Achieving racial reconciliation can be hard work and often slow, but Christians are called to pursue it relentlessly, said speakers at a summit of Baptists seeking to bridge a racial divide that continues to bedevil the nation.
Former President Jimmy Carter joined national religious leaders in Atlanta for the New Baptist Covenant summit Sept. 14-16, urging participants to challenge a “resurgence of racism.”
“The New Baptist Covenant can be a powerful potential weapon to set an example not just among Baptists and among churches, but in communities and among people of all faiths,” said Carter, who lent his support to the organization’s beginning in 2007 and convened its first meeting. “I hope that we can set an example to the world. Accept my personal thanks for what you are doing to maintain momentum that exists and increase its impact.”
The NBC was created to unite Baptists of different races, which it has fostered with a series of gatherings and summits. The three-day meeting in Atlanta highlighted emerging partnerships between predominantly black and white congregations working in their communities to address racial and social justice.
Source: Robert Dilday - "Racial reconciliation tough but essential, say leaders at New Baptist Covenant summit", Baptist News Global, 19 September 2016, https://baptistnews.com/article/racial-reconciliation-tough-but-essential-say-leaders-at-new-baptist-covenant-summit/
Margarita's Story
When my son knocks on the door and I go to open it, I yell from the inside, “Who is it?” He answers back, “its me!” His voice is so familiar. Excitement and joy permeate my entire being, and as I open the door, the expression on my face reveals a welcoming smile, and an accepting embrace tells us both we are home.
We are home! What a feeling!
On June 2012, I was invited to The Lausanne Catholic and Evangelical Dialogue on Christ’s Mission held in Chicago. It was there that I first heard about the Wittenberg 2017 Initiative. As time moved on, I started grasping the purpose of this event. This is to be the 500 years commemoration of Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 theses to the door of All Saint’s Church; which began a chapter of history that has brought much brokenness, separation and isolation to Catholics and Protestants. So when I heard that the four-fold purpose of Wittenberg 2017 is “to gather Christians together for prayer, repentance, reconciliation and unity,” I felt committed to support.
As I read Psalm 23, the so common, but unique, and beloved Psalm, I experience a journey of reconciliation, healing and restoration. It is a symphony about God’s assurance for those walking close by his side. It is a poem that speaks directly to the joys and fears of us human beings who are committed to raising a prophetic voice. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (v 6) I believe God is calling us back home to that place.
When I was a little girl, growing up as a Latina Catholic in a town where there was little tolerance or acceptance of evangelicals and blacks, I heard conversations and witnessed a rage that existed in the minds of my community -- so I know a little about prejudice and racism. When I asked my grandmother why people were so mean, she would always say; “because of their ignorance. So, let’s pray that one day we can see Christ in those who are different than us.” Then she and I would kneel and begin to pray the rosary. It was then that I recognized a need to develop a different type of conversation; one that appreciated the similarities and accepted the differences. I was determined to see Catholics and non-Catholics become friends in the unity of worship and the symbol of the cross as representing a believer.
When I first entered Fuller Theological Seminary for post-graduate studies, I was looking for a school that would provide me with the opportunity for a multicultural and mission experience. The diversity of an interdenominational approach in ministry that Fuller presented was something that attracted me as part of my desire for higher education. I believed then and now, that my mission and vision were to be dedicated to addressing and eliminating all socially constructed -ism’s, stereotypes, and prejudices that have historically been used to discriminate and segregate groups of people. As a Roman Catholic and a Latina, I wanted to understand why, in many of our traditions, we still were not able to stay in conversation without bringing in our own arguments that separated us instead of finding items that would bring us together. My questions at that time were: How can I bring a transformative and constructive language into my own sharing as I sought to live out 1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind”? How can I represent my tradition and be willing to learn from others? How can I do and learn my Catholic theology in a different context of reflection? These and other questions were part of my initial curiosity as I entered Fuller Seminary.
Achieving a Masters in Divinity (2007) gave me the ability to seek greater possibilities as a Latina and as a Catholic. As a woman of color in an ever-changing Latino culture in America, I’ve had the opportunity to reach horizons never before opened in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where the position of Parish Life Director was first made available in 2006 for lay ecclesial minsters.
As Parish Life Director, I was a lay leader who was entrusted with the leadership of a parish. I am convinced that the opportunity and experience at Fuller equipped me, and from there, doors began to open. It was not just an open door to the position of being appointed as a Parish Life Director, but also to an environment that continues providing me with the affirmation of my call and vocation. I welcome the conversations, discussions and one-on-one’s with colleagues, professors and friends. The possibilities for the future continue to expand.
I am a mother of six children, all grown and nearly finished with their higher education. As I entered into this new generation with its constant changes, my children are now teaching me the power of creating new possibilities. And like my grandmother’s prayers, I pray that with every involvement, every encounter and opportunity, we can grasp throughout our conversations the unique presence of God in our everyday life journey. As for my own journey, I have learned that there is often no place to really call home. But in the larger context, home is where acceptance, reconciliation, and genuine encounters reflect God’s love.
Source: Wittenberg 2017 - "Margarita's Story", from the Wittenberg 2017 (US) website
http://www.wittenberg2017.us/margaritas-story.html
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
What were some of the important historical antecedents to this octave of prayer? Certainly in the 19th century, the desire for Christians to pray together was part of the spirit of the age among those alarmed by the divisions which weakened the power of Christian witness. In 1846, for instance, the Evangelical Alliance was established in London and had developed both international and inter-church connections. Ruth Rouse noted that it was “the one and only definitely ecumenical organization . . . which arose out of the Evangelical Awakening in the 19th century” (A History of the Ecumenical Movement: 1517-1948). The concept of unity espoused in their constitution was union among Christian individuals of different churches for renewal in the Spirit; they would not deal with the question of the reunion of churches. The Alliance set aside one week beginning on the first Sunday of the year, for united prayer by members of different churches to pray for renewal in the Spirit.
Source: Rev. Thomas Orians, S.A. - "BACKGROUND: Brief History of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2017", by Rev. Thomas Orians, S.A., Associate Director of Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute, http://geii.org/week_of_prayer_for_christian_unity/background/brief_history.html
Gordon College
Some years later when [Thomas Howard] entered the [Catholic] Church, he lost the job [at Gordon College]. When he delivered his resignation letter to the president’s secretary and walked back upstairs to his office, he’d barely sat down when she knocked on the door and handed him the president’s acceptance. It was a don’t let the door hit you on the backside on the way out gesture. We lived nearby then and knew the college. Insiders told me the donors would not tolerate a Catholic on the faculty, and there was never any chance the college would keep him.
Source: David Mills - "RIP Thomas Howard: 1935-2020", Catholic Herald, 15 October 2020
https://catholicherald.co.uk/ch/rip-thomas-howard-1935-2020/
An Atheist Talks About Christians
This week a friend told me about an atheist who has been involved in a Christian bible study group for nearly a decade. This atheist dropped out of the group a few months ago, telling my friend, “I may return when this election is over. I can’t believe the things I have heard Christians say about other Christians they disagree with in our group. It is alarming and I hate it.” So this non-believer walked away from a group of Christians because of the divisive and constant promotion of political opinion. I have also met Christians who cannot talk to their own family and friends until after November 8.
If ever we needed a renewal of prayer for obedience to Jesus and his costly love it is now. The story my friend shares about their bible study group underscores the need for costly love with profound pathos. Christians have not only stopped talking to one another we are now driving away non-Christians by our lack of civility and growing inability to dialogue with one another.
...
I read last week that more friends are breaking up, and more families are being divided, during this election season than at any time on record. Is that what we have come to as a society? As a church? We no longer work to preserve unity. Now we are not even interested in civility. We have connected our ideologies with particular parties and candidates and created a partisan fault line that will not allow love to build bridges to unity. The damage left in the wake of this incivility is dangerous and killing to our mission.
My response should not surprise you. I believe we need love and unity, not passionate emotions and heated arguments. Denominationalism is breaking apart. (I welcome this development since denominations are not biblical and promote tribalism and pride!) But in the place of denominations what will hold us together? We have tried politics and moral issue but this will never work unite us for long. Our myriad divisions are only worse. Perhaps God will lead a growing number of his people to pursue missional-ecumenism, an ecumenism of deep visible unity rooted in respect and dialogue which allows us to center our communities in Christ and eternal hope, not in the political debates of our culture. I am praying and working to this end.
Source: John Armstrong - Act 3 Weekly newsletter, 7 Nov 2016, http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9b25fafc484bd792c081b1abe&id=cb777cefc2&e=8d662dd023
*All* of you
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 Change Of Era
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
Healing of Memories
The 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation is an opportunity for a "healing of memories", the leaders of the Catholic and evangelical churches in Germany have announced.
Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and Cardinal Reinhard Marx of the Roman Catholic Church have published a 'Common Word' document to mark the anniversary of when Martin Luther supposedly nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in October 1517. The 90-page statement calls for reflection on the reformers' concerns and to listen afresh to their calls for repentance and spiritual renewal.
Source: Harry Farley - "After centuries of separation, evangelicals and Catholics look to shared future", Christian Today eMagazine, 22 September 2016, http://www.christiantoday.com/article/after.centuries.of.separation.evangelicals.and.catholics.look.to.shared.future/96072.htm
Hans Urs von Balthasar
But resistance comes from Pope Peter II, John the Elder, leader of the Orthodox and Professor Ernst Pauli, representing Protestantism: under the pressure of persecution the three churches in this eschatological situation at last unite. Peter's primacy is recognized, and the Pauline and Johannine churches come into the Roman fold. The spokesmen of Christianity are persecuted and killed, but they rise again; the last Christians journey to the wilderness, the Jews raise a revolt and the Christians join with them. They are slaughtered; but then Christ appears, robed in the imperial purple, his hands outspread with the marks of the nails upon them, to rule for a thousand years with those who are his own.
Source: Hans Urs von Balthasar - From an article by Hans Urs von Balthasar on Soloviev in the Third Volume of "The Glory of the Lord"
S. African Vision
I see laborers from Soweto and landowners from Pretoria honoring and serving each other out of reverence for Christ.
Source: Emmanuel Katongole & Chris Rice - Reconciling All Things, p. 275
March of Life
The March of Life organization was founded nine years ago in a bid to commemorate the Holocaust and fight anti-Semitism. It encourages young Germans to investigate their families’ past, break the barrier of silence and uncover the acts committed by their grandparents in the Holocaust.
“For years, no one in Germany discussed what had happened only several meters from the German city centers, “explains Heinz Reuss, the organization’s international director. “Not only was there no public debate, there were no family conversations about the past either. People didn’t talk about what they did in the war. We started investigating our family’s past, started asking questions. Many of us discovered that they grandparents were Nazi criminals. We were shocked.”
Source: Itay Ilnai - "Nazis’ descendants sing ‘Hatikva’ to Holocaust survivors", Ynet News, 6 Jan 2017, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4902914,00.html
What was the intention of Martin Luther?
On this path, we Catholics and Lutherans, from several countries, together with various communities sharing our ecumenical journey, reached a significant step when, on 31 October last, we gathered together in Lund, Sweden, to commemorate through common prayer the beginning of the Reformation. This joint commemoration of the Reformation was important on both the human and theological-spiritual levels. After fifty years of official ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans, we have succeeded in clearly articulating points of view which today we agree on. For this we are grateful. At the same time we keep alive in our hearts sincere contrition for our faults. In this spirit, we recalled in Lund that the intention of Martin Luther five hundred years ago was to renew the Church, not divide her. The gathering there gave us the courage and strength, in our Lord Jesus Christ, to look ahead to the ecumenical journey that we are called to walk together.
Source: Pope Francis - Address to the members of the Ecumenical Delegation from Finland, as quoted in "Pope: Luther’s intention was to renew the Church, not divide her", Vatican Radio, 19 Jan 2017, http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/01/19/pope_luther%E2%80%99s_intention_was_to_renew_the_church,_not_divide/1286728
Anglican Repentance for Reformation Violence
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is expected to issue a statement this week apologizing for the violence that followed the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago.
The statement, according to news accounts, will express remorse that the (Protestant) Church of England carried out so many acts of violence - including burning Roman Catholics at the stake.
It will also urge believers to ask for forgiveness for atrocities that happened on both sides during the Reformation and for greater unity between Catholic and Protestant churches today.
Source: Crux - "Archbishop of Canterbury to express remorse over Reformation violence", Crux Religion News Service, 17 January 2017, https://cruxnow.com/rns/2017/01/17/archbishop-canterbury-express-remorse-reformation-violence/
On The Way To Unity
“Dear sisters and brothers, let us pause to honor this historic moment,” said ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton addressing the assembly following the vote. “Though we have not yet arrived, we have claimed that we are, in fact, on the way to unity. After 500 years of division and 50 years of dialogue, this action must be understood in the context of other significant agreements we have reached, most notably the ‘Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification’ in 1999.”
“This ‘Declaration on the Way’ helps us to realize more fully our unity in Christ with our Catholic partners, but it also serves to embolden our commitment to unity with all Christians,” said Eaton.
Source: Episcopal Café - Press release from the ELCA (http://www.elca.org/News‐and‐Events/7848), ELCA approves historic agreement with Roman Catholic Church (http://www.episcopalcafe.com/elcaapproves historicagreementwithromancatholicchurch/)
Repentance from the Serbian Orthodox Church
Jesus' attitude is not a popular one in our day, even in religious quarters. And in the rare instances where it is promoted publicly, the response is often skeptical, if not downright cynical. Such was the case in 2005, when the Serbian Orthodox Church surprised observers across Europe by asking forgiveness for its support of Milosevic's regime. "We honestly offer our Albanian co-citizens reconciliation and mutual forgiveness," it said in the opening sentences of a public statement. Critics belittled the apology as a political move, but there were others who embraced the chance for dialogue. They noted that whatever its effect, it was the first such attempt to honestly address the hatreds that had led to one atrocity after another across the region for most of the previous decade.
Source: Johann Christoph Arnold - Why Forgive?, pp.210-211
Amy Cogdell
When I was younger, I used to believe that all the great Catholic Christians of history would have been Protestants if they had only had the opportunity or sound teaching. The more I read of their writing, the more I understand that they were truly Catholic with all the particular quirks of Catholic spirituality. Many of my favorite writers are from the Counter-Reformation and they spoke out strongly against the reformers. I often like to think of them in heaven, singing next to the Wesley brothers.
Source: Amy Cogdell - Personal correspondence
How Streams Of Living Water Become Isolated
The astonishing new reality in this mighty flow of the Spirit is how sovereignly God is bringing together streams of life that have been isolated from one another for a very long time. This isolation is completely understandable from a historical perspective. Over the centuries, some precious teaching or vital experience is neglected until, at the appropriate moment, a person or movement arises to correct the omission. Numbers of people come under the renewed teaching, but soon vested interests and a host of other factors come into play, producing resistance to the renewal, and the new movement is denounced. In time it forms its own structures and community life, often in isolation from other Christian communities.
Source: Richard Foster - Streams of Living Water, p. xv
Latasha Morrison
Ultimately the name [Be the Bridge] came from a conversation I had with God on my way to attending the IF conference in 2014. In the middle of feelings homesick for Atlanta, I remember God telling me, “I brought you to Austin to be a bridge.” I used to say that phrase “be the bridge” to my staff, back when I was in the African American church in Atlanta. We were in-between: We weren’t traditionally an African American church, but we weren’t a white church, either. We knew how to fit in both worlds and be comfortable.
Source: Latasha Morrison - As quoted in Christianity Today, "Latasha Morrison: The Church Is the ‘Only Place Equipped to Do Racial Reconciliation Well’", interview by Morgan Lee, January 2017, http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2017/january/latasha-morrison-church-is-only-place-equipped-to-do.html
Michael Tessman
The fractious church culture to which we've long become accustomed corrodes our witness to Christ, reduced churches to outsized institutional principalities seeking survival, and renders the mandate to love one another to a hollow, empty suggestion. Reconciliation is the latest buzzword commanding fine rhetoric and much spilling of ink, yet the ecclesial bodies bearing Christ's name cannot demonstrate how it is done. They have no authority to preach it to a world starving for it. Time's overdue for a truth and reconciliation commission for the churches combined.
Source: Michael Tessman - Letter to the editor, Sojourners, June 2019
Fearless Giant & Pioneer
Fr. Peter Hocken died. Fearless giant and a pioneer among the Catholic Charismatics who walked with all Christians and Messianic Jews while making the desire of Jesus in John 17 to make us one reality of his every day.
This is very sad news for all of us who are into building ecumenical pathways but we hope his intercession will accelerate our work now.
Source: MajorChange - Posted on FB on 10 June 2017