The Starting Line for Catholics and Evangelicals

 Where does the quest for Christian unity begin?

The 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation is coming up in 2017.  Catholics and Orthodox have been divided even longer than that, since the schism of 1074.  There are other churches where the divisions go back even farther.  Many strides have been made in the last century toward reconciliation, or at the very least, politeness.  However, the wounds and misunderstandings go deep.  Further still, the sheer impact of being divided for so long has left people with very different histories and traditions.  What can a person do to attempt to bridge this gap?

The following applies to all Christians but is especially geared toward Catholics and evangelicals.

Ecumenical exchanges are doomed to frustration if people believe that their group is the only place where truth resides.  The quest for unity ends up being reduced to an exercise in missionizing others in an attempt to convert them.  The implied message is: "Everything about you that differs from me is wrong and must be eradicated."  This is nothing more than zero-sum thinking in disguise, and there is a sinister violence which underlies it.  Instead of expecting others to simply join our particular group, how can we maintain the truths of our respective faith traditions while at the same time crossing denominational barriers in order to realize the unity that Christ prayed for?  This takes innovation.  It is a transcendence, not a simple lateral move from one group to another.

This does not mean that people have to give up the claims of their specific tradition!  Some people believe that their denomination holds the fullness of truth.  They sincerely want to reach out to others, but at the same time they do not want to undermine their own church.  The good news is that the methods outlined here do not require people to give up these deeply held beliefs.

For other folks, reaching out to other denominations is easier, because they already believe that most denominations are roughly equal and that differences are more a matter of style and context. 

Many Catholics appreciate evangelical Christianity but worry that it lacks the fullness they find in the Sacraments.  Many evangelicals respect the traditions of Catholicism but fear than many individual Catholics lack a personal relationship to Jesus Christ.  The path of Christian unity does not require that people give up the claims of their tradition or the concerns about their neighbors--it just requires opening up to the possibility of the good elsewhere.  I believe this is good news.

 

A Catholic Perspective

The Catholic Church admitted at Vatican II that "many aspects of sanctification and of truth can be found outside her visible structure [i.e. the Catholic Church]" (Lumen Gentium no. 8). 

This is very freeing.  It has freed us from an all-or-nothing fallacy.  Whether someone is a staunch traditionalist or a progressive-minded reformer, this speaks to all.  You see, from this vantage point it does not matter if a person thinks the end result is that everyone needs to convert to his or her denomination or not.  The end goal is not as important as the task to do today.  When we meet someone from another church, we can seek out the good that is there.  We can name it and celebrate it as the gift from God that it is.  We do not have to know ahead of time what the Holy Spirit will do from that point forward.  There may be a transformation in store, perhaps even a mutual one.

In previous time periods, there was a general fear commonly held to even acknowledge that anything could possibly be good about other denominations.  This has long since been put to rest.  We can expect that good things are present everywhere, as we know that God is always speaking to everyone in every place.  There is no need to be suspicious about things that seem good which are outside of our tradition or be threatened by them. 

 

For a Catholic, this is the starting line:  A sharing of gifts.  We can stand strong on the shoulders of Vatican II and all subsequent popes and live out the mantra for unity that St. Pope John Paul II so often named.  It works this way:  When two people from different denominations meet, they can both testify:  "This is what God has done in my life and in my church community.  Please share with me what God has done for you and your community."  We share by word and by deed.  And we keep sharing and sharing and sharing.  Through this sharing, we come to realize new things.  We listen with our minds as well as our hearts.  Walls break down, glaciers melt and coldness is replaced by warm regard.  Perhaps in time the various groups move into a new form of unity that in our present context we cannot imagine.  Such is the Kingdom.

 

The Catholic Church acknowledges that all Christian Baptism is a valid incorporation into the Body of Christ.  This is huge.  It signifies that the Body exists in part outside the boundaries of the Roman Catholic Church.  This is important for Catholics to remember.

When Catholics bring their non-Catholic friends and family to Mass, many report that they feel embarrassed that communion is closed.  The Catholic Church officially allows the sharing of Eucharist only with Catholics.  While this may feel unwelcoming, and it is certainly a painful reminder of the separation of Christians that still exists, we must also remember that the Catholic stance on Baptism is extremely open and welcoming.  There is a very wide space for grace and creative possibilities.

 

An Evangelical Perspective

Evangelical Christian leader Kevin Offner (pictured at left) shares where he believes the starting points are from the vantage point of his own tradition in this talk:

"The centrality of the gospel and the authority of the Bible—With this lowest-common-denominator, non-ecclesial mark of orthodoxy, the room for unity across denominations and traditions is great. In fact, this surely is one of evangelicalism’s most significant legacies to American Christendom: the ability to cross denominational lines for the sake of the gospel.”

 

Offner is urging Christians to focus on what they have in common.  Stick to the basic core beliefs in Jesus Christ and His Gospel, he says.  By being freed of the other "stuff" of religious tradition, evangelical Christianity becomes a very swift and mobile phenomena.  It can adapt and assimilate many people to itself and itself to many contexts easily. 

 

While evangelical Christianity is often very adamant about these fundamentals, it also can, in some cases, lower the stakes about some of the other nuances.  This is not to say that evangelical Christians do not take very seriously some very detailed theological points.  What Offner is suggesting, however, is that inherent within evangelical Christianity is the ability to move forward from a few basic, fundamental points. Once folks can mutually affirm these basic core beliefs, then they have a platform for conversation in true brotherhood.  This implies saving energy for the non-negotiables of the faith and letting secondary differences be secondary.

 

While evangelical Christians have historically been more reluctant about the movement for Christian unity than other groups, Offner sees a bright potential:  "Evangelicalism is uniquely capable of promoting ecumenical gatherings of Christians."

 

For Both Catholics and Evangelicals

We can all start from a standpoint of humility.  All of our churches bear some responsibility for divisions.  The Catholic Church is not living up to its mission to be truly universal.  Evangelical and Protestant churches have splintered into many denominations and they just keep on splintering.  We have all failed to maintain oneness and no group can claim a blameless record in this long and sometimes even bloody history.

It can start with friendship.  The difficulties of navigating sensitive theological matters is often best weathered when there is true mutual regard on a personal level.  "I don't know where it can go, but I can tell you where it can start:  With friendship" says Pentecostal Pastor Bryan Wheble (pictured at left) from Revival Vision Church of God in Maynardville, TN, speaking Christian unity.  Friendship opens the heart as well as a space for true dialogue.

For Glenmary Brother Craig Dignmann, the first step is "you just start talking."  He was struggling for a while trying to discern the direction of his ecumenical ministry.  He knew he wanted to reach out to Christians outside of his denomination, but he did not know how.  The answers just started falling into place once he was present and in conversation with people.  One conversation lead to another question which lead to another contact and so on and so forth.  The Spirit did the rest.  

What we have above are several different yet very similar ideas of how anyone--a lone individual or an entire church parish--can start the process of building bridges between Christians:  Start a dialogue of mutual testimony centered around how God has gifted you and your community.   Be open without giving up the claims of your faith. Stay rooted in common, core beliefs.  Be humble.  Open the door to friendship.  And just start talking.

This is not an exhaustive list.  There are many more methods and practices for the journey.  But like the subject matter of this post itself, this is a start.

Only the Holy Spirit knows where this will lead.  We do know, however, some good places where the process can begin.

Religious Unity Tour in the Spring!

Presence. 

Participation. 

Sharing the Story. 

Representatives from Glenmary's Commission on Ecumenism will be hitting the road shortly to build bridges with various religious groups in many settings. 

We will be reaching out to religious movements, collaborations between faith groups as well as to individual denominations themselves.  Unity happens in many ways in many contexts.  While our focus is the relationship between Catholics and evangelicals, we will be interacting with folks across the Christian spectrum and even going beyond that into interfaith relationship building.  It promises to be a wild ride!

Without further adieu, here is the spring lineup:

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

As the name suggests, Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Alexandria, VA, is a large assembly of faith groups from many denominations that gather to pray, study and act for social justice.  Advocacy work on behalf of the poor and marginalized is one of the most longstanding ways that Christians have joined together in unity.  This gathering starts with weekend worship services and breakout sessions on topics and ends with a Lobby Day on Capitol Hill meeting with Representatives and Senators.  This year's theme is: Breaking the Chains: Mass Incarceration & Systems of Exploitation.  EAD began in 2003 and has since become the most noteworthy event of its kind.

It is powerful indeed when individuals cross denominational lines to meet with the offices of their elected officials.  I attended in years past, and I enjoyed roaming the halls of Congress with about a dozen other folks from my state.  My group included secular Franciscans, Lutheran and Presbyterian ministers, a Quaker, students, clergy and lay people alike.  We were all speaking with a common voice:  That our diverse religious and cultural traditions have all led us to virtually the same conclusion that our common purpose is to build a more just and peaceful world for all. 

National Workshop on Christian Unity

The National Workshop on Christian Unity is one of the largest ecumenical conferences every year.  It is in many ways part of the "official" dialogue between denominations.  It is already in its 41st year and in 2015 it will be in Charlotte, NC.  The groups have traditionally been Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran, but this year promises to have a large evangelical Christian component, as well.  

North Carolina Glenmary Missions

Glenmary has two mission parishes in Windsor and Plymouth, NC.  They are rural parishes a little over an hour from the Atlantic Coast.  They are having a 3-day multi-parish retreat coming up in partnership with non-Catholic parishes, and our Commission is coming to visit.  While this is not a national gathering like the others, it is worth mentioning because it comes up in the middle of all these other events, and it represents the kind of work Glenmary typically does.

One of the five core categories of mission for Glenmary is ecumenism--the unity of all Christians.  Through our "boots on the ground" approach, based out of our mission parishes, we reach out in dialogue, friendship and mutual service with Christians of other denominations.  This ongoing grassroots work is typically the focus of this blog.  The work is slower than we may want it to be, but the results are often solid and longstanding.  The unity of Christians often happens church to church, pastor to pastor and person to person. 

 

Festival of Faiths

The Festival of Faiths is a major national interfaith event in Louisville, KY, with speakers, meditations, tours and art features all week.  This year is the 20th anniversary of the festival itself, and it also dovetails into the 100th birthday of Thomas Merton, with related events.  It unfolds more like a week-long pilgrimage than a typical festival.  As a true interfaith event, it involves all of the world's religions.  There promises to be strong glimpses into Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikh and Native American traditions.

 

While there are differences between ecumenism (the unity of Christians) and interfaith work, I have found that they both require many of the same themes and attitudes for success.  Patience, understanding, true respect and openness to where it may lead are all crucial.  Glenmary has been consistently involved in this festival in years past, and we hope to be in the future, as well!

Southern Baptist Convention

The Southern Baptist Convention is an ideal time to deepen our relationship with the largest denomination in the regions where Glenmary serves.  This is the major national gathering for the SBC, so it is both a privilege and an honor for our group of Catholic missionaries to be invited into the Press box.  Glenmary has generally had someone attend this almost every year since the late 1960s.  We are still the only Catholic group to have this honor.  Our role is to observe and be present.  In the past our members have enjoyed both the warm Southern hospitality and many good conversations throughout the Convention.

Wild Goose Festival

The Wild Goose Festival is our connection to the emerging church movement at a major 4-day outdoor festival in Hot Springs, NC.  They describe themselves this way on their website:

"Wild Goose is a community gathered at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and art . . . “Wild Goose” is a Celtic spirituality metaphor that evokes unpredictability, beauty, and grace."

While there have been Catholic speakers and many attendees in years past, we were the first Catholic group last year to have an official presence as a table sponsor--a small but visible statement that we want to be there and be in touch with this very dynamic, creative group that is doing much to envision--and actually fashion--the future of Christianity.

 

CADEIO Summer Institute

 

CADEIO stands for "Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers."  It is a professional association within the Catholic Church to support personnel as they help foster the commitment of the Church to reach out across denominational and religious lines.  This Summer Institute near Washington, D.C., is a time to train, network and find support in this important work.  While this is mostly a closed group, it is mentioned here to show the seriousness with which Glenmary, and the Catholic Church in general, consider the work of Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.

In Summation

These events are all strategic because they offer a chance to be in dialogue with some of the major groups and movements in ecumenism:  The social justice movement, the Southern Baptists, the emerging church, denominational relationship-building, interfaith dialogue as well as continued grassroots ecumenism at the Glenmary missions. 

In some cases, just having an "official" presence is a form of outreach in and of itself:  Our presence says that we want to be in relationship and that we matter to each other.  Being present can be both simple and profound. 

 

However, we also hope to go beyond that into making connections and advancing the discussion of Christian and religious unity, always on the lookout for visible signs of the Kingdom.  We plan to be present, participate and then share the story widely.

 

Stay tuned as we share stories and insights from these events in the coming weeks!

Matthew 25:31-46: Model of the Church

Jesus tells us that He is in solidarity with the poorest of the poor: 
 
Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of these least brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.
(in Matthew 25:31-46) 
 
This passage is often referred to as the Judgment of the Nations.

I think it should also be called the Judgment of the Church.

The reason is simple and based on two points:  As the passage says, Jesus is in such a close relationship with the poor that He could say that whatever is done to them is also done to Him.  The second point is that the Church claims to be the Body of Christ. 

It therefore follows that in order to claim to be the Body of Christ, a group must therefore also be in deep solidarity with the poorest of the poor.  It makes no sense otherwise—how can His Body not be where He is??  Based on this passage, it seems pretty clear.
 
A group can have all the right beliefs in the world and even understand this passage with the best scholarship, but if folks are not actually in solidarity with the poor, are they actually being Church at all? 
 
In other words, to claim to be the Body of Christ it stands to reason that a group would have to meet the criteria for that Body.  Scripture gives many indicators as to what that may be, but certainly Matthew 25:31-46 is at the very least a major piece of the puzzle.  

This is perhaps a variation, or at least another perspective, on "The Church as Servant" in Models of the Church by Avery Dulles.

We often forget that Jesus was—among many things—a prophet.  as the Hebrew Scriptures have show us time and again, the best prophets are those who offer critique of both society and church.

I can leave it up to theologians to figure out whether this passage suggests that Jesus IS the poor, is IN the poor or is so deeply present to the poor that He—literally or symbolically—shares their fate.  Perhaps in some sense each is true.

The fact remains that Jesus is so close to the poor that when a hungry person knocks on our door asking for food, we can, in a very real sense, say that it is Christ knocking.  While it is an important exercise for the soul to ponder all the myriad dimensions of how that mystical relationship may work, it would be unwise to divert so much energy trying to figure that out that we forget that there is someone actually knocking at the door.  The biggest question for us as Church is:  How do we respond to this knock? 

Or perhaps even better:  Which side of the door should we be on?

Besides, we may actually have a better sense of what this passage means after taking a step in the direction of where we think the Gospel is leading us and then make adjustments while on the path.  It may be something that can only be fully known by practicing the Way of Jesus.
  

The Last Shall Be First: Prophetic Families

Too often we forget that the work of Christian unity is part of the prophetic work of the Holy Spirit. 

Prophets challenge existing structures and experiment with new ones.  The show the way to the Kingdom of God by helping us distinguish between what is true and lasting and what is superficial and changeable.

One group of people who fits this description would be interchurch families.  These are people from different Christian traditions who marry and still maintain commitments to their respective denominations.  They try to blend it all together in a meaningful way.  They raise families in this creative mixing.

Like so many other prophets, their voices and their witness are often marginalized.  This exclusion is not always done maliciously—sometimes people just do not know what to do with those who fall outside of established lines.  Their cause or their circumstances get overlooked as a result, even though they may be ultimately pointing to something far better than the current status quo.



Interchurch families often do not receive much pastoral attention.  Churches generally do not know how to minister to them, so they are left to pave the way for themselves.  Sometimes the strength of their faith commitment is held in suspect as they dwell in the grey areas of parish membership.  Intentionally or otherwise, they are often treated like second-class members of their congregations.

Fr. George Kilcourse, noted ecumenist, author and professor, offers another perspective in his book Double Belonging: Interchurch Families and Christian Unity.   We should look to them as leaders.  They are missionary pioneers on the frontier of ecumenism and interfaith relations.  They are doing the work that we are all called to do.

The Catholic Church, for example, has a commitment to ecumenism.  The Decree on Ecumenism opens with these words:  "The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council."  Subsequent popes have echoes this commitment loudly.

 

This goes far beyond Catholicism, as it is rooted in Scripture:  Jesus himself prayed for the unity of all believers (John 17:21-23), so all Evangelicals and Protestants who take the Bible seriously are met with a challenge here, as well.  As my colleague Fr. Frank Ruff says, "If Jesus Himself prayed for something, then we ought to take that very seriously."

William S. Jewett,
The Promised Land -- The Grayson Family, 1850

The problem is that there is not a lot of agreement as to what exactly this unity could or should look like.


That is where interchurch families come in.  Even if we do not know what Christian unity might look like or even how Christians might arrive at the point of figuring that out, the commitment to that goal stands.  In light of that, we can look to people in mixed marriages who are on the pioneering edge.  They are actively exploring possibilities and looking for visible signs of where the Kingdom might be on the ecumenical front.

Ecumenical relationships are daring.  They are not just cutesy joint prayer services and potluck meals.  They are a living experiment with possibilities—is it even possible to maintain membership in different Christian denominations while also living into the reality of Christian unity at the same time?  It needs to be possible or else there would be something wrong with the respective church denominations, because we trust that Jesus' vision for unity is our destiny.

Theologians and academics are hard at work on the project of Christian unity—and so is couple down the street with the Baptist husband and a Catholic wife.  And so is the Methodist music director married to a Pentecostal preacher.  And so are the Catholic and Evangelical college students who are dating and getting to know someone from a very different background on their first extended time away from their families.

"Is the incidence of religious intermarriage merely a matter of a new laissez faire ecclesial attitude, the free market traffic of marriage in a pluralistic culture?" Kilcourse asks on page 8 in Double Belonging.  "Or is it possible that young adults in interchurch marriages are making a quiet but profound ecumenical statement about their identity as members of the one church with distinct traditions, even though they continue to experience the scandal of divided churches?" 

He continues further:  "Could these interchurch families have navigated a paradigm shift that makes possible an experience of the future church in ways that old patterns of belonging and models do not afford the rest of us?"

Liz on Top of the World from Pride and Prejudice, 2005 film.

Unlike many of their Old Testament counterparts, interchurch families are often quiet prophets.  Still, they call both church and society to take their own beliefs seriously and undergo the changes they themselves know they have to make to live out their own vision.

For more information on religiously blended families, check out:
http://www.interchurchfamilies.org/



Ministry of Presence

Ministry of Presence

This is one of the most misunderstood phrases in all of ministry that I have ever come across.  It is also the guiding motto of the ministry of Glenmary brothers, such as Craig Digmann (see this article on his extensive ministry of presence to non-Catholics in eastern Tennessee).

Imagine taking a group of energetic college students on a week-long immersion trip to do outreach work.  They come equipped with hammers and paint brushes and are full of energy to help the less fortunate.  Then you tell them, "Your job this week is to be present to people."  I can almost visualize the disappointment taking physical form and falling from their faces, for they have come ready to build houses for the homeless and cook large meals for the hungry.  Time is short and there are many things to be done!

People may ask in puzzlement, "What are you even asking us to do?  What does it mean to be present?"  Those would actually be excellent opening questions.  Being present to the poor requires exactly that—being personally involved, asking questions, sweating it out.  It is not about sending a donation in the mail or absentmindedly checking items off a to-do list while thinking of something else.  There is no list.  In fact, there probably cannot be.

We are a culture of doers.  Being present can seem so passive—at least, at first. 

The truth is that this approach is the opposite of passive.  In order to be truly present, we have to be fully engaged and active with the individuals and community we serve—to know them, to walk with them and to suffer with them as they suffer.  Then—and only then—are we in a position to do something with and for them.


"Compassion" word cloud from
http://www.365daysofinspiration.com/blog/2011/07/05/creating-space-for-compassion/

It is hard not to think of the passion and death of Jesus as we are in the midst of Lent.  "Passion" in this sense means "suffering."  It is at the root of the word "compassion," which therefore means "co-suffering."  In other words, to be compassionate is to be so present to someone at the depths of their very wounds, to be so in tune with what they are going through that we suffer right along with them.  This includes all the awkwardness, discomfort, boredom and other unpleasantries that might seem to be there on the surface.

Look Before You Leap 

Presence is a beautiful word.  It is not about judgment.  It does not have an agenda for a person, although it does hope.  It is more than simply being there, although just being there is most definitely the first step.  You have to show up in every sense of the word.  It is being truly available with all of our senses and all of our attention.  It is ultimately imitating Christ who showed us through the Incarnation that He is deeply present to all of humanity.

After listening and simply being there for a while with someone in need, then certainly sharing helpful ideas, acts of service and words of advice can follow.  Those acts will be better guided and more sensitive to the unique situation if they are grounded first in presence.  Those acts must always be kept in check with an emphasis on listening and solidarity first and foremost.  They have to come out of a true communion in caring, concern and empathy rather than a pronouncement from a detached place.

The First Pastoral Commandment

Pope Francis recently said it this way:  "The first pastoral commandment is closeness: being close to the people. Closeness." 

The Pope continued: "We cannot go to a family with sick or hungry children -- or those that have fallen to vice -- we cannot go with 'You must, you must, you must,'" said the pope. "No. We must go with closeness, with the caress that Jesus has taught us.  To save us, God was made close to us, was made one of us: Jesus, and suffered like us!" said Francis. "This is the way: Closeness."

 

If Jesus is Here, Then Where Should I Be . . . ?



The Christ of the Breadlines by Fritz Eichenberg

The infamous painting above tells a Gospel truth.  Jesus is so fully present to the poorest of the poor that he could say, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me (in Matthew 25:31-46, NRSV translation).  That homeless man in ragged clothes standing in line for bread—that man is Jesus and should be treated as such, as far as any believer is concerned.  Yes, Christ is present to all of humanity, but Christ is indeed present to the poor and suffering in a special way—a preferential way, as it is said in Catholic Social Teaching.

It follows that if Jesus is in solidarity with the poorest of the poor, then His Church—which is His very Body—ought to be there, too.  Anything other than that would not make sense.  How can His Body not be where He is?  This is a challenge for the whole church, and it is the special mission of a Glenmary brother.

Jesus instructs us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, visit the prisoner and care for the sick.  He does not, however, tell us how to do this.  But he calls us to be his Body and that means being with those who are suffering, because that is where He is.  Our presence is therefore the first step, and from that place, we will know better what else to do.
 



The Christ of the Homeless by Fritz Eichenberg

A Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep

 

Glenmary Catholic parishes are in areas where Catholics make up less than 3% of the population and where the poverty rate is at least twice the national average.  And that is just the starting point.  

Br. Craig is part of a ministry that greets school children as they arrive off the buses on Mondays.  He says you can see right in their faces how many of them are burdened with difficult family circumstances.  A simple welcome and cheer can change their whole attitude.  Br. Crag is also a companion to people who have lost a loved one and need someone to listen to them.  He drops in on folks in various circumstances just to check in on how they are doing.  He constantly circulates in the community and is a part of the lives of the people he serves.  All of this is in addition to his stunning bridge building with non-Catholic churches, as reported in the previous post.

Br. Craig (Right) visiting a community member in Tennessee—
checking in on him, inviting him to an event
and just staying up to date with his life and needs.

 

Full, Conscious and Active Participation

 

Being present does not mean just hanging out.  It is "full, conscious and active participation," to borrow a phrase from Vatican II.  This phrase was originally coined for describing the hoped for attitude of the faithful in Catholic liturgy, but it really applies to all of Christian life, as good worship unfolds into our lives. 

 

These are not just "feel good" moments, this is at the depths of the Gospel message itself. Jesus himself is the Incarnation, being fully present to the human condition, calling us likewise to be fully present to each other. Christians argue a lot over who has the right theology.  I sometimes wonder how often we do this to avoid opening and stretching ourselves into the daring invitation that Jesus offers us.  It is hard enough to manage our own pain, and Jesus wants us to enter into the pain of others—yet this may be the key to unlocking our own pain, as it gets us out of our false selves to find the Kingdom within.

You could argue that the main gift of the Incarnation of Jesus was simply His very presence with us and the awesome revelations that come as we come to understand what that must mean for us.  Glenmary brothers like Craig work hard to live into this message.

Folks may ask, "So you are just present with people... what do you actually do?"  The answer is a marvelous interplay of "everything and nothing."  It has to be both, and it has to transcend either one by itself.

To sum it all up succinctly, it may be true that ultimately the greatest present you can give someone is your presence.

 

 

Ecumenism by the Numbers

Brother Craig Digman is the first to say that he has a very unique ministry.

He states this with some resignation, as any trailblazer would hope others will follow.  "This is a ministry that nobody is going to do like I do," he admits. 

Br. Craig is absolutely certain that he has a calling to reach out to non-Catholic Churches and visit a rather large number of them.  He feel strongly called to build bridges between Christian denominations and reduce misunderstandings.

Br. Craig is part of the Glenmary mission in Union and Grainger Counties in eastern Tennessee which began in the summer of 2011.  Along with Fr. Steve Pawelk and Bro. Joe Steen, they have established two new Catholic parishes in places that have never had a Catholic church before.

"As a brother, the primary job at first was to help Fr. Steve get the missions up and running."  This started with visits to existing parishes and doing lots of door knocking.  "It just snowballed from there," recounted Br. Craig.  "You get talking to people, they invite you to where they are going, that leads you to something else, then they say, 'hey, have you ever been to...' and it just builds and builds." 

He started having similar conversations with just about anyone he would meet.  What began as outreach to build up the Catholic parishes has turned into a dynamic ministry of presence where this Catholic brother has so far visited and befriended dozens of churches of various denominations all over the two county area.

By
the
Numbers

To date, he has attended worship services at 68 non-Catholic churches of various denominations, all within the last 3 years.  Most of them have never had a Catholic visit in their entire history. 

He has been invited to 138 churches.

There are around 22 churches where he has developed a deeper relationship, where it feels "like family."  This has often involved multiple visits to these communities.

He has also developed close relationships to pastors and parishioners of churches he has yet to visit.

He keeps record of the count as well as information about future visits, pending invitations and places for follow-up.  These numbers change almost daily.

He estimates there are about 210 churches in these two counties.  Many of them are virtually unknown to outsiders, as they may be small operations with just a family or two.  Case in point:  At a recent Pastor Appreciate Dinner, a local Gideon's group invited only 75 pastors.  Granted, this was just one county but it seems they might have missed a few.

The numbers are staggering, no doubt about it.  He is constantly inviting people to visit a Catholic Mass and takes them up on their invitations to visit their respective churches.  He takes the invitations seriously and tries to go to as many as possible. 

He recognizes that in a different time and place, this ministry might have evolved differently.  He spent a lot of time at the beginning questioning whether to develop deep relationships with a few churches or more causal relationships with many.  The decision was made as the ministry simply took on a life of its own, and he followed the Spirit.

The numbers can be a discouragement for others to follow.  Yet, if we see beyond the numbers there is much that any person of goodwill can learn from the example of Br. Craig.

The Method:  Presence

Br. Craig  is very intentional about his attitude and demeanor on these visits.  "When I go in most of these churches, I'm the first ever Catholic to step foot in their church.  How I'm dressed determines how they perceive a Catholic to be.  If I'm in blue jeans, they'll probably assume Catholics wear blue jeans!"  Sometimes a casual look is ingratiating, but he dresses better-than-causal to show respect.  It is better to err on the side of being too formal rather than too casual, he figures.

There is responsibility in this.  For better or for worse, he knows that how he conducts himself is going to reflect on how Catholics in general are perceived.  He keeps this in mind and takes it seriously.  He is polite and makes conversation easily.


Br. Craig (left) singing Sanctuary at an ecumenical service
 with musicians from Revival Vision Church (right).


During services, if there is an invitation, he goes up in front and sings "Sanctuary," which includes a third verse he wrote.  If there is an opening in the service to speak, he shares about his family and asks for prayers.  Sometimes he offers prayers for the endemic drug problems in the area.  Before and after services, he will let people know that he's a Catholic brother and shares what that is. 

"Most of what I do is educate out in the community," he says.  "I feel there is a strong need for that."  In an area where few Catholics live and myths and stereotypes abound, his simple presence can do much to break the ice.  "The important thing is you just have to be there." 



Br. Craig making conversation
at a church potluck.

I was able to visit a church with him on a visit this past fall.  It was a homecoming for a parish, a celebration that is often a time for fallen away members to be invited back.  Br. Craig brought a dish to share at the potluck and blended right in. 

"Most of these people have never met a Catholic, have never seen a Catholic and have never been to a Catholic church,: he says.  "Suddenly, here's Br. Craig and Frank from the Catholic Church—we were there.  We are real people; we seem like nice guys.  That's huge.  It is so important to be on their ground, especially if there is any chance of them coming to ours." 

He tries to break the mystique of Catholicism by asking folks to visit a Catholic Mass.  "I invite a lot of folks to come, but most don't.  However, I've been finding that I'm at a turning point.  In that first year, nobody would come when I would invite them.  They still didn't have that trust.  Now, a few more are at least stopping in to peek at our Mass and see what it's about."  Having more of the community visit Mass is one of his "greatest goals."

You lookin' for me?

The Lost Sheep

The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7) is probably the most defining and often-cited passage in Glenmary's missionary charism. 

What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? (verse 4).

It takes a Gospel vision to see the wisdom in that.  What else would drive a Catholic society of priests, brothers and lay co-workers away from the multitudes in the cities to reach the scattered few and far between faithful in the far reaches of Appalachia and the South?  After all, Glenmary Catholic parishes are in areas where Catholics make up less than 3% of the population.

Br. Craig seems himself as turning the parable on its head.  "I leave the 1% Catholic and reach out to the 99% non-Catholic."  It could also be said that his ministry helps support that 1%.  Still, true to Glenmary form, Br. Crag has a special place in his heart for the smallest, poorest country churches out there. "I gotta be honest with you, those little places is really where my heart's at... the real lost and forgotten, the poorest of the poor, that's who Glenmary goes to."



A rural convenience store in eastern Tennessee,
which is also a place to grab a hot meal.

Evangelizing at Petticoat Junction

Br. Craig is a master community builder.  He makes these connections in friendly conversations with a cook at a local restaurant, with the cashier at a hardware store, and in causal conversations in the course of daily life.  He is involved in the community and very present.

Even as I have lunch with Br. Craig at a small country trading posting, he wastes no opportunity to evangelize with the woman who brought the food out to us.  He has met her a number of times before. 

They start talking:

"So are you from around here?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm from on up the road," she happily replied.

"I'm familiar with that area, kinda near Brenda's house?" he asks further.

"Yeah, I'm just a little bit before that."

"Sure is nice out here.  I'm in Maynardville," he continued.  "I'm part of a group, and we started the new Catholic Church... I don't know if you get to Food City, we're right across the highway." 

"Oh yeah, I've seen it there," she affirmed.

"If you've never been to a Catholic Church, you are welcome to come and see what it's like, if you want," asks Craig.  "I've got a lot of friends who are kinda curious," he continues says.  "We have a 9:00 service..."

"I'm a Baptist, I go out to Elk Springs Baptist Church."

"Oh, where is that exactly?" he inquires.  They talk at length about where that church is and what the identifying features are of the church building.  Eventually, he asks, "What time is your service?"

"Sunday morning.  We start at 10:00 for Sunday school and church at 11:00," she answered.

"I’ve been visiting a lot of churches around here, you care if I come by sometime?"

"Sure, come on down!"

"I'm not sure when I'll get to yours, but I'll try to make it maybe for an evening service."

The waitress is a little hesitant about his invitation to Catholic Mass, but it gets her thinking about other churches and religious experiences she has been curious about:  "I have never been in a Catholic Church," she offered.  "I’ve been to a Methodist before, and of course, Baptist.  I’ve been where they do the footwashes… primitive Baptist.  I’ve never been to one of the snake handler churches, which I’d like to go just to see how they carry out their service!”

It is about opening door and getting people to think about something they might not normally think about.  Perhaps there are barriers, conscious or otherwise, between groups of people.  A simple conversation over food can start a process of melting the ice just by bringing the matter up for discussion. Through relationships and friendly presence, Br. Craig is an ambassador of the Catholic Church in rural eastern Tennessee. 

After this lengthy exchange, he turns to me and apologizes, although he truly had nothing to be sorry about.  "I'm sorry, this is just what I do, this is what happens... I bring in a group here for lunch and we just start talking." 

It is worth pausing here to bring attention to something that could easily be overlooked in these words:  "We just start talking."

Indeed, how do you build community, reduce alienation, enhance understanding and begin the process of reconciliation?  You just start talking. 

Br. Craig may have a unique ministry.  By the numbers, it seems out of reach for most people, and because of that it might be easy to dismiss.  However, at its essence, his ministry can teach us all about how to be present to people and reach out to others in different ways.  Most of us will not visit dozens of different churches, but in the end, it is actually not about the numbers at all—it is about being present and the possibilities that are inherent when we make ourselves available.

 

All Christians—Catholic, Protestant or Evangelical—are baptized as missionaries of the faith, even though that is something not often talked about, especially in Catholic circles.  We can all be on the pioneering edge of our faith, making new connections and breaking new ground.  Whether we visit churches or start conversations with our coworkers and relatives, we can all recognize and live into our role to reach out others who are not in our group.  Br. Craig shows how we can do that with friendliness, goodwill and old fashioned politeness.

In worrying if others will follow, Br. Craig is encouraged by the words of his colleague, Fr. Bob Dalton:  "You're just a little different kind of leadership."

Lenten Practices for Christian Unity

 

As we get ready to travel through Lent, there are ways that we can remember the unity of all Christians in our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

Whether you have built a life mission around reaching out to other Christians or have not given it much thought, hopefully, there is something in this message that can be helpful.  These ideas may seem deceptively simple at first, but they can be very powerful when lived out.

Prayer

Jesus himself hoped and prayed that all believers would be one (John 17:20-23). 50 years ago at Vatican II, the Catholic Church acknowledged its commitment to this effort.  We may not know what Christian unity could or should look like, but we are committed to working toward that goal as followers of Christ.  We can pray this prayer along with Jesus this Lenten season.

I heard another great prayer idea by Southern Baptist Pastor Dean Anderson from Trenton, KY.  He offers this advice:  "Pray by name for the other churches in town."  Here is an example of how he does this:  "I pray that the Father will bless them, use them and grow them to build His Kingdom."  This can be added to your individual and community prayer intentions.

Fasting

We often think of fasting as refraining from eating food.  That is a good practice.  However, Isaiah 58:6 shows us another way: 

Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

We can also fast from divisions, from suspicion, from anger and from hurt. 

Cardinal Walter Kasper, one of Pope Francis' favorite theologians, reminds us that the best way to work for Christian unity is to first acknowledge that every person and their respective church bears some responsibility for the divisions between Christians.  He says we must be constantly open to “penance and renewal.”  Lent is a good time to examine our conscience and move forward from this place of humility. 

Almsgiving

Almsgiving is a form of sacrificial giving.  What we sacrifice in our fasting we then pay forward through almsgiving.  If we fast from division, we can then give alms by doing something for inclusion.  Here are some suggestions:

Visit a church of another denomination; read a book or articles from another church; open a dialogue with people of a different tradition or donate to an effort of another church. 

You can prayerfully reflect on places where you may be harboring division or misunderstanding.  Find where you may be blocking the flow of the Holy Spirit and then do something to step out of that.  Do something just a little bit uncomfortable or different.

A Personal Example

I have a special fondness when the practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are not separate activities but are rather woven together into a single expression.  This is a very traditional way of observing Lent.

For example, here’s what I might do: 

This Lent, I may pray and mediate on the unity of all Christians.  In my prayer, I may discover places in my heart where I have walls against a specific church or denomination.  This may be a group that is difficult for me for some reason—perhaps I have a grudge, perhaps their style is off-putting to me or perhaps I disapprove of some of their practices. 

I may choose to visit this church in order to fast from these divisions.  While I am there, I may say nothing or I may gently let people know that I am there as part of my Lenten observance.  I am not there to debate or prove myself right—quite the contrary, I am there to recognize that the negativity I feel is my own and take ownership for that.  I let them know by my actions that in some way we are sisters and brothers and that it matters that we are in relationship, even if the relationship right now is only that we just acknowledge each other and spend time in each other’s presence.

For almsgiving, I may make a financial contribution to one of their outreach efforts that I learn about while visiting. I may join a Bible study or prayer group to understand their spirituality better, or I may celebrate their story in my conversations afterwards.

Jesus asks that all believers would love one another.  I like to look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 as a kind of checklist for that (see picture).  I ask myself—are there ways that I can grow in patience, kindness and trust toward this group of people?  Am I envious of their resources or membership?  Have I given up on some people?  The list is a tall order, so I may choose to focus on just one or two of these at a time.

In Closing

In the end, the gift we give may come back to us as we see the way God has shared unique gifts with another group that may end us enriching us:

The future of Christianity is going to be ecumenical.  The more I work, the more I see, every denominational tradition, every lineage, is holding a ‘pearl of great price’—sometimes two or three—and we would be at a tremendous loss not to recognize that, include that, honor that.

– Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM

Peace and blessings this Lenten season!