Longing ... Deep Sorrow ... Wholehearted Concern

(6) But God, who comforts the discouraged, comforted us by the coming of Titus from Corinth (probably meeting up with Titus in Philippi), (7) and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you in Corinth had given him. He told us about your longing, deep sorrow, and wholehearted concern for me, so that my joy increased all the more.

Source: The Apostle Paul - 2 Corinthians 7:6-7 (IEB)

Cuthbert the Bridge-Builder

The Lindisfarne Gospels were created on Holy Island by Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 1300 years ago, to honour the memory of Cuthbert, born the year Aidan settled on Holy Island. As Cuthbert grew up and entered monastic life, Aidan sent the brothers Cedd and Chad on successful apostolic missions to the East Saxons (Essex) and the Mercians (the Midlands). Cuthbert became prior at Lindisfarne in 664, the year of the fateful Synod of Whitby when Rome demanded–and acquired–dominance over the independent and decentralised Celtic church.

Cuthbert the bridge-builder accepted the Whitby ruling. He stressed unity with diversity as he worked to reform the community and gained a widespread reputation as a holy man and worker of miracles. When the island was abandoned in face of the Viking threat, Cuthbert’s body and the Gospels crafted in his memory began an eventful journey ending 120 years later in Durham.

The Gospels richly embody Cuthbert’s emphasis on diversity in unity. Breath-taking in detail, colour and ornate design, the Gospels weave elements of book-making, ornamentation, script, illustration, theme and symbolism not only from the Irish Celtic and Roman traditions that were fused at Whitby, or from the scribe’s Anglo-Saxon roots. Experts have also identified elements from Coptic, Byzantine, Oriental and British Celtic sources.

The story of Lindisfarne and of the Gospels inspire many today to pray and strive towards a weaving together of God-given strands of spirituality which over time have become separated.

Source: Jeff Fountain - "The Book That Made Britain", Weekly Word eNewsletter, 27 July 2020
https://us9.campaign-archive.com/?e=0b86898e11&u=65605d9dbab0a19355284d8df&id=f4d0087745

Lewis on Catholicism

CS Lewis once corresponded with a woman who had converted to Catholicism. What Lewis wrote to her, I would like to say to Francis Beckwith:

“It is a little difficult to explain how I feel that though you have taken a way which is not for me, I nevertheless can congratulate you – I suppose because of your faith and joy which are so obviously increased. Naturally, I do not draw from that the same conclusions as you – but there is no need for us to start a controversial correspondence! I believe we are very dear to one another but not because I am at all on the Rome-ward frontier of my own communion. I believe that in the present divided state of Christendom, those who are at the heart of each division are all closer to one another than those who are at the fringes.”

Source: C.S. Lewis - As quoted in “Evangelicals and the Great Tradition” by Timothy George, First Things, Aug/Sept 2007, p. 21

In France

A miracle of sorts took place in France five years ago. For generations, French denominations were at odds with one another, full of suspicion, bad-talking, and division. This all changed when leading evangelical denominational leaders began to see their sin, publicly repent, and ask for forgiveness.

This dramatic reconciliation paved the way for a new era of deep collaboration. Currently, nine of France’s leading evangelical denominations are sending teams of evangelists and church planters to learn from and encourage one another in a process that will lead to one evangelical church in France for every 10,000 people (currently, there is one church for every 30,000 people).

For evangelism and church planting to move to a higher plane, we must break out of our denominational (and even networkational) silos and collaborate. After all, the Kingdom of God is bigger than any one church or group.


Source: Dr. Dietrich Schindler - As quoted in Christianity Today, Evangelism in Post-Christian Europe, http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2016/august/evangelism-in-post-christian-western-europe-six-insights.html?utm_source=ctdirect-html

Wittenberg 2017 Historical Conclusions

Our Historical Conclusions:

  1. We honor Martin Luther as a prophet sent by God to Luther’s own church, the Roman Catholic Church.

  2. We lament that Luther's prophetic message was not correctly considered or responded to by his apostolic authorities.

  3. We grieve the subsequent shared history of hostility – and ask the Holy Spirit to embolden us to identify with the actions of our forefathers, repent, forgive, and where appropriate make restitution.

  4. We believe that Catholics & Protestants can and should jointly commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

  5. We propose that Catholics & Protestants seize the opportunity to pray John 17 with Jesus on the occasion of this historic anniversary.

  6. We believe that in preparation for Jesus’ return, the Holy Spirit will move again as Malachi prophesied, “turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers.”


Source: Wittenberg 2017 - Historical Conclusions, http://www.wittenberg2017.us/historical-conclusions.html

Unlimited Patience

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Source: Bible - 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Lamenting in the US

Second, I believe we need to lament our sad state. We may not have a clue how we can mend the wounds between us. That tells us how desperate things are. It acknowledges that we need an intervention from on high. Lamenting takes us into a place where we realize our desperate need for God, and that to go on in the way we have is increasingly intolerable.

Source: Robert C Trube - rtrube54, "The Scandal of the Church in America: Part Two", Bob on Books, 14 Feb 2017, https://bobonbooks.com/2017/02/14/the-scandal-of-the-church-in-america-part-two/

Hanna Miley

It was the start of my healing journey, the way of forgiveness. I tasted mercy, God’s mercy, toward me and the power of Jesus to free me from the effects of the past. And gradually, God took me further into his love. He said, “I am calling you to forgive—to forgive Germany and Germans—to forgive the evil done to you and your parents.”

I asked him for the grace to forgive, and, you know, God delights to answer such a prayer. He led George and me back to the Eifel, and he opened the way to practice forgiveness and reconciliation in the actual physical place of my childhood loss.


Source: Hanna Miley - Speech on July 21, 2016 in Lodz, Poland

Bonhoeffer @ Finkenwalde

Bonhoeffer was clearly charmed by the place, but as a Protestant pastor he was not completely at ease with everything he saw and experienced. “The Catholic Advent seems somewhat strange to me,” he wrote to Bethge. At Finkenwalde, the Lord’s Supper had been celebrated once each week. At Ettal, Bonhoeffer could go to Mass and share in the prayers and readings, but, as he was not a member of the Catholic Church, he could not partake of the bread and wine at communion. “I am longing for the Lord’s Supper,” he said. Still, Bonhoeffer’s presence at what he called “quite a wonderful Mass” did bear witness to a kind of broken unity, a sanctorum communio not yet fully realized in the visible church of the undivided Christ here and now. Several weeks before Bonhoeffer arrived in Ettal, as war raged across Europe, Pope Pius XII had issued a Motu Proprio calling for a “crusade of prayer,” inviting Catholics around the globe to join in a prayer for world peace. In a letter to Bethge, Bonhoeffer referred to the Pope’s decree: “Today the pope has ordered a prayer for peace in the whole church. Could we not also have prayed along with them? I did.”

Source: Timothy George - "Bonhoeffer at Ettal: Advent", First Things, 12 Dec 2016, https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2016/12/bonhoeffer-at-ettal-advent-1940

Corrie Ten Boom's Hiding Place

May this plaque be an expression of our shame and grief over the serious crime that our German people committed against Holland during World War II. May it also be a token of love and gratitude to the Dutch people, who assisted the Jews while they were being persecuted and who responded to the injustices of our German nation by showing goodness to God's chosen people.. God bless Holland!

Source: Marienschwestern - Plaque on the wall of the "Secret Room" in Corrie Ten Boom's house in Haarlem, The Netherlands (made famous in her book, The Hiding Place)

Death of the Amish

On May 13, 1993, five Amish children were killed by a speeding auto near Fredericksburg, Ohio. The auto was driven by a young man, Eric Bache, who showed no remorse for his action in the days that followed. After the funeral, an elder of the community, Henry Burkholder, said: "We could take it a lot easier if he would feel sorry. It's a little harder to forgive since he doesn't seem upset. But we have to forgive him. And we will."

Source: Henry Burkholder - Elder of the Amish Community in Fredericksburg, Ohio, quoted by the New York Times, 17 May 1993, as reported in Peter Schmiechen's "Christ the Reconciler: A Theology for Opposites, Differences, and Enemies", p. 112

Alexei Laushkin

I realize so much of how I think about relationships is influenced so strongly by Christian formation writers from the 3rd-20th century.

They were writing about how not to let conflict and sin go out of control for centuries and centuries.
It's proven to be such grace, imperfect practitioner that I am.


Source: Alexei N. Laushkin - Posted on FB, 11 Nov 2020

Blessed Martin

When the terrors of the Spanish Civil War began, Blessed Martin took all of the consecrated hosts from the chapel, and went into hiding living in barns, caves, and haystacks. He evaded the militia for a few days but was caught and imprisoned where he spent his remaining time ministering to other prisoners, hearing confessions, and distributing the Eucharist he had rescued.

When the time of his execution came, he was asked if he would like to face away from the rifles during his execution, he said “no”. When asked if he wanted to say anything, he said gave them a blessing and said “I only give you my blessing that God does not take into account the madness that you commit.”

Then he shouted “VIVA CRISTO REY!”

Right before being shot, he smiled for the photographer, a Republican, called Hans Guttman, who took a couple of photographs of him. In his eyes, you can see a foretaste of eternity. You can see the joy of a faithful priest.

Blessed Martin was beatified on the 1st October 1995 by Pope Saint John Paul II. His feast day is the 18th August. Blessed Martin, Ora Pro Nobis! Viva Christo Rey!

Source: Ryan Scheel - Article on uCatholic, http://ucatholic.com/blog/man-die-smiling/

Did Luther Nail His 95 Theses On The Church Door?

It was like a slap in the face when the catholic Luther researcher, Erwin Iserloh, asserted in 1961 that the nailing of the theses to the door of the Castle Church belonged to the realm of legends.

The facts are convincing, the first written account of the event comes from Philipp Melanchthon who could not have been an eye-witness to the event since he was not called to Wittenberg University as a professor until 1518.

Also, this account appeared for the first time after Luther's death and he never commented on 'nailing anything up' in 1517.

Announcements of upcoming disputes were supposedly regularly hung on the door of the Castle Church. But, openly hanging the theses without waiting for a reaction from the Bishops could have been seen as a clear provocation of his superiors. Luther would not have done that because he only wanted to clear up some misunderstandings.

It is also worth noting, that there was no open discussion of the theses in Wittenberg and that no original printing of the theses could be found.

One thing is sure: Luther wrote a letter to his superiors on October 31, 1517 in which he denounced the sale of indulgence and asked for repayment and removal of the misunderstandings. With the letter he included 95 theses which were to be the basis for a discussion on the topic.

Today, the majority of Luther researchers see it as fact, that Luther did not nail his theses to the door of the Castle Church on that day. But the picture of Luther nailing the theses to the door of the church is still today the most common in regards to Luther, the reformation and Lutherstadt Wittenberg.


Source: www.luther.de - KDG Wittenberg, http://www.luther.de/en/legenden/tanschl.html

What Did Pope Francis First Do at Age 17?

Asked about his personal experience with the Lutheran Church, Pope Francis said the first time he ever entered a Lutheran church was when he was 17 and went to a co-worker’s wedding.

Later, as a Jesuit and professor at the Jesuit school of theology in Argentina, he said he had frequent contact and exchanges with professors at the nearby Lutheran school of theology.

“I invited a professor of spiritual theology from that faculty, a Swede, Anders Ruuth, to hold lectures on spirituality together with me,” the pope said. It was “a truly difficult time” for the pope personally, he said, “but I had a lot of trust in him and opened my heart to him. He helped me a lot in that moment.”

Friendships and formal exchanges with Lutheran pastors and leaders continued while he was archbishop of Buenos Aires and now as pope, he said.

Source: Catholic News Service - "Pope on why he’s going to Sweden: ‘Closeness does all of us good’", 28 Oct 2016, https://cnstopstories.com/2016/10/28/pope-on-why-hes-going-to-sweden-closeness-does-all-of-us-good/

Thomas Roberts

Thomas Roberts was closely associated with the Union de Priére, a group of Reformed ministers first touched by the Pentecostal movement in the South of France in the 1930s. The Union de Priére focused on prayer for four intentions: the revival of the churches by the conversion of souls; the salvation of the Jewish people; the visible unity of the body of Christ; and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead. ... Thomas Roberts grew in his grasp of the vision of one reunited body of Christ, manifesting the glory of the Savior and the power of the Spirit to the world ... Roberts was a model of a Christian who always remained faithful to his original call - he was always characteristically Pentecostal - yet who was so grateful to the Lord for opening his eyes to see the riches of other Christian traditions, Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox.

Source: Fr. Peter Hocken - One Lord One Spirit One Body, pp.viii - ix