The Untanglers

Stop #2 on my Religious Unity Tour!

The National Workshop on Christian Unity, part 1

 

Jesus calls us to be "fishers of men," but our nets are all tangled up.

It is absolutely wonderful when Christians can demonstrate profound unity when gathered for a common purpose, such as the social justice activism featured in my previous post.  There is no question that these expressions inspire our imaginations as to the unity that is possible.  Nevertheless, the fact remains that the denominations themselves still have on the books doctrinal differences which make for greater and lesser fractures in the Body of Christ. 

Some folks see beyond those differences, focusing on the unifying aspects and trusting that in a mystical way Christ unites what people think is divided.  Still, those differences--and what they mean for the life of the community--can only be waived away for so long before they require attention.  They found their way onto the books for good reasons.  Their continued presence on the books says something about who we are and what we mean to each other.  Centuries of separation, misconceptions, theological and even physical battles have left the visible unity of Christianity in a tangled mess. 

In the midst of all this, some people have the noble calling to meet these differences head-on.  They do the painstaking work of untangling this mess bit by bit--reconciling what can be reconciled, differentiating between style and substance, healing wounds, building relationships and trusting in the Holy Spirit to help Christian communities transcend this quagmire.  They are on a quest to discover that New Testament ideal of unity in diversity in a very imperfect but blessed world.  Someone has to come along to cross the t's and dot the i's.  This is the setting for the National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCU). 

The modern ecumenical movement has been going strong worldwide for over a century.  The Catholic Church officially joined the conversation during Vatican II with decrees on both ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.  It was in the wake of Vatican II that the NWCU began.  It is an event guided by the official ecumenical officers from Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran churches.  Representatives from other denominations are present, as well, with a hope for more denominations in the future.  A growing presence of evangelical Christian leaders has been featured in recent years, as well.

Advice from Islam and Judaism

Given that 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate--the Catholic Church's groundbreaking document from Vatican II on its relationship to non-Christian religions--there was a strong focus on interfaith relations at the NWCU this year.  While it may seen incongruous at first glance for a workshop on Christian unity to feature non-Christian voices, it is those outside voices which can offer both refreshing and challenging perspectives.

Dr. Sandra Keating (pictured at left) shared valuable insights from her decades-long work in Catholic-Muslim dialogue.  Her words during the opening plenary were challenging and seemed to hang over the assembly as the week progressed.  She brought this perspective:  "For many Muslims, the fact of Christian disunity is a clear sign of the lack of truth of Christianity."  She points to statements in the Koran which demonstrate that even in the fifth century, "the infighting among Christians was already an obstacle to bringing people to the faith."  That was 1,000 years before the Protestant Reformation and 500 years before the schism between Catholics and Orthodox.

Keating affirmed strongly the importance of the work of Christian unity.  She mentioned that a lot of Christians are not concerned with "visible unity," thinking it has little relevance outside of the church.  However, a Muslim in dialogue with a Catholic may wonder what that dialogue means since a Catholic does not speak for all Christians.  In addition, to many Muslims, "divisions in Christianity are a sign that Christianity is dying, not protected by God and not chosen by God." 

Keating points out that the ecumenical movement in the past 50 years has gone a long way to help this perception with denominations doing a lot together out in the open.  Much work remains.  "Interreligious dialogue has told us that the need for some kind of Christian unity is essential for Christian witness in the world.  However legitimate the differences and divisions may be, on the outside it seems very different."  Many outside of Christianity see a "lack of charity" in these disagreements, she says, which calls into question the credibility of Christianity itself.  This is feedback she has gotten over and over through the years.  Islam partially came out of this context and looked to Christian divisions as an example of what not to do.  Why take Christianity seriously if Christians themselves cannot even agree on what it means?

Most westerners may think that the same kinds of divisions exist in the Muslim world.  Keating pointed out that those divisions are perceived as less doctrinal and more political.  The average Muslim would not see them the same way that Christianity has splintered over nuanced interpretations of theology and doctrine with some groups claiming exclusivity of the tradition over others.  While there is certainly room to interpret whether this is a fair estimation of the world of Islam, nevertheless, it is a common belief of many mainstream Muslims and it impacts their perception of Christianity. 



http://edeio.org/2015/04/24/nwcu-resources-part-one/

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine (pictured at left) treated the assembly to extended discourses on the nature of Judaism.  In particular, she pointed out places in which Christian preachers tend to misrepresent and misunderstand the Jewish tradition, both in Scripture and history.  She focused on what Christian preachers get wrong in their readings of the parables and other Gospel narratives by not understanding Jewish tradition well enough.  Check out this interview or her books (which you can find online) for a more in-depth study. 

"The more you know about first century Judaism, the more profound the parables become," she argued.  As the article says and which her talks expressed so well, "a better understanding of Judaism can make one a better Christian."  Without that background, we can miss so much of the symbolism and meaning.  For example, Jesus was born in a manger, which happens to be a feeding trough.  It is related to the word mange, in modern Italian. "Where else would you put the person who was going to become bread for the world?"

There is not room here to present all that she taught, but it is enough to say how vitally important a Jewish perspective can be for Christians.  As Levine pointed out, Scripture is clear that the disciples of Jesus were often unaware of the depth of Jesus' teaching and the meanings of his stories and parables.  With that in mind, we should consider that the wisdom handed down to us through our respective traditions (which comes handed down from those very disciples) may benefit from some additional perspective.  As a result, a place where Christians can find unity is in scientific, historical evidence.  On this plateau, we are all united as we have access to the same information.  We may go beyond what history teaches based on what our respective traditions have taught, but we can all be on the same page as far as historical understanding.

Visible Partial Unity

The NWCU features worship services at local churches of various denominations, talks on relevant topics and breakout sessions where denominational representatives discuss the current state and stage of their dialogue.  The worship services themselves tell a story on a visceral level that perhaps cannot be understood any other way.  

The opening worship was at Little Rock African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.  It calls to attention the history of the Methodist Church which has been divided more along the lines of race and worship style than by theological differences.  The history is long and complex, and I do not want to oversimplify it here.  It is enough to say that race often comes up as a critical factor in the quest for Christian unity. Churches segregating themselves by culture can be either benign or oppressive depending on the circumstances, so it is always worth keeping that discussion at the forefront with a watchful eye.  On a related note, Rev. Ted Sample offered two sessions during the workshop on "The Talk and Practices of Poor People."  How we use language matters, and differences in economic class and race must be considered when working toward the whole, unified Body of Christ.

The choir at Little Rock AME Zion Church.



St. Peters Catholic Church, Charlotte, NC.

The next day featured a Roman Catholic Mass at St. Peter Church, with Eucharist offered to only those in "full communion" with the Catholic Church.  The following day, a Eucharist service was held at St. Peter Episcopal Church.  A Lutheran minister gave the sermon, a testament to the unity between Lutherans and Anglicans.  Yet, Catholic policy would have Catholics abstain from communion there.  Songs and Eucharist prayers were intentionally repeated between the two services to show parallels and suggest continuity.  The fact that both churches are named "St. Peter's" adds another level of symbolism.


St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Charlotte, NC, full view of the pipe organ.

Evangelical Christianity enters the discussing by offering itself as an example of how to break through all this.  Christian identity to them is rooted almost entirely in an individual profession of faith in Jesus Christ and his Scriptures.  Christian unity can be built on that and that alone, they argue. 

In light of this, an excursion was made to CharlotteONE.  This is a worship service targeted to millennials.  It is open to all, regardless of denomination.  It typically features contemporary Christian music and preaching.  It was showcased as a possibility of how to transcend denominational lines, especially with a younger generation which has far less allegiance to denominational membership than previous generations.  It acts in some ways as an entry point to Christianity, and organizers can help participants discern a formal church membership with any number of denominations.

CharlotteONE:  A new way to bring young people to church.

The setting for CharlotteONE:  An historic Methodist Church.

The difficulty with "non-denominational" events is that they are mostly expressions of evangelical Christianity rather than something fully inclusive.  Like most efforts at unity, they shows positive "signs of the Kingdom" which call us to imagine what is possible.  But while they are open to all, they require some Christians to give up or downplay many pieces of their Christian identity in order to participate.  As a result, they are oddly fully open and very limited at the same time.  CharlotteONE seems to offer evangelical Christianity as the unifying force in Christianity.  There is promise is this method but also shortcomings, and it is important to acknowledge both.

While most hierarchical denominations would agree that there are pieces of their tradition that are more central than others, the evangelical alternative falls short to many.  Evangelical Christianity can have a strong role to play in the quest for Christian unity, but by itself it cannot be the answer, because for better or for worse it has become one tradition among many--albeit a popular and powerful one, perhaps even a meta-tradition. Focusing on a few core beliefs in common is a healthy exercise for all Christians.  However, I have to believe that the answer to the prayer of Christian unity is not stripping away all of tradition down to a few fundamental building blocks, but rather acknowledging all of our traditions in their sum total and reconciled with each other.  Still, that core relationship with Jesus Christ is the foot in the door that brings us all together, and the importance of that in creating a common language and family bond between Christians must be acknowledged.  To the extent that evangelical Christianity has loosened the denominational approach of Christianity and reclaimed Christianity as a movement of the people, much fruit will come of this.

Contemporary Christian music at CharlotteONE.

All in all, this is a snapshot of how far we have come and how far we still have to go.  It is worth pointing out that 50 years ago it was often forbidden for members of one denomination to attend services of other denominations or even step foot into their worship spaces, except for extraordinary events such as a funeral.  We have certainly come a long way in a short time.

VIDEOS:  Some videos and audio recordings of the NWCU are available from EDEIO (Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers).  Their first installment includes portions of Dr. Sandra Keating's talk on Muslim perspectives on Christian unity and the song "By the Grace of God" by the Little Rock AME Zion Church.  More will be uploaded to their site later.

Coming Up...

In the next installment, we will look at the National Workshop on Christian Unity in terms of the vibrant Catholic and evangelical Christian dialogue!

Christian Unity in Full Bloom

Stop #1 on the Religious Unity Tour!

 

Ecumenical  Advocacy Days

 

In the halls of Congress. Photo: advocacydays.org.

 

A vibrant gathering has been taking place in Alexandria, Virginia, one weekend every year since 2003.  In the shadow of the Pentagon, Christians from dozens of traditions pray, study and act on a specific theme of injustice which has been chosen for that year.  Vibrant interdenominational worship and challenging discussions prepare participants in mind, body and spirit for the culminating event: A Lobby Day on Capitol Hill. On that final Monday, this ecumenical assembly divides up by Congressional district to advocate for the less fortunate.

 

There are over 60 sponsor organizations for Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD).  These include the official justice and advocacy offices of church denominations, religious orders and faith-based non-profits.  It is hard to define a group of people by a single expression.  Calling this "the peace movement" or a collection of diverse "social justice movements" only goes so far as descriptors, but for the sake of simplicity I will use these terms interchangeably in this post. 

 



Under the watchful eye of Abraham Lincoln, faith leaders discuss
 mass incarceration from a Gospel perspective with Congressional staff members.
Photo: advocacydays.org.

The theme for this year was Breaking the Chains:  Mass Incarceration & Systems of Exploitation.  Racism, for-profit prisons, "mandatory minimums," torture, solitary confinement, immigrant family detention, human trafficking and related issues were all explored in great detail and passion.  The economic and cultural impact of mass incarceration was shown in its debilitating reality.  The verdict is clear:  The prison system in the USA is in dire need of reform as it does not come close to living up to Gospel values.  Over 1,000 advocates participated in the lobby this year.

 

Click here for the Lobby Day asking points.

 

The event kicked off with impassioned preaching by African Methodist Episcopal and United Church of Christ pastor Rev. Traci deVon Blackmon, shown below:

 

Rev. Traci deVon Blackmon. Photo: advocacydays.org.

Bishop José García from the Church of God of Prophecy led the interdenominational worship on Sunday morning. He compared the gathering to the "school of prophets" mentioned in 1 Kings.
 

 

Bishop José Garcia. Photo: advocacydays.org.

Recordings of the talks are available here.

 

This is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-denominational gathering that includes mainline and evangelical Christians.  Participants and sponsors range from American Baptist to Christian Scientist to Catholic along with the full range of mainline Protestants.  Presbyterians are one of the strongest core members of this gathering.

 

It might be more curious to mention what is absent.  In the worship services, workshops and talks, there are few appeals for Christian unity.  There are no extended dialogues in which speakers try to convince the participants to reach across denominational lines for a common purpose.  It is mentioned, but very few people are spending energy making the case for Christian unity.  On the contrary, the unity of all Christians is simply a given. 

 

As a result, it is very difficult to talk about Christian unity in the peace and social justice movements.  Unity happens so seamlessly, so well and it has been going on for so long that it is puzzling to even know what to say, other than just to say that much.  It is quite an impressive tradition.  People get along so well, religious harmony is taken for granted and working ecumenically is second nature to most folks.  It is not shocking, novel or new to work across denominational lines for peace and justice.  In fact, it is assumed.

 

The ecumenical story here is that there is not much of a story.  Paradoxically, that is quite a tale to tell.

 

Visible Signs of the Kingdom

 

EAD is a faith-based movement.  It comes from denominations, and it comes from individuals.  It attracts people with certain theologies, and over time, it has developed its own styles, attitudes and faith perspectives.  A Catholic at EAD may feel she has more in common with a Mennonite at EAD, for example, than with members of her own congregation.

 

What is interesting is that it has not become a denomination in its own right.  Folks still pretty much remain as members of their respective denominations.  In this way, they act as salt of the earth.  They pray, study and act on the nonviolence of Jesus and the social activism that they feel called to through the Gospel.  They gather for mutual encouragement and collaboration in mission. Afterwards, they return to flavor their respective churches and communities back home.  When folks talk of Christian unity, often the first thing that comes to mind is the relationship between denominations. The role of non-institutional, organized-but-informal movements in my opinion has always been far underrated in their importance as a representation of the Body of Christ.

 

There is probably no other group that embodies religious harmony as well as the peace and social justice movements. Unity is just the context through which business is done for them.  Perhaps it is because when you work for social justice, you realize very quickly that you simply cannot accomplish much by yourself.  Helping to usher in God's Kingdom and promote peace, harmony and justice on earth takes a village and more.  It requires all hands on deck.  It has to happen through community; it has to happen through collaboration.  It means reaching out to people that at one time you would not normally reach out to.  Through that work, a unity has been realized that the official denominations have yet to fully implement themselves.  Still, a visible sign of the Kingdom has been seen, and we cannot now un-see it.  The Body of Christ clearly extends beyond the reach of denominational bounds, leaving to those denominations the task of figuring out how to catch up (we will see how those denominations are coming along in the next post!)

When it comes to the story of Christian unity, the peace and social justice movements are strong witnesses.  Perhaps it makes sense that this would be the first stop on my journey of religious unity.  This is Ecumenism 101.  Christians united for a common purpose is THE primary starting point.  Having written that, I have to also wonder if the peace and justice movements do not represent an intro to unity but are rather the experienced, advanced level students.  It is easy to get the sense that these folks are so far ahead of everyone else when it comes to unity, simply waiting for everyone else to catch up.  They accept and appreciate their differences and seamlessly work together with a common spirit.  

 

Part 2 of this Religious Unity Tour will showcase the National Workshop on Christian Unity: Exploring the work that denominations themselves are doing to express in their structures the unity of the Body of Christ.  Stay tuned for that post!

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.