Ecumenical Aspirations

In dialogue with a couple of 'Ecumenical Officers' this week, one of them remarked that ecumenical aspirations were noble and to be applauded, but usually totally unrealistic.

We are in the long dark ecumenical teatime of the soul. Wherever one looks moves to be one were all running aground and some were choosing to remain but to no longer engage with members of other Christian groups. It is now better to be working in multi-faith groups than multiple denominational, but it is predominantly the ecumenical areas that foster the polite presence approach.

Apparently it is not polite to ask other Christians what they believe and even worse if, upon discovering a heresy within their make-up, to challenge them or ask them to explain their position and the way they have reached their opinion. "It's better to be together and avoid the areas of difference," said one person, "That way we present a positive image to those outside looking in."

This leads me to question what Jesus' words at the end of John where He prays that we would be one as He and the Father are one. Being one Church, as in denomination, is how some approach this. A Catholic friend tells me that all would be well if we 'just' all returned to the 'True Church' (which is of course, for them 'Rome'). An Orthodox friend says that all would be well if everybody, including Rome (who he considers to be the splitters), returned to the 'True Church' which is of course Orthodox!

My Pentecostal friends tell me that everyone should leave Rome and become 'proper Christians'! Interestingly they have no view on the Orthodox because they know nothing of them other than they're Greek (Aren't they? We saw them on holiday with their big hats and beards!!).

My Methodist friends (I have a few, can't be helped!) are basically of the opinion that everyone out there is far to concerned with the Bible and rules and doing the right thing and should just get down and engage in the social stuff around them.

Scratch a Christian, of any complexion, and you'll find a difference. Scratch some and you'll find stuff that others consider make them barely Christian (or ven non-Christian)! Scratch others and you'll find that they appear to assume that they are the only 'real Christians'.

Find someone who is a Baptist but joined from a C of E setting and ask them whether they moved because they had a change ion their thinking over baptism and then ask someone who was baptist but is now Anglican the same question. The answer I always get is that they moved because of the worship, the dogcollar and a host of other, non-theological, reasons.

Ask A Pentecostalist whether they are evangelical and they will most likely answer in the affirmative but ask an evangelical if Pentecostalists are evo's and they will probably answer with a negative.

Ask a Catholics what they believe and nine times out of ten they will tell you that they pray to Mary and that the Pope is the head of the 'true Church' and probably tell you all about Henry VIII and a failed divorce!

How can we expect to be together and find areas of common faith, to celebrate the image of Christ in each other and to dialogue when we don't even know who we are or what we believe? As the bloke said this week, "People love the idea of being one but don't understand what it means. It is more than sticking everyone in a room and shouting, 'look unity!', it is an engagement which comes out of being sure of who we are so that we are afraid of others taking that away!"

So here's a question for me, but you can play too, do I know who and am and what being an Anglican says about my Christianity?

One of the colleges I have attended, Ridley, had an exceptionally good summary of what being an open evangelical is all about. It is:

"Roots down - walls down!"

We grow in our own denominational and faith, putting down roots so that we are securely based and, having removed the things that separate us, let our branches reach out to touch, and be touched by, others around us.

I think this is the beginning of ecumenical aspiration!

Pax