Though my doubts were all resolved and the choice was made in 1959, my senior year at Calvin, actual membership came a year later, at Yale. My parents were horrified, and only gradually came to realize I had not lost my head or my soul, that Catholics were Christians, not pagans. It was very difficult, for I am a shy and soft-hearted sort, and almost nothing is worse for me than to hurt people I love. I think that I hurt almost as much as they did. But God marvelously binds up wounds.
Source: Peter Kreeft - Hauled aboard the Ark, http://www.peterkreeft.com/topics/hauled-aboard.htm
A Pope Praises Martin Luther!
Francis quoted Luther and praised him for having restored the centrality of Scripture to the church.
"The spiritual experience of Martin Luther challenges us to remember that apart from God, we can do nothing," Francis said.
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
The Cruelest Prison
I will always be glad I forgave Angelo. I have learned that the cruelest prison of all is the prison of an unforgiving mind and spirit.
Source: Johann Christoph Arnold - Why Forgive?, pp.23
"Confessions of a Christian Idiot"
Rita’s older sister also happened to move to the area. She heard of the renewal of relationship of her younger sisters. So with trepidation she takes a chance and agrees to meet with Rita. In the middle of a series of pleasant, but tentative, rebuilding connections, this sister and her husband had a life-changing encounter with Christ.
Perhaps those reading this are ready to shout hallelujah. But here’s the caveat. It happened through the preaching of Pope Francis and in a Catholic context! In forty-three years of Protestant Evangelicalism I have never seen such a bona-fide, repentance bearing fruit, transformative conversion—new creation human beings. Different family members said: “Who are those people?” We don’t know them.”
Well now, for some this may not compute. In my days of Christian idiocy, it would not have computed for me.
In her joy of conversion, Rita’s sister asked if Rita would attend a mass with her! Now wait, just a minute! That is too much, but not really. Rita accepted. Rita participated fully in the service (other than communion), and observed her sister weeping with joy that she and Rita were being restored and could share a common experience of Christ.
Rita took it a step further. She decided to buy her sister a very expensive and engraved rosary to celebrate her sister’s new birth! That would never have happened in our days of Christian idiocy. I mean after all, how could I encourage someone in a “false religion?” How could we endorse “unbiblical practices?” I will tell you how: when love compels you, and when care for another human being outranks your own need for perceived doctrinal purity. When love is the highest virtue, at the apex of your inner truth hierarchy, it is not only an easy thing to do, but it is the obvious thing to do. Love never fails.
Well, the gift of the rosary pushed things over the top. It is something Rita’s sister will treasure forever. Her sister said it was the kindest thing any human being had ever done for her! Imagine that—the transformative and liberating power of human kindness—agape—charity—given extravagantly with no agenda or “Protestant hook” in love. Love extended for love’s sake, needing no reciprocation or agreement in doctrine. It is becoming all things to all people, to win them. Jesus was willing to go to a manger, a cross, and a grave to win us. How far are we willing to go?
Source: Dr. Stephen R. Crosby - "Confessions of a Christian Idiot", Reprinted from Christianity Without the Religion Magazine - February 2019
https://stevecrosby.org/christian-unity/confessions-of-a-christian-idiot
14 Areas for Reconciliation
At a Canadian conference in 1995, Christian delegates from over forty nations identified fourteen general categories of deep-rooted, systemic alienation between peoples and elements of society, fourteen areas in which reconciliation ministry must be applied:
#1: Indigenous peoples to immigrant peoples ...
#2: Residual antagonisms, when there is justice under the law but wounds continue ...
#3: People-group conflicts ...
#4: Nation-state rivalries ...
#5: Independence movements ...
#6: Civil wars ...
#7: Alienation between generations ...
#8: Societal conflicts ...
#9: Gender-based abuses ...
#10: Industry, trade and labor disputes ...
#11: Social-class divisions ...
#12: Interreligious conflicts (as between Christians and Jews)
#13: Inter-Christian conflicts (sectarian divisions)
#14: Christianity to peoples ...
...
How do we respond to such deep, gaping, sometime ancient wounds! The simple answer lies in the humility of Jesus expressed through His Body, the church.
Source: John Dawson - What Every Christian Should Know About Reconciliation, pp. 29-31
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is harder in practice than in theory.
Authentic forgiveness is a hard business, as any crime and justice reporter trying to fashion an article on the topic will confirm.
The exceptional instance of a victim truly forgiving a criminal is tough to find and then evaluate by conventional journalistic standards. And even those opportunities come along only a few times in a reporter’s career.
Source: Mark Morris - "Forgiveness is Harder in Practice than in Theory," Mark Morris, The Kansas City Star, 1 March 2015, http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/local-columnists/article11877386.html#storylink=cpy
Daniel P. Moloney
So when I encourage my evangelical brethren to extend their ministries among Catholics, I hope to be adding to the number of people who say “Yes” to God. I do hope they say it also to Christ’s Body the Church in all the dimensions Christ intended for his Church; but, above all, I hope that they say it. Many evangelicals are good Christians, many Catholics are bad Christians, and if some bad Christians become better Christians through the influence of evangelical Protestants, Deo gratias . If I pray that there be more workers for the harvest, I shouldn’t mind when they show up, even if they are not exactly what I expected. And, as the animosities between Catholics and evangelicals subside, as Catholics and Protestants come to realize that they are already in communion, however imperfectly, I am confident that many Christians who live in the Marian dimension of the Church will continue to discover the fulness that the Holy Spirit bestows in the ministry of Peter, who is called by the Good Shepherd to feed all the sheep.
Source: Daniel P. Moloney - "Evangelicals in the Church of Mary", First Things, December 2000, https://www.firstthings.com/article/2000/12/evangelicals-in-the-church-of-mary
NPR pays attention to the Reformation
There are still some doctrinal disputes. But Pope Francis says that while theologians iron out their differences, the two churches can work together on social issues like caring for the poor, migrants and refugees, and combating persecution of Christians.
Jens-Martin Kruse, pastor of the Lutheran Church in Rome, says Francis' approach has been dubbed "walking ecumenism."
"We are moving together, this is a new experience that we are together on this walk," Kruse adds. "Walking together, we find that we have lots of things more in [common than] we thought before."
Source: NPR - National Public Radio, 28 Oct 2016, "The Pope Commemorates The Reformation That Split Western Christianity", http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/10/28/499587801/pope-francis-reaches-out-to-honor-the-man-who-splintered-christianity
Apostlin' be like ...
(3) We put no obstacle in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. (4) Rather, as God’s servants we commend ourselves in every way—in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distresses; (5) in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger (days without food); (6) in purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; (7) in truthful speech and in God’s power; with weapons of righteousness in both hands; (8) through honor and dishonor, praise and slander; genuine but treated as impostors; (9) well-known yet regarded as unknown; dying and yet we live on; beaten yet not killed; (10) sorrowful yet always rejoicing; poor yet making many rich; having nothing yet we possess everything.
Source: The Apostle Paul - 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 (IEB)
Alex Newsome
So a friend (Rosella) sent me the Gospel reading for today and the last line really struck me. (John 5:30) Jesus said: "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me." This really grabbed me. So often when we "judge" things we do so out of personal desire and ambition. This always hurts people, because it's source is selfish by nature. But Godly judgement come from listening to the Father and seeking his heart and perspective, not for our purposes and what WE want to see come about, but for his Kingdom to come.
Source: Alex Newsome - Posted on FB 29 March 2017
Learning From Each Other
Catholics and Protestants learning from each other "is just an inherently important subject," Kreeft said, noting that when he undertook the project he did not even realize the timing of the book's release would coincide with the year of Protestantism's 500th birthday.
Source: Brandon Showalter - "God Is Moving to Unite Catholics and Protestants as Culture Crumbles, Says Peter Kreeft (Interview)", Christian Post, 31 May 2017, http://www.christianpost.com/news/god-moving-unite-catholics-protestants-culture-crumbles-peter-kreeft-185719/
A Protestant Talks With a Catholic Priest
I'm a Protestant, and I wanted to learn more about what Catholics think, so it seemed like the best way to do that would be to talk with one.
Source: The Ten Minute Bible Hour (Youtube channel) - "A Protestant Talks With a Catholic Priest", 9 August 2019
Catholic Priest: "Make It More Protestant!"
A Roman Catholic priest who attended the Twelfth celebrations on Saturday for the first time has said that he did not find the event sufficiently Protestant. Fr Martin Magill said that he had enjoyed the “feast of colour” provided by banners and uniforms, the sense of community and the skill of the musicians. But later in the day he said he had seen more alcohol being consumed, with some of it being seized by police. Writing in the Irish News, he added: “Having reflected on the parades and the Twelfth that I saw, my main observation is that it wasn’t truly Protestant enough for me.
“One of the Orangemen I met told me he had carried a Bible in previous years but didn’t this year because he was afraid it would get wet.
“For me, this was a parable of what is missing in the Twelfth — people living by the Word of God.
“When I think of my Protestant friends and colleagues, I think of people who read and love the Bible and who by God’s grace model their lives on the life of Jesus.
“The more these modern day disciples are central to the Twelfth celebrations, the more we all will experience grace and generosity — and maybe even a day we all can celebrate.”
Source: Newsletter UK - "Catholic priest who attended the Twelfth: it wasn’t Protestant enough for me", Newsletter.co.uk, 15 July 2014, http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/catholic-priest-who-attended-the-twelfth-it-wasn-t-protestant-enough-for-me-1-6176995
Dreaming of Theologians like ...
What kind of churches do we at Theopolis dream of? Churches like these:
....
Seminaries where theologians are encouraged to follow Scripture wherever it leads, even if we have to admit that our opponents were right all along. Seminaries that pass on the tradition of the whole Church, rather than flatter tribal instincts. Professors who teach other traditions accurately.
Source: Peter Leithart - Theopolis Institute blog, "Reformational Catholicism, A Wish List", 20 October 2016, https://theopolisinstitute.com/reformational-catholicism-a-wish-list/
Holocaust Survivor & Daughter of a Nazi
Source: Wittenberg 2017 - "Verena &Hanna's Story", from the Wittenberg 2017 (US) website
Gratitude for Churches Working Together
Many examples of Christian churches working together exist today—shared efforts to feed, clothe and house the poor and neglected bring Christians together in many communities across this local Church. I thank all of those who make such endeavors possible and deeply satisfying for everyone.
Source: Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory - The Georgia Bulletin, "The love of Christ compels us to reconcile", 26 Jan 2017, https://georgiabulletin.org/commentary/2017/01/love-christ-compels-us-reconcile/ (ALSO IN SPANISH at https://georgiabulletin.org/commentary/2017/01/el-amor-de-cristo-nos-apremia-reconciliarnos/?lang=es)
Deep Regret from Lutherans and Catholics
Lutherans and Catholics often focused on what separated them from each other rather than looking for what united them. They accepted that the Gospel was mixed with the political and economic interests of those in power. Their failures resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Families were torn apart, people imprisoned and tortured, wars fought and religion and faith misused. Human beings suffered and the credibility of the Gospel was undermined with consequences that still impact us today. We deeply regret the evil things that Catholics and Lutherans have mutually done to each other.
Source: Common Prayer (Lutheran-Catholic) - Common Prayer, p. 14, From Conflict to Communion, Lutheran-Catholic Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017, https://www.lutheranworld.org/content/joint-common-prayer-lutheran-catholic-common-commemoration-reformation-2017
The Unity Pilgrims of Clonard Monastery
One of the most obvious examples of ecumenical tithing here in Ireland are the Unity Pilgrims of Clonard Monastery, who visit various Protestant churches in and around Belfast to share in their Sunday morning services.
...
Unfortunately, such initiatives are few and far between, forcing me to ask why – in a society divided along religious lines – the churches have not implemented, or perhaps even considered, ecumenical tithing?
Source: Gladys Ganiel - From 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/
Scripture-Rooted Foundation
Even the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformers, especially magisterial men like Martin Luther and John Calvin, understood that there was an established historical foundation deeply rooted in the Scripture. The creeds and the doctrines taught by a consensus of the early church fathers were continually appealed to by all the great Protestant Reformers. For them, common faith was expressed in the earliest ecumenical creeds.
Source: John Armstrong - Your Church is Too Small, p. 19
Fr. Paul Symonds
As well as enjoying good relations with the Church of Ireland (Anglican), Methodist and Presbyterian ministers in Ballymena, Father Symonds has worked closely with Protestants found guilty of sectarian attacks. ... "If you had told me when I was being ordained that I would be working with former loyalist prisoners, I would have thought that I would have been disastrous," he said.
Source: Fr. Paul Symonds - As quoted by the Catholic Review in "English priest receives awards for work in Northern Ireland", 5 Jan 2008, http://www.catholicreview.org/article/faith/vocations/english-priest-receives-award-for-work-in-northern-ireland#sthash.kh59mvOi.dpuf