Conservative Christians, and especially Southern Baptists, must be careful to remember the ways in which our cultural anthropology perverted our soteriology and ecclesiology. It is to our shame that we ignored our own doctrines to advance something as clearly demonic as racial pride. And it is a shame that sometimes it took theological liberals to remind us of what we claimed to believe in an inerrant Bible, what we claimed to be doing in a Great Commission.
Source: Russell Moore - "How Martin Luther King Jr. Overcame ‘Christian’ White Supremacy", TGC - The Gospel Coalition, 2 Feb 2015, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-martin-luther-king-jr.-overcame-christian-white-supremacy
"Directing our critical glance first at ourselves and not at each other"
Both as individuals and as a community of believers, we all constantly require repentance and reform - encouraged and led by the Holy Spirit. "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent,' He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." Thus reads the opening statement of Luther's 95 Theses from 1517, which triggered the Reformation movement. Although this thesis is anything but self-evident today, we Lutheran and Catholic Christians want to take it seriously by directing our critical glance first at ourselves and not at each other.
Source: Lutheran - Roman Catholic Commission on Unity - Conflict to Communion: Report of the Lutheran - Roman Catholic Commission on Unity, p. 7
"... continue on the road to full unity."
Greeting the German delegation in his private library, Francis sought to give new impetus to the effort toward Christian unity. He encouraged evangelicals and Catholics, when considering an ecumenical initiative, to ask themselves: “Can we share it with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Can we do another stretch of the road together?
“We have the same baptism: We must walk together, without growing tired,” Francis said. There is no going back on the road to unity he assured the delegation; Catholics and evangelicals must “continue to witness together to the Gospel and to continue on the road to full unity.”
Source: Pope Francis - As quoted by Gerard O'Connell in "German Evangelical Church issues historic invite to Pope Francis", America : The Jesuit Review, 6 Feb 2017, http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/02/06/german-evangelical-church-issues-historic-invite-pope-francis
What happens when the emphasis is on Jesus
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
"Choose to prevent spiritual injury"
Quoting Steven McDonald, a NYPD officer shot by a teenager and paralyzed:
I forgave Shavod because I believe the only thing worse than receiving a bullet in my spine would have been to nurture revenge in my heart. Such an attitude would have extended my injury to my soul, hurting my wife, son, and others even more. It's bad enough that the physical effects are permanent, but at least I can choose to prevent spiritual injury.
Source: Johann Christoph Arnold - Why Forgive?, pp.180
"God alone is our judge"
In alternating prayers in the Lund cathedral, the Catholic and Lutheran leaders lamented the divisions and guilt of the "wound" to Christianity and asked forgiveness for the deaths and pain that their divisions caused over history.
"We have the opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another," Francis said. "We too must look with love and honesty at our past, recognizing error and seeking forgiveness, for God alone is our judge."
Source: Andrew Medichini, Jan M. Olsen & Nicole Winfield - Associated Press, "Pope on Reformation: Forgive 'errors' of past, forge unity", 31 Oct 2016, https://www.yahoo.com/news/reformer-pope-heads-sweden-mark-luthers-reforms-050227744.html
Change of Era, not Era of Change
In a 49-minute speech to a decennial national conference of the Italian church -- which is bringing together some 2,200 people from 220 dioceses to this historic renaissance city for five days -- Francis said Catholics must realize: "We are not living an era of change but a change of era."
Source: Pope Francis - As quoted by Vatican Insider, 11 Oct 2016, "Catholicism can and must change, Francis forcefully tells Italian church gathering", Joshua J. McElwee, http://www.lastampa.it/2015/11/10/vaticaninsider/eng/the-vatican/catholicism-can-and-must-change-francis-forcefully-tells-italian-church-gathering-3SPjdW31a3R9grTkBMg26O/pagina.html
Greatest Organizational Change In History
Some Protestant friends complain that I give Roman Catholics a pass. They argue that my call for unity requires a broader and more foundational repentance from Catholics than it does from Protestants. I'm quite aware of that, and my main rebuttal to that complaint is that Catholics have in fact shown a capacity for foundational repentance that is still dishearteningly rare in my little corner of Protestantism. Ryan gets this point just right, with an observation that is as true as it is stunning: “The transformation of the Catholic Church's view on Christian unity from before the [Second Vatican] Council to now has been one of the greatest examples of organizational conversion in the history of the world” (86).
Some Protestants still need to learn this lesson: Go and do likewise.
Source: Thomas Ryan, CSP - 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
Repentance in Austria
In the 17th century Salzburg’s Archbishops drew out every Protestant believer; often they had to leave their children behind, who were brought up by Catholics then - imagine!
in 1956 their successor on the Salzburg seat wrote to the Lutherans to ask their forgiveness and they thanked for his letter;
now 50 years later, in 2016, the Lutheran bishop of Austria accepted the bid! He took part in the journey by the way, as did high officials of the Catholics.
Source: Personal (unofficial) report on the Reformation Commemoration Tour of Austria, August 16-26, 2016
Confessing Specific Sins Of Their Fathers
Nehemiah 9:2-3 shows outdoor public confession by the Jewish community in Jerusalem in the fifth century B.C., almost a century and a half after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6 B.C. and the subsequent exile of Judah. The post-exilic community in Jerusalem had been listening to Ezra and the Levites reading and instructing them from the Book of the Law of Moses (Neh. 8:1-18) and then:
Neh. 9:2-3--"They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the iniquities ("iniquities") of their fathers. They stood where they were and read from the book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God."
It is clear that the community was confessing specific sins of theirs and their fathers, since they spent a quarter of the day—three hours—doing so.
Source: Dr. Gary S. Greig - The Biblical Foundations of Identificational Repentance as One Prayer Pattern Useful to Advance God's Kingdom and Evangelism, April 2001
Catherine of Sienna
620 years ago, April 29 1380, CATHERINE of Siena died. In 1970 she was made a Doctor of the Church, an uncommonly bestowed title for a woman. What many do not know is that she was a major ECUMENICAL figure in the 14th century, authoring hundreds of letters appealing for UNITY in the church. Her appeals were addressed to Pope, bishops, and civic leaders. She did not suffer fools gladly, calling out the chicanery of manipulative political and financial schemes among church authorities. We should celebrate her today, and pray that women like her be raised up in our time to lead in a church caught in the grip of its own institutional dysfunction, not least in the arena of women's roles. St Catherine, pray for us!
Source: Ut Unum Sint (Facebook Group) - Posted on the Ut Unum Sint Facebook page, 29 April 2020
Norway's Lutherans Renounce Luther's Anti-Semitism
Norway's state Lutheran Church has condemned the anti-Jewish legacy of Martin Luther, the 16th century German theologian who started the Protestant Reformation.
In a statement issued Friday ahead of next year's 500-year anniversary of the Reformation, the Church of Norway's General Synod said some of Luther's writings were later used in anti-Semitic propaganda, including in Nazi Germany.
Noting that such propaganda was also spread in Nazi-occupied Norway during World War II, the synod said that "in the Reformation anniversary year of 2017, we as a church must clearly distance ourselves from the anti-Judaism that Luther left behind."
Source: Norway's state Lutheran Church - As quoted in "Norwegian church denounces Luther's anti-Jewish writings", YNET news, 25 Nov 2016, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4884355,00.html
What's Next?
Thursday's event marks the start of the healing process, Hart said. What's next? The need to save troubled African-American men in today's communities, she said.
Topics such as poverty, incarceration and equal access to education bubbled up at various points in the ceremony, with less fanfare. It's easier, perhaps, to build consensus around reconciliation and healing than it is for systemic issues.
"I believe the will is there," she said, "We need to keep working together."
Source: Emanuella Grinberg, CNN - "'Justice failed Austin Callaway': Town attempts to atone for 1940 lynching", Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, 28 Jan 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/us/lagrange-georgia-callaway-1940-lynching/index.html
Massive Maui Movement
Today people all over the island are out sharing the Gospel. Thirty nine churches have joined in a massive Maui movement to share the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus. This has been going on for three days now and just from the combined groups from upcountry churches alone, there have been more than 200 individuals who have said yes to Jesus.
Source: Bill Vanderbush - Sharpening Iron blog post, 6 Sept 2007
https://billvanderbush.blogspot.com/2007/09/today-people-all-over-island-are-out.html?m=1
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel
In the cases of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel, we need to note that they identified with the sins of their ancestors and their people, not all of which they themselves committed:
Dan. 9:8—“O Lord, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. . . .”
Dan. 9:20—“While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill. . . .”
Ezra 9:5-7, 14—“Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self- abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God and prayed: "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today. . . . Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor?”
Neh. 1:6-7—“Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’”
Source: Dr. Gary S. Greig - The Biblical Foundations of Identificational Repentance as One Prayer Pattern Useful to Advance God's Kingdom and Evangelism, April 2001
US Civil War - What If?
We often talk about in our American history of the breakdown of political efforts to avert war, but has the Church in America ever reckoned that the blood of the 600,000 who died in the Civil War is also on our hands? Our dividedness then aided and abetted and inflamed the divides in our land and tore country apart even as it tore many denominations into northern and southern counterparts, some lasting to this day. One wonders what might have been if church leaders from North and South, who may have been educated in the same seminaries, had reached across the lines and said, “we must reconcile our differences and lead our country in doing the same.”
Source: Robert C Trube - rtrube54, "The Scandal of the Church in America: Part One", Bob on Books, 13 Feb 2017, https://bobonbooks.com/2017/02/13/the-scandal-of-the-church-in-america-part-one/
St. Ephrem the Syrian
[St. Ephrem the Syriac]
The lessons scripture taught were simple and clear. God did not play favorites. His love was bigger than all the controversies people invented to divide and destroy: “Our Lord,” Ephrem reminded anyone who would listen, “spoke gently to teach his followers the power of gentle words.”
Source: Joseph P. Amar - St. Ephrem the Syrian – “Harp of the Holy Spirit”, The Maronite Voice, 21 June 2019
https://www.maronitevoice.org/articles/2019/6/21/st-ephrem-the-syrian-harp-of-the-holy-spirit
Prime Minister Apologizes Publicly to Aborigines
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
From Richard Foster
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
Charismatic Ecumenism
One area which Rome for a long time did not recognize was the charismatic work for Christian unity, according to Fr. Peter Hocken, an English priest long involved in the CCR.
The Renewal was born ecumenical - the fruit of Catholics being prayed over by Pentecostals - and from the start went beyond the conventional theological dialogue model that came out of the Second Vatican Council.
Hocken calls this extra element “charismatic ecumenism,” because it involves discerning the action of the Holy Spirit in - and recognizing the gifts poured out by the Spirit on - other denominations. One of its “striking hallmarks,” he says, is “the radical equality of all those baptized in the Holy Spirit,” one that “requires a new formulation of our convictions.”
Source: Austen Ivereigh - "Jubilee in Rome highlights charismatic fruits in Francis’s Pentecost papacy", Crux, 3 June 2017, https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2017/06/03/jubilee-rome-highlights-charismatic-fruits-franciss-pentecost-papacy/