Exploring Ecumenism

Aim to Do Good to One Another and to All People

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

1 Thessalonians 5: 13 - 25

This is the end of another letter and again a list of good advice.  Presumably Paul intended to end the letter by being encouraging. 

The aim is in verse 23 is sanctification.  The mark of any Christian community is its growth in grace.  We forget this when we affirm our own tradition as right.  Even if our tradition has got it mostly right, we still need God's grace.

Verses 20 and 21 offer a clue.  We are told not to despise the words of the prophets and then to test everything, affirming what is good and abstaining from evil.  This is not to accept the words of the prophets at face value but to test their words and discern what they mean for us.

Surely this advice applies to unity as much as it does to anything else?  What do we need to affirm as we seek greater unity and what do we need to abstain from?

Whatever the answer, the point is at the end of this passage.  It is faithfulness, not losing sight of the vision that is Jesus Christ.

Delight in the Law of the Lord

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

Psalm 1: 1 - 3

I can only conclude this was included as a space filler.  I can't see what this has to do with ecumenism, let alone the main section heading 'Recognising that we belong together' or the subheading 'Interdependence and partnership'.  It does not seem in any way to relate to the other passages under this subheading.

I have another problem with this passage and that is it needs to be read in the context of the New Testament.  The law has been superceded by grace and peace in Jesus Christ.  Whilst this does not invalidate it, it does mean we have a different focus or should have. 

Ultimately the law on its own is divisive.  We see this in the way the Pharisees used the law to exalt their own position in Jesus' day.  We see it in the way churches have used the law to justify marginalisation of those who break it.

A few nights ago we read the story of Jesus' last week in Matthew.  It included this verse (21:32): 'For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him ...'

Leaving aside how disconcerting it might be for both tax collectors and prostitutes to be lumped together in this way, we should understand it is they who really meditate on the law!  If you know sin, you somehow also know the law.  You understand the nature of the hypocrisy Jesus inveighs at in these chapters.

It is those who inhabit the margins who know the law, value the law and desire to follow the law.  Do they prosper?  At this question the Pharisee rushes to the head of the queue and claims 'I prosper unlike the tax collectors and prostitutes'.  The latter turn away humiliated.

And yet is it not those who turn away humiliated, those who know the reality of the law and of hypocrisy, who are like trees planted by streams of water?

Bear One Another's Burdens

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

Galatians 6: 1 - 2

Paul is writing to individuals rather than churches.  When one transgresses, we are called to bear the resulting burden together.  This is not about condemnation but supporting one another in love. 

How does this apply to institutions?  Is the Methodist Church called to bear the Roman Catholic Church's burdens over child abuse?  It's difficult to work out what this might mean in practice but the principle is not difficult to grasp.

All institutions fall short of our own and God's expectations.  Indeed, it is likely God is more tolerant of our failures than we are.  We may not have any choice about bearing one another's trangressions, as many are only too willing to condemn the churches as a whole for the failings of the few.  Indeed, the Islamic fundamentalists who flew into the twin towers have fuelled new atheist anti-religion, which somehow justifies their anti-Christian as well as anti-Islamic rants.

Perhaps what this passage implies is we should treat one another gently, whatever tradition or religion, and set an example as to how we deal with transgressions.  We're not always terribly good at this type of thing but this passage is at least suggestive.

Related articles

• Let Us Love One Another (chrississons.typepad.co.uk)

Righteousness and Peace will Embrace

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

Psalm 85: 10 - 11

So, our calling is to be united, not in the sense of establishing a single church under one authority but in the sense of us learning to love one another despite our differences.  There are still intractable prejudices but the ecumenical movement's higher calling is to effect reconciliation in the Holy Spirit between all those who look to Christ as saviour.  And of course this is a precursor to that greater Oikoumene, the reconciliation of all things to God.

This psalm is intriguing because it suggests, during the Old Testament period there were some who saw the need for reconciliaiton between God and humanity and the real possibility of effecting it.

We've come a long way since this psalm was written and to many it might seem we have moved further from this vision.

But the point is, we are not alone and despite the failure of our best efforts, we still experience God as prepared to meet us more than half way.

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• That They All Be One (chrississons.typepad.co.uk)
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Welcome One Another

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

Romans 15:7

Following on from what I wrote yesterday, something else needs to be spelled out.  As far as other Christians go, we have no choice in the matter.  We must welcome one another.  This is what baptism means. 

And this welcome means Christians must be welcomed as full members of the church, even if not of my particular tradition.

The tragedy is, there are some who are not accepted.  I read somewhere the other day, why if a church is unable to ordain homosexuals, does it baptise them?  The logic is that we do not baptise those we would not ordain.  I hope most Christians would baulk at such a denial of baptism.  For those who practice infant baptism, it would mean they would have to wait until the adult announced their sexuality.  Baptism would no longer be a mark of unconditional acceptance into the faith. 

It is shameful there is any group of baptised people not fully acceptable to some Christians.  It seems for some it is essential to have other Christians we do not welcome.

At one time Catholics and Protestants excluded one another; exclusion has been, and perhaps in some places still is, on the basis of race.  By and large, most prejudices have been outed and so those who need someone to hate have decided to hold fast to sexuality. 

I wonder whether we will ever be free of such prejudice?  Over 2000 years, our shameful divisions have also been the way the church has been learning its high calling, to be a place wherein the whole of humanity might be reconciled. 

It is precisely those who live in the margins who need to be welcomed.  Jesus died for the marginalised and we do well not to forget it.  To understand ecumenism as reconciliation between mainstream Christian traditions, is to ignore the real pain of those who are rejected by these same churches.  I suspect many homosexuals would argue the mainstream churches are united in who they choose to reject.  Ecumenism cannot happen independently of justice.

Related articles

• We Love Because He First Loved Us (chrississons.typepad.co.uk)
• Never Put a Hindrance in the Way of Another (chrississons.typepad.co.uk)

To Draw Everyone to Himself

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

John 12:32

One verse today, from John.  John differs from the synoptic gospels because he climbs inside the story, telling it from an inner perspective.  All the gospels are post-resurrection, John takes this to the furthest point those who chose the canon could tolerate.

Why should all people be drawn to a man on a cross?  It is difficult to imagine, living in a country where we have no death penalty.

I imagine most people treat executions as 'there but for the grace of God go I'.  'I'm just relieved I'm not being executed.'  Perhaps some people delight in judicial killing, they see justice enacted before their eyes.  Whose justice?

The point is, physical force is used as the ultimate last resort for the powers and authorities.  The Christian story negates this power.  They no longer have any means to scare us into compliance with their delusions of perfection.

Some find God on the cross offensive.  God is supposed to be perfect.  If God hasn't got things sorted, what hope have we?  It is bad enough believing God could be incarnated as a mere human being.  But then for him to be treated in this way ...

Eventually, the penny drops.  How else can God approach us, except from the cross?  If God comes in some other form, how are we tell God from all the ego-maniacs who would possess our souls? 

One Flock, One Shepherd

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

John 10: 14 - 16

This is a similar message to the last post.  The difference is a matter of emphasis.  You can read this passage as a vision of unity;  all the different traditions will in time be united.

Or else you are invited to understand there are others, not counted by the existing churches because they are peripheral.  They are people who Jesus died for (John is writing from after the passion) and are not a part of the recognised Christian traditions. 

There is a lot of debate these days about Universalism, the belief that ultimately all people will be saved.  One argument against Universalism assumes those who are saved must accept Jesus Christ as saviour. 

What is rarely discussed is, the identity of the saved.  It is easy to discount those who are on the margins.  It is very easy to condemn those who are peripheral to social norms, for example gays; people who are already oppressed because they are despised.

If the anti-Universalists are right, and the axe will fall, cutting some off from God, the question is where the axe will fall.  I suspect it will fall in unexpected places.

But it seems many are only too keen to leap to conclusions on God's behalf.  Those who are saved in this passage are those who listen to God's voice.  The key is not their goodness, you do not have to be good to qualify.  It is by entering into a relationship with God that we learn to be good.  It is those who 'listen to my voice' who are part of the flock.

Better that One Man Die for the People

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This is part of a series of posts based on the Churches Together in England publication one light: one world.  If you click on the link you will find the biblical texts.  This post of the same name covers the purpose of this series.

John 11: 49 - 52

Reading the passion narratives, it is obvious Jesus unites not his friends (they run away) but his enemies.  What united them?  Caiaphas does not speak for himself alone.  He's named because he was High Priest that year.  Those he represents agree because they are fearful of the Romans (v48).

The passion narratives show us the reality of human political and religious systems.  They will dispose of an awkward individual because they are under threat.  Make no mistake, their fear is not for the people but for their own power base.  We have seen this caricatured in recent weeks by General Gaddafi's self-serving rhetoric.

Of course, the reason CTE has chosen this passage is v52.  The idea is Caiaphas prophesied the gathering into one of 'the dispersed children of God'.  So, what are we to make of this? 

First, whatever it means it is obvious John is reading post-resurrection learning into his account of events.  So, why are the children dispersed?  We cannot divorce our understanding of this text from the passion narrative.  It is about oppression.  The children of God are dispersed because they are oppressed.  This story is uniting them, so they may act as one people.

These days in England, the children of God are neither oppressed nor dispersed.  They are not a people on the margins, but a people at the power centres.  To a degree, adepts themselves at oppression and dispersal.

We see the Christians in the Middle East suffering because of the activities of Western Christians, alienating the settled religious peoples and causing conflict between them.

What really divides Christians is power. 

The only Lord

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment is the first of all?'  Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.".  The second is this, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."  There is no other commandment greater than these.'  (Mark 12: 28 - 31)

This is part of a longer story and I have already looked at it in a previous post.  I will not repeat here what I said then but I will make a few points about this part of the story.

The first commandment is the Schema and is almost a quote from the previous passage in this series.  It is almost a quote because Jesus has added the words 'and with all your mind' to it.  Why? 

The second commandment is from Leviticus.  Apparently, given that Leviticus comes before Deuteronomy in the Torah, it would be normal for a rabbi to quote them in the reverse order.  Jesus puts love of God first.

This story is about love.  We should love God because God is one and this is most important.  Why? 

God's love is something we can rely upon.  Because the motives of people are confused, love of neighbour can be a thankless task.  To love is to risk your own well-being for the benefit of others, who might not appreciate the gesture.

The oneness of God means God is reliable, unlike those we are called to love.  So, although the oneness of God does not necessarily point to the unity of the church, it seems unity is only possible through a reconciled church and reconciliation is dependent on the oneness of God.

Strong and Weak Christians

As a vegetarian of almost 25 years, I am alarmed to discover I am a weak Christian!  The problem for Paul, had nothing to do with factory farms and cruelty to animals, though.  He presumably would have had no problem with the characters in the picture, who are ordinary secular butchers (as far as I can tell!)

Of course, Paul, in Romans 14, is referring to those who believe that any activity connected with pagan temples is prohibited to Christians.  Reading this chapter I note three things of interest.