SHAPING AN IDEAL CHURCH - #5

"The Church itself has sometimes been idealistic, raising its gaze above the hurly-burly of its actual, empirical existence to remind itself of what it is more substantially in the creative design of God. The traditional marks of the church express this idealism. In substance, according to the creative design of God, the Christian community is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic (Denise Lardner Carmody. An Ideal Church: A Meditation, p. 16)." She adds a contemporary, fifth mark for the church of the twenty-first century. The church is ecumenical. (Ecumenical, like its cousin economy and ecology, comes from the Greek word oikos, the household. God created the world as one household. Ecumenism is the movement for one ecclesial household of faith).

The church of the future has to be ecumenical, has to build bridges over Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox waters. Each tradition has its own theological and spiritual style. "Protestants favor a dialectical style keenly aware of the oppositions and negativities at work in the world, faith, and the human mind. Catholics favor an analogical style more at home in the world and more sacramental. Orthodox favor a mystical style that traditionally has seen reality as filled with God's Spirit, and so, has read earthly life typologically, as a pale reflection of heavenly glories. A dialectical theological style is passionate about the soleness of God. It is...a radical monotheism. An analogical style draws its energy from the incarnation. A mystical style is quickly liturgical, loving to celebrate the divine beauty and drawn to the silence that the best song suggests is our purest adoration. (p. 40-41)."

Each tradition has something to contribute to the others. Each tradition ideally is a check and balance on the others. Each tradition has the potential to enrich the others. It is time for the churches to make amends, to give up grudges, to kiss, to make up. We've been courting each other for the last thirty years. It's time to get married, to constitute one flock under the one shepherd. How can we belong to one another in Christ?

First, by letting go of past hurts and by forgiving each other. "Each party had so many grievances on its mind, so many running sores in its soul, that it wanted all your attention to focus on its victimhood. Its was the cause that was righteous. Theirs was the cause that was hateful, violent, irrational, unjust (p. 43)."

Second, by praying together regularly - not just at Thanksgiving. If we were birthed in the singular womb-font of mother church, then we are truly kith and kin. We have much in common. The Spirit is an earnest bequeathed to all. Let's build bridges through contemplative, liturgical, and intercessory prayer. Let's bring Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox children, teenagers and adults together in prayer.

Third, by working together for social justice, by addressing economic and ecological issues, by doing advocacy for the poor, by mentoring each other in ministry and public service.

"Ecumenical reunion is not a luxury. Our division remains our greatest liability and scandal (p. 44)." The world cannot be in peace, concord, and harmony unless the churches model forgiveness, mentor mutual embrace, teach divine and human friendship, and tutor one another in love.