Would St. Francis Have Been Protestant?

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

Our Common Heritage

We share meals, snacks, adult beverages, tell our life stories, identify our parishes, talk about books we’ve read and books we should read—each year I see some of the same people and we catch up. Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox acknowledge our differences in doctrine and worship but without animosity or rancor. Of course, Jesus is our center, but the works of the Fathers of the Church are our common heritage. Other names are often mentioned: C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Stanley Hauerwas, Pope Benedict XVI, Dietrich Bonheoffer, Wendell Berry, Charles Taylor, George Florovsky, Dorothy L. Sayers, etc. Two names I seldom hear mentioned are Martin Luther and John Calvin. It isn’t as though the Great Schism or the Protestant Reformation never happened, but the focus on Mere Christianity, the central doctrines of the Christian Faith and the feeling that we must unite on those doctrines and the challenges we face guide the speakers and the audience.

Source: Stephanie Mann  -  "Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox in Wichita, Kansas" blog entry, National Catholic Register, 20 Jan 2017, http://www.ncregister.com/blog/stephaniemann/protestants-catholics-and-orthodox-in-wichita-kansas

Europe's House Divided

As a result, “The division signalled so long ago at Marburg . . . hardened,” with sometimes dire practical consequences: “German and Scandinavian Lutherans behaved inhospitably in the 1550s to Protestant refugees from Roman Catholic persecution (for instance, people fleeing from Mary Tudor’s England to Lutheran Denmark) whom they regarded as belonging to the party of the Consensus.” By the mid-1550s, “the hopes of the early 1540s for a real reunion were dashed. It was not merely that Catholics and Protestants now turned from bringing together the house divided: Protestants too were increasingly accepting that their divisions were not going to be healed.”

Source: Diarmaid MacCulloch  -  "Europe's House Divided", as quoted by Peter Leithart, "Ecumenism in the Sixteenth Century", First Things, 6 Feb 2017, https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2017/02/ecumenism-in-the-sixteenth-century

Lausanne-Orthodox Dialogue

With the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, Western missionaries began flooding the former Soviet Union, Romania and other Eastern European bloc countries, often without consultation with existing Evangelical communities in those countries. Partly in response to this wave of Evangelical missions, a new paradigm of ecumenical relations emerged among professional theologians in America when the Society for the Study of Eastern Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism (SSEOE) was formed in 1990. Comparative theology, spirituality and missions formed the focus of the organization whose archives are now housed in Asbury Theological Seminary. In 1997, the World Council of Churches (WCC) began its first series of international dialogues between the Orthodox and Evangelical communities over concerns regarding Evangelical proselytism in Russia and Eastern Europe but also shared concerns regarding perceived theological trends within the WCC itself. Publications include Proclaiming Christ Today: Orthodox-Evangelical Consultation (1995); and Turn to God, Rejoice in Hope (1998). From 2000 to 2006, a second series of seminars resulted in the publication of Building Bridges: Between the Orthodox and Evangelical Traditions (2012). Theological and missiological subjects were explored, but financial constraints eventually ended these gatherings. In 2001, the Evangelical Alliance in the UK published Evangelicalism and the Orthodox Church. This was produced by a group of Evangelical and Orthodox theologians whose goal was to lay a foundation for mutual understanding by comparing and contrasting Orthodox and Evangelical beliefs and practices.

Since then, the main ongoing exchange between Orthodox and Evangelicals has been that initiated in 2010 by leaders within the Lausanne Movement and the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox churches, which resulted in the formation of the Lausanne-Orthodox Initiative. Unlike other dialogues, this focuses on exploring how the two traditions can co-operate in the mission of God. A selection of past presentations appears in The Mission of God: Studies in Orthodox and Evangelical Mission (2015). However, in spite of all the work that has been done, there remains scope for further scholarly investigation: for example, few regional studies have examined areas outside the Anglophone world, or the political and legal aspects of relationships between these traditions.

Source: Tim Grass  -  "Call for Papers: : Orthodoxy and Evangelicalism in Global Perspective" email sent out to the Yale-Edinburgh Group by Brad Nassif & Tim Grass of the Lausanne-Orthodox dialogue, 30 July 2020

Lausanne Initiative on Reconciliation in Israel/Palestine

Messianic Jewish and Palestinian Christian disciples of Jesus met in Antalya, Turkey,  February 14-17, 2019 for the 5th conference of the Lausanne Initiative on Reconciliation in Israel/Palestine (LIRIP).  27 participants from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza met in Antalya, Turkey, for three days of prayer, study and discussion. Their focus was how to make a difference through practical demonstrations of the reconciling love of Jesus across the boundaries of intractable conflict and the seemingly irreconcilable dividing walls of politicised identities. The group was comprised of Jewish and Arab disciples of Jesus, including participants from Muslim, Orthodox Jewish and Orthodox Christian backgrounds, all committed to working together to achieve peace. Together they affirmed their unity and commitment to work for reconciliation and a just peace in Israel/Palestine.
...
Lisa Loden, co-chair of the Initiative, said “We see each other across the walls and barricades of two separated communities. We are divided amongst ourselves and across our communities yet we are here to seek peace and pursue reconciliation. Living in the context of the intractable Israeli –Palestinian conflict, together we are choosing to cross the divides and build bridges of understanding, trust and mutual commitment; to stand together for justice, peace and reconciliation. Our faith in Jesus as Messiah and Saviour of all unites, empowers and calls us to action.”

Source: Lausanne Initiative on Reconciliation in Israel/Palestine (LIRIP)  -  "Press Release: Reconciled Identities – Israeli and Palestinian Disciples of Jesus Share the Search for Peace", 2 March 2019
https://kehilanews.com/2019/03/02/press-release-reconciled-identities-israeli-and-palestinian-disciples-of-jesus-share-the-search-for-peace/

What Can We Learn From 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

History of Denominational Divisions in 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

A Protestant Learns About Greek Orthodoxy

Greek Orthodoxy has always been a bit of a mystery to me, and I wanted to get a clearer sense of what it's all about so I drove down to the Assumption Cathedral in Denver, Colorado and spent the morning getting answers straight from the source. Huge thanks to Father Chris Margaritis for taking the time to hang out!

Source: The Ten Minute Bible Hour (Youtube channel)  -  "A Protestant Learns About Greek Orthodoxy", video published on Feb 10, 2019

Distance Makes Us Bitter

Pope Francis said his goal for the trip is to come “closer to my brothers and sisters” in the Lutheran community. The trip will include an ecumenical launch of a year of events before the celebration in 2017 of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

“Closeness does all of us good,” he told Father Jonsson. “Distance, on the other hand, makes us bitter.”

Source: Pope Francis  -  Quoted by Catholic News Service in "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/

National Confession in Nehemiah

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

Repentance for Sin Struggles from Around the World

The event itself (World Prayer Together) was very much led by the Holy Spirit in the direction of repentance and reconciliation, quite in accord with the mission of CTR, Wittenberg 2017 and even TJCII, which was in and of itself a beautiful thing. What I found especially moving were the prayers of Indians, asking for forgiveness for exporting idol worship into the whole world, Kenyans, repenting for squandering their own natural resources and foreign aid donated to their country, and American Indians for worshipping nature and for harboring bitterness toward Europeans. The three and three-quarters hours Saturday brought into focus the different sin struggles of whole nations and cultures around the world,  and  how the Holy Spirit is bringing conviction in different areas.

Source: John Martin  -  Personal email, 21 Sept 2020

The "Wound" to Christianity

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

In English And Deutsch

In addressing the importance of this initial conversion, Fr. Leo Tanner – a regular parish priest who has been officially released by his bishop to dedicate seventy per cent of his time to his wider ministry such as Alpha (see Werder 2003) observed, “Current Catholic language and pastoral work lacks to some extent [this element] of a leading people to a decision for Jesus Christ.  We [Catholics] speak of a habitual repentance … and thereby easily forget what Jesus first meant with his call to repentance: a primary, foundational change of life-direction….  Such a fundamental repentance and change of direction does not have anything to do with being more or less religious.  [The apostle] Paul was perfectly religious before his conversion.  What was fundamentally new for him was to have met Jesus as a living person: a relationship with Jesus Christ….  The pre-requisite for such a change of direction is a meeting with Jesus.”  (Tanner 2001, Intro., p. 3)

 „In der gängigen katholischen Sprache und Pastoral fehlt teilweise die Hinführung zur Entscheidung für Jesus Christus.  Wir reden von der ständigen Umkehr zu ihm – besonders in der Fastenzeit – und vergessen dabei leicht das, was Jesus zuerst mit seinem Umkehrruf gemeint hat: eine primäre grundlegende Richtungsänderung des Lebens, der Beginn der bewussten Nachfolge.  Bei einer solchen Richtungsänderung, Grundumkehr geht es nicht darum, mehr oder weniger religiös zu sein. Paulus war vor seiner Bekehrung ein religiös „perfekter” Mensch. Als ihm jedoch Jesus als lebendige Person begegnete, begann für ihn das grundlegende Neue: Eine Beziehung zu Jesus Christus….  Die Voraussetzung für eine solche Richtungsänderung ist eine Begegnung mit Jesus, wie die ersten Jünger dem irdischen Jesus begegnet sind.“



Source: Fr. Leo Tanner  -  TANNER, L. 2001. Werkmappe für Katholiken: zu „Fragen an das Leben“ Wels: BE Team, as quoted in foonote 37 of "Evangelicals Cooperatively Evangelising & Discipling with Catholics in Faithfulness to Evangelical Distinctives", by Paul Miller

God At Work Also In *Others*

As Catholics and Anglicans, we are humbly grateful that, after centuries of mutual mistrust, we are now able to recognize that the fruitful grace of Christ is at work also in others.  We thank the Lord that among Christians the desire has grown for greater closeness, which is manifested in our praying together and in our common witness to the Gospel, above all in our various forms of service.  At times, progress on our journey towards full communion may seem slow and uncertain, but today we can be encouraged by our gathering.  For the first time, a Bishop of Rome is visiting your community.  It is a grace and also a responsibility: the responsibility of strengthening our ties, to the praise of Christ, in service of the Gospel and of this city.

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

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