Joined Together Constantly In Prayer

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” ... They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Source: Bible  -  Acts 1:4, 14

Welcome your runaway slave back

(17) So Philemon, if you consider me a partner in Christ, I ask you to welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. (18) If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, you can charge it all to me. (19) I, Paul, am writing this letter with my own hand. I will pay you back everything that Onesimus owes you—not to emphasize that you owe me your very life.

Source: The Apostle Paul  -  Philemon 17-19

A Post-Death Confession

As my adult life unfolded before us, my self-centered nature predominated, and this greatly displeased my divine company.  I did very little that was not in my own self-interest.  Other people's needs were less important than my own desires.  This is opposed to the will of God and is the opposite of love ...

Source: Howard Storm  -  As quoted by John Burke in "Imagine Heaven", Ch. 17, p. 241

Start the Dance!

It takes two to tango.

The other person has their own goals, expectations, and reasons for even letting you talk to them (if they do.) Realize that all those things play into the initial meeting and the process of reconciliation. Be aware, always, that you are involved in a dynamic, two-sided relationship.

But be the first one to dance!

Source: Steven Lee  -  Posted on Facebook, 20 July 2018

A Vision of "One Accord"

One of the old brothers in that small, hardy band of Christians was constantly worried about the diversity of our backgrounds [Anglican, Methodist, Dutch Reformed].  He was convinced that a critical part of the Scripture describing the early church was "these all continued with one accord."  He had the idea that the "one-accordness" was the crucial factor about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost rather than the day itself.  He constantly disturbed the congregation with his complaint that "we are not one, we are not one."
The, the Lord in HIs mercy gave him a vision [of Pentecost] that provided a great lesson for the old man and for all of us. ...
One stood and declared, "Brethren, we were five hundred when Jesus ascended, and I just counted: now we're one hundred and twenty.  The others are gone.  We're losing, and I feel it is because we've lost our leadership.  Jesus is gone.  ... We must find someone to take the place of Jesus."
After a moment's pause, he added, "And so, I would nominate Brother Peter."
Another man got up and said, "I couldn't second that because I haven't forgotten what Peter did.  The Lord knows I love Brother Peter, and I admire him, but how can he be the leader when he failed so badly?"
So, down goes Peter.
Another one gets up and says, "Well, we need a man of great love, and I would suggest John as that man."
Someone else protested, "How can you want John?  He wanted to sit on Jesus' right hand and lord it over us.  I wouldn't vote for John."
"Well, said another, "we must have a man of faith, and James is a man wiht great insight into faith.  I nominate James."
"But," came the argument, "he is the brother of John and he wanted to sit on the left hand of the Lord."
Then someone else said, "What we need is a very cautious man who will not accept just anything.  I nominate Thomas."
Another declared, "Thomas is not cautious; he's just a doubter.  He'll get us all doubting."
Then Peter got up and said, "How far are we going with this?  If we begin to expose everybody's failures and weaknesses, who of us is any good at all?  I do not feel qualified to stand in the shoes of the Master, but I want to suggest this:  Anybody in this meeting who feels so qualified, stand up and I will follow you, and I'll call everybody else to follow you."
No one stood up.  At last, they were in one accord.
The old brother's vision helped me in later life to understand that the accord necessary for God's blessing does not center on how good we or anyone else may be, but rather on our willingness to acknowledge and accept the weaknesses and failures of each one, including ourselves.  This stopped the disturbance in our little congregation and we were humbled.   We knew that we were not good at all and that even Jesus had said, "I can do nothing of myself" (John 5:30).  So we trusted the Lord to help us.

Source: David du Plessis  -  From "A Man Called Mr. Pentecost", as told to Bob Slosser, Ch. 2, pp 12-14

Binding Up the Wounds of Conversion

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

"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/

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/