The Will of God is Clear

The church in its 2000 year history has done much to make vain the grace of God within it by its splintered fellowship and the discord found between those who confess the reconciling truth of the Gospel in Christ.  It has forgotten that its working together is a working with the one who expresses his love in service, humility and sacrifice.  This appeal to remember God's favor and working is now an appeal through the Spirit to us, reminding us that God is once more a deliverer and is capable of bringing his saving power to our disunity and divisions.
 
Much time is spent speculating on the circumstantial will of God and how we are to use our time.  We can become mired in our inability to know how and in what way the Lord is leading us.  In situations like this though the will of God is clear.  Now is the time of God's favor, the time of healing and reconciliation, where once more his grace finds its fullness in us, those who are working together with him in his salvation.  

Source: A2J Community  -  Apprenticeship to Jesus Community, Phoenix, Blog Post "Unity Week Devotion - Day7", 23 Jan 2016, http://www.a2jphoenix.org/blog/unity-week-devotion-day-7

Catholic Repentance for Distortions and Deviations

As we were repenting for the sins against the Eucharist, we were very careful not to critize the teachings and beliefs of other Christians.  Our desire was to confess what a treasure this gift of the Eucharist is, and the deep longing of the Lord that we partake of it together.  The problem is not the rules, discipline or practice of any one Church or denomination, but the distortions and deviations in practice that have brought about the present situation.  We believe that confessing these sins with which we identify clears the ground and opens the door to new breakthroughs in the future.

Source: Peter Hocken  -  TJCII Communique, 2016-1

The "Knowledge Deficit" About a Lynching

A church book discussion about lynchings piqued Wesley Edwards' curiosity in area hate crimes, leading to Austin Callaway. A longtime African-American friend, Bobbie Hart, confessed ignorance to the lynching, prompting them to form the group "Troup Together." Through archival research and interviews, they pieced together parts of Calloway's story.
The "knowledge deficit" is what worries Edwards. If Callaway's lynching remained a mystery all these years, what else don't they know about?
"If white people have one version of history and African-Americans have a different one, then we don't know what we don't know," he said. "We've got to bridge that gap."

Source: Wesley Edwards  -  Quoted in "'Justice failed Austin Callaway': Town attempts to atone for 1940 lynching", Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, 28 Jan 2017, http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/us/lagrange-georgia-callaway-1940-lynching/index.html

Rick Warren honors Johann Christoph Arnold

On Holy Saturday, April15, the world lost a giant of the faith, Johann Christoph Arnold.

Christoph had served as a pastor of the Bruderhof Communities for 43 years, as Elder for 18 years, and as Senor Elder since 2001.

Christoph was a passionate leader and author of 12 books that sold millions, including Why Forgive? his most famous book. He always went right to the root of life’s problems - whether writing about marriage and family, racism, peacemaking, death and dying, forgiveness, faith, and moral purity.

I met Christoph in the most unlikely place for both of us: in Rome at the Vatican. Pope Francis had invited both of us as non-Catholics to speak on the biblical meaning of marriage at his Vatican conference on marriage and family.

Although I had already loved reading many of his books, meeting Christoph made me love him even more. His quiet humility, his contagious smile and laugh, his deep love for both Jesus and people, and his passion for peacemaking evidenced the true spirit of Christ. I look forward to long discussions with him in Heaven one day. I thank God for the life of Christoph Arnold.

Source: Rick Warren  -  Posted on FB 18 April 2017

The Sins of Our Nation

These are struggles common to us all and illustrate the need for honest identification with the sins of our nation when we stand before God asking for His mercy.  Nehemiah and the families with him assembled themselves before the Lord with fasting, in sackcloth and with dust on their heads.  Though they were just a remnant, they completely identified with their nation and its history.  "Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all the foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers."  (Nehemiah 9:2)  When we ask for God's mercy on others, we should never say, "How could they do such a thing?"  We know exactly how they could do it, for the potential for worst evil lies within each one of us, apart from God's saving grace and the life of Christ within us.  "I find then the principle of evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good," Paul said in Romans 7:21.

Source: John Dawson  -  What Every Christian Should Know About Reconciliation, p. 21

Gary Kinnaman (Phoenix)

• Our John 17 Movement has sprouted in NYC, where we held an advent worship event last fall, and in Houston, where the cardinal, bishops, priests and Protestant pastors have been gathering for fellowship and prayer.
• On June 10, at the invitation of the Vatican, seven prominent evangelical pastors from Phoenix and many others from Portland, Salem, LA, Denver, NYC and Richmond spent two hours with Pope Francis. We worshipped, prayed, and asked him prepared questions. He’s invited us back for similar meetings.
• Some years ago I launched a fellowship of the pastors of the largest churches in Phoenix. We/they have been meeting regularly now for ore than 10 years. Bill Hybels met with them two years ago and told them he had never seen that level of friendship and collaboration among influential pastor in any city in North America. This week they are gathering for their eighty annual summit. Several of these pastors were with us in Rome and have invited Joe Tosini to the retreat to talk about our extraordinary movement.

Source: Gary Kinnaman  -  Presented during Movement Day NYC, representing the John 17 movement and Greater Phoenix and Arizona Catholic/Evangelical Bridges, as posted on the John 17 FB page on 1 November 2016.

Does Forgiveness Excuse Abuse?

To make matters worse, some people claim that when a victim forgives an abuser, he is implying that he - the victim- is at least partly to blame.  Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth.  Forgiveness is necessary simply because both victim and victimizer - who in most cases know one another (or are even related) - are prisoners of a shared darkness in whcih both will remain bound until someone opens the door.  Forgiveness is the only way out, and even if an abuser chooses to remain in the darkness, that should not hold the victim back.

Source: Johann Christoph Arnold  -  Why Forgive?, pp.136-137

Don't Be Too Late

“You spoke at our church last weekend,” she responded. “You were teaching on Matthew 5:23-24, reminding us that Jesus commands us not to put off reconciliation. You said we should go today because tomorrow might be too late But I didn’t listen,” she went on. “And now it’s too late."

Source: Ken Sande  -  "Reconcile before it's too late", Relational Wisdom 360 blog post, 2017 Jan 8, https://rw360.org/2017/01/08/reconcile-before-its-too-late/

Foolish & Stupid

(23) Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid controversies, because you know they only produce arguments and divisions. (24) And the Lord’s servant must not enjoy getting into arguments but must be kind to everyone, able to teach the truth, and not resentful.

Source: The Apostle Paul  -  2 Timothy 2:23-24

Clergy & Lay Both

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster recently, Prof John Brewer of Queen’s University Belfast claimed that the churches have evacuated the public sphere and are not living up to their peace-making responsibilities.

In the wake of events on and following the Twelfth of July, there have been various constructive suggestions about how churches might take on this role from people such as Prof Brewer, Dr Gladys Ganiel of the Irish School of Ecumenics, Methodist President Rev Heather Morris, David Smyth of Evangelical Alliance, Fr Tim Bartlett from the diocese of Down and Connor and Rev Steve Stockman of Fitzroy Presbyterian, to mention a few.

In addition to what they have been saying, I would like to offer these suggestions, keeping in mind that for the churches to lead the way in reconciliation, it will take leadership from clergy and public figures, as well as ‘small steps’ by people at the grassroots.

Source: Fr. Martin Magill  -  As quoted by Gladys Ganiel in "Fr Martin Magill’s Small Steps Towards Reconciliation", an article on her blog Building a Church Without Walls, 2 August 2013, http://www.gladysganiel.com/irish-catholic-church/fr-martin-magills-small-steps-towards-reconciliation/

Fr. Frank Ruff

Father Frank [Ruff] said good relationships between denominations are a matter of the heart as well as the head.
“It is not enough to have formal agreements and scholarly statements,” he cautioned. “You have to bring the attitude of respect and cooperation with each other.”

Source: Fr. Frank Ruff  -  As quoted by Frank Lesko in "After the Fire", Posted 3 Jan 2017 on Glenmary Home Missioners, http://www.glenmary.org/after-the-fire/

I see ...

I see a Catholic monk from the hills of Kentucky standing alongside a Baptist evangelist from the streets of Los Angeles and together offering up a sacrifice of praise.

Source: Emmanuel Katongole & Chris Rice  -  Reconciling All Things, p. 275

Duane's Story

It’s hard to believe it has been three decades since that memorable church service.  At the time I was a young youth minister and I remember the steady stream of phone calls flooding our church office.  Caller after caller asked the same question:  “Is it true that Henri Nouwen is speaking at the Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana?”  “Yes, at 7:00 this coming Sunday evening,” our church receptionist Maggie kept responding.

What was striking about the surge of phone calls was that they weren’t coming from our church members or Presbyterians in Southern California.  They were coming from Catholics.  The callers’ first response to hearing that Father Nouwen was in fact speaking on Sunday evening was a quick, “Great!”  But nearly all callers followed with the same second question: “Why is Henri Nouwen speaking at a Presbyterian church and not a Catholic church?   He IS a Catholic priest after all!”  Maggie graciously answered, “You’ll have to ask Father Nouwen that question.”

On the Sunday Henri Nouwen was scheduled to speak, our pastor explained in the morning worship services that seating would be limited for our special evening service as we expected a large crowd.  Henri Nouwen had just returned from his extended time in Latin America and our church was one of the first churches in the United States where he would be speaking and sharing his experience.  On the church patio that Sunday morning were a lot of perplexed Presbyterians wondering who this Catholic priest was and why was he speaking at our church. 

I was not perplexed.  Our Associate Pastor Bob had introduced me to Nouwen’s work and Bob was instrumental in bringing Nouwen to our Presbyterian church.  I was excited and in awe that I would meet Father Nouwen, having read many of his books. I was deeply moved and influenced by his book Wounded Healer.  The book profoundly influenced my thinking about being a servant leader.  Decades later two quotes still resonate within me: 

For one man needs another to live, and the deeper he is willing to enter into the painful condition which he and others know, the more likely it is that he can be a leader, leading his people out of the desert into the promise land. For we are redeemed once and for all. The Christian leader is called to help others affirm this great news, and to make visible in daily events the fact that behind the dirty curtain of our painful symptoms there is something great to be seen: the face of Him in whose image we are shaped.

I arrived early to the Sunday evening service and was glad that I did.  Lots of people arrived early in order to ensure a seat. I took a seat with friends and they commented that there were a lot of “new” faces at the service.  My friends remarked that they suspected the majority of the new faces were Catholics.  We were delighted to see such a variety of people in church.
 
As I observed the people with the “new” faces I noticed two things: 1) Their faces looked unhappy; and 2) Most of them sat with their arms across their chests as if they were holding onto something internally.   I happened to know lots of happy Catholics and none of them sit with their arms across their chests.  It was clear to me that any unhappiness experienced that evening centered on the fact that they were displeased that Henri Nouwen had chosen to speak in a Presbyterian church rather than a Catholic church.  He WAS a Catholic priest after all.

But I also observed the faces of Presbyterians seated throughout the sanctuary.  They didn’t seem comfortable in their familiar pews.  They had the look of perplexity, uncertainty, and diffidence, as if their faces involuntarily blurted out “What is going on here?  I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this.”

The church was packed that Sunday evening.  People who arrived late had to stand in the back.  Into this odd mix of people and emotions our Pastor welcomed all, introduced Henri Nouwen, and offered a prayer.  Father Nouwen then rose and in his gentle, humble, and gracious manner shared of what God had shown him in Latin America, what God had impressed upon him, and as a result, his increased sensitivity to the work of the Holy Spirit in his and others’ lives. 

As Henri Nouwen spoke the atmosphere in the church changed.  Metaphorically speaking, an awakening dawn interrupted the evening service.  Into the darkness of discomfort and distrust beamed a transforming light.  Into the cool air blew a warm breeze of faith.  Onto the unhappy and perplexed faces of those gathered that night emerged smiles like sunrises spanning across the sanctuary.  By the end of the service there were no arms across chests, but rather arms extended and hands clasped, Catholic to Protestant, brother to sister.  We concluded the evening by singing, “We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,” and for many of us gathered that evening, it was our first experience of what that Oneness could look like and feel like.  It was powerfully inviting, energizing, and unforgettable. 

The memory of that service is vivid three decades later.  The decades have taught me that God’s power is real and accessible.  Therefore it is NOT hard for me to believe that the Spirit of God can remove barriers, heal wounds, upend history, transform hearts and communities.  That night, and many others since, have convinced me that the work of Wittenberg 2017 and its call to prayer, repentance, reconciliation, and unity is a worthy pursuit and holds the promise of being a transformative experience.  It prompts me to recall another quote of Henri Nouwen from Wounded Healer, when he wrote:  It is exactly in common searches and shared risks that new ideas are born, that new visions reveal themselves and that new roads become visible.

Source: Wittenberg 2017  -  "Duane's Story", from the Wittenberg 2017 (US) website
http://www.wittenberg2017.us/duanes-story.html

From Conflict to Communion

“The meeting in Lund stems from a process of dialogue spanning several decades,” said the Rev. Michael Bjerkhagen, official chaplain to the king of Sweden. “A milestone in this process was the document, ‘From Conflict to Communion,’ signed in 2013. In this document Lutherans and Catholics express sorrow and regret at the pain that they have caused each other, but also gratitude for the theological insights that both parties have contributed.”

Source: Catholic News Service  -  "Sorrow and joy: Marking the Reformation with honesty about the past", 28 October 2016, https://cnstopstories.com/2016/10/28/sorrow-and-joy-marking-the-reformation-with-honesty-about-the-past/

2017

With respect to 2017, [Catholics and Lutherans] should renew their effort with gratitude for what has already been accomplished, with patience and perseverance since the road may be longer than expected, with eagerness that does not allow for being satisfied with the present situation, with love for one another even in times of disagreement and conflict, with faith in the Holy Spirit, with hope that the Spirit will fulfill Jesus' prayer to the Father, and with earnest prayer that this may happen.

Source: Lutheran - Roman Catholic Commission on Unity  -  Conflict to Communion:  Report of the Lutheran - Roman Catholic Commission on Unity, p. 88

Eastern Orthodox Response to The End Of Protestantism

Given that I am Orthodox, I can't follow Leithart's vision for the future of the Church. But the notion that the unity of Christians is unacceptably utopian and that Christian division is something to be celebrated is foolish. Christians believe in more than contingent historical circumstances cementing division. Christians believe in the immanent providence of God, animated by the Holy Spirit, who overcomes the sin of man in order to create a new humanity in Christ: and Scripture absolutely reviles disunity. That there is disunity doesn't entail that we should be reconciled to it, any more than pervasive sexual immorality entails that we should reconcile ourselves to it because of the sinful tendencies of fallen man.

Source: Kabane  -  Youtube comment from "Kabane", an Eastern Orthodox believer, in response to Dr. Peter Leithart's preview of his new book, The End of Protestantism
https://youtu.be/jUYFftPlfyI

Revealing The Wound

The extension of Pope Francis’ trip to Sweden by one day to accommodate a papal Mass for the nations’ Catholics does not detract from the ecumenical power of the trip, but actually highlights the need for Christian unity, said the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

Initially, Pope Francis had planned to make a day trip to Sweden Oct. 31 to take part in two ecumenical events launching a year of commemorations of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. But at the urging of local Catholics, the pope decided to spend the night and celebrate Mass Nov. 1 before returning to Rome.

The Rev. Martin Junge, general secretary of the LWF, told reporters at the Vatican Oct. 26 that the Lutherans fully understand the desire of Catholics in Sweden to have Mass with the pope and the pastoral responsibility of the pope to fulfill that request.

“Of course,” he said, “it is also going to reveal that we are not yet united; it is going to reveal a wound that remains there” since the divisions between Catholics and Lutherans mean that in general Eucharist sharing still is not possible.

While Rev. Junge and other Lutheran leaders have accepted an invitation to attend the Mass, the fact that they will not receive Communion “is going to be a strong encouragement to continue working toward unity,” he said.

Source: Catholic News Service  -  "Ecumenical papal trip will also show pain of division, Lutheran says", 27 Oct 2016, https://cnstopstories.com/2016/10/27/ecumenical-papal-trip-also-will-show-pain-of-division-lutheran-says/

Olivier-Maurice Clément

Olivier-Maurice Clément (1921-2009) was one of the foremost Orthodox theologians of the 20th century. He actively promoted the reunification of Christians (he was friends with Pope John Paul II), dialogue between Christians and people of other beliefs, and the engagement of Christian thinkers with modern thought and society. As a history professor, he taught at the Louis-le-Grand lyceum in Paris for a long time. As a professor of the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute (Institut Saint-Serge) he became one of the most highly regarded witnesses to Orthodox Christianity, as well as one of the most prolific. He was a founder of the Orthodox Fellowship in Western Europe, and was the author of thirty books on the life, thought and history of the Orthodox Church, and their meeting with other Christians, the non-Christian religions and modernity. He was responsible for the theological journal, Contacts, and became a Doctor honoris causa at the Institute for theology in Bucharest and at the Catholic University in Louvain.

Source: New City Press  -  Author page for Olivier Clément
https://www.newcitypress.com/authors/clement-olivier.html