them - have sought to imitate the way of Christ and to translate that way into their own settings and surroundings.  We are helped immensely by looking at their efforts and learning their stories.  Furthermore, it is a genuine act of humility to realize that we can learn from others who have gone before us.  To be sure, they made mistakes, but even so they have much to teach us.  In the midst of all their stumbling and fumbling they sought to imitate the way of Christ and to grow in Christlikeness.  Their stories have been - and remain- a rich source of joy, inspiration, and instruction.

Source: Richard Foster  -  Streams of Living Water, p. 22

Glenn Beck

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

Huge Changes Have Occurred

We are not denying that significant, even huge, differences remain between Evangelicals and Catholics.   We are simply saying that in the midst of these huge differences, equally huge changes have occurred which have changed the landscape and which have widened the range of strategies available to the Evangelical missionary eager to introduce his message to the Catholic world.

Source: Paul Miller  -  "Evangelicals Cooperatively Evangelising & Discipling with Catholics in Faithfulness to Evangelical Distinctives", by Paul Miller

John Dawson

Learning from what others have done
… a few examples that demonstrate humility, wisdom and creativity ...
4) Commemorative ceremonies
Significant dates … are becoming reconciliation events when believers gather to memorialize these painful memories in annual observances.  German Christians have led the way
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8) Appreciation tours
Korean, Japanese, North American and European Christians moving beyond the traditional tours to the Holy Land and exploring the cultures of other nations in order to empathize with and appreciate the diversity of God's redemptive gifts within the peoples of the world.  Reconciliation is a featured part of many of these journeys.
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11) Diversity in Unity Celebrations
Old wounds are eventually put behind us and unity can be celebrated as an accomplished fact.  Recently a Los Angeles city councilman visited a block party put on by a neighborhood filled with believers.  "If the city was like this block, LA would have no problems," said the amazed politician after observing the obvious harmony between a great diversity of cultures.
12) Receptions, Banquets and other Hospitality Based Gatherings
Eating together remains one of the most effective ways of bringing together elements of society and Christians with a ministry of hospitality will always be at the forefront of the ministry of reconciliation.  This is an activity that begins in teh home and the church dining hall and extends all the way to the convention center.
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14) Cross-cultural and Denominational Interchurch Hosting
It is increasingly common for pastors to exchange pulpits ore for whole congregations to visit one another for combined services and fellowship.  Congregations have specialty ministry gifts and the division of labor for that God has created becomes evident when believers really begin to explore and "see" one another in the life of hte city.
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The methods listed above were discovered by united believers in the place of prayer.  The Holy Spirit will reveal the perfect plan for you and your team as you also seek God for wisdom.

Source: John Dawson  -  What Every Christian Should Know About Reconciliation, pp. 43 - 46

Great Points, Devastating Division

Beginning in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation, however, individual movements began to splinter Christians away from the Roman Catholic Church to follow new interpretations of the Bible. Many of these teachers like Martin Luther and John Calvin professed a better understanding of Scripture—an understanding which condemned some of the practices of the present Christian Church, the Catholic Church.
Many of their points were truly great, as were many of their criticisms, but the resulting division of the Christian Church was devastating and lamented, strongly, by even Martin Luther himself.

Source: K. Albert Little  -  The Cordial Catholic on Patheos, 1 May 2015, "Dear Christians: Take Our Unity Seriously, Because Everyone is Watching", http://www.patheos.com/blogs/albertlittle/dear-christians-take-our-unity-seriously-because-everyone-is-watching/

Jesus Prays

After Jesus taught his disciples, he looked up to heaven and prayed, “Father, my time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son can glorify you. For you have given him authority over all people, so that he can give eternal life to whoever you have given him. Now this is eternal life: That they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent into this world. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the creation of the universe.”

Source: Jesus  -  John 17:3 (IEB)

Hela Erlich, Holocaust Survivor

"Trembling, I realized that if I looked into my own heart I could find seeds of hatred there, too.  Arrogant thoughts, feelings of irritation toward others, coldness, anger, envy, indifference - these are the roots of what happened in Nazi Germany.  And they are there in every human being.  As I recognized - more clearly than ever before - that I myself stood in desperate need of forgiveness, I was able to forgive, and finally I felt completely free." -- Hela Erlich, Holocaust survivor

Source: Johann Christoph Arnold  -  Why Forgive?, pp.36

Leaders of Malaysia's Methodist, Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches

It all began with the case of the missing pastor.

On the morning of 13 February, Raymond Koh was exiting a highway in the leafy suburb of Kelana Jaya just outside of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

A widely circulated CCTV clip appears to show what happened next. A convoy of black SUVs and motorcycles is seen swooping down on his car and boxing it in by the side of the road.
Then, several men jump out and run to Mr Koh. There is a flurry of activity, and the convoy moves off - along with his car. It is allegedly the last time anyone sees him.
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The heads of Malaysia's Methodist, Anglican and Roman Catholic churches attended a prayer service for Mr Koh last week.

Source: BBC  -  "A missing pastor and the disappearances chilling Malaysia", Tessa Wong, BBC News, 12 April 2017, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39252139