Christian...Unity?!?

Many of my favorite Roman Catholic bloggers are doing an admirable job of observing this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, using resources prepared by The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and The Commission of Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.

As ever, I'm grateful for the prayers in word and song that Fr. Austin Fleming is posting this week on A Concord Pastor Comments. On Catholic Sensibility, Neil is providing easy access to the official suggested readings and questions for reflection.

Meanwhile, over at People for Others, Fr. Paul Brian Campbell, S.J. wonders if he actually wants to be "united with fundamentalists who think the situation in Haiti comes from a pact made with the devil." Nor is he keen on being aligned with "those who preach the 'Gospel of Prosperity.'" He asks readers, "Where are you on the issue of Christian Unity?"

Great question, Padre!

Please note that even the PCPCU hedges its ecumenical bets, an observation I'm basing on the list of churches and world communions with which the PCPCU is "engaged in an international theological dialogue." At the bottom of their list: "some Pentecostal groups." And below that: "The Council also seeks to promote meetings with Evangelicals." Could that sentence possibly be more carefully constructed?

If you ask me, I say Christian unity is way too ambitious a goal, even for one measly week during Ordinary Time. As for me and my house, we will aim for simple civility ─ even toward Christians who are embarrassing jerks.

Advent : Watchful Waiting and...Arguing?

I thought I was seeing evidence of ecumenical healing in a recent story about Evangelical Protestants recognizing and embracing Advent. Then I read approximately half of the 631 posted comments before logging out with dismay.

Looks like intra-religious animosity is alive and thriving -- Protestants bashing Catholics, Catholics bashing Protestants; mutual disdain and disregard; sheer ignorance all around; spelling errors. Brave attempts by a stalwart few to remind participants that Christians should at least agree on this point: Christ Jesus is Lord.

I say it's a darn good thing we have God's durable covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17). If there was ever a time for God to declare the past 5769 years an unholy beta test, this would surely be it.

Wagging Tongues in the News

While I've basically sworn off commentary about secular politics, I cannot resist alerting readers to this lead from an article in today's Wall Street Journal:

"At the Pentecostal church where Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin worshipped for more than two decades, congregants speak in tongues and are part of a faith that believes humanity is in its 'end times' ..."

Glossolalia? Hey, bring it on! Could it make any less sense than what currently passes for political discourse?

Finding a Place to Belong

Barbara, who characterizes herself as a "Catholic in crisis," writes to say that her core identity as a Roman Catholic is exactly what stops her from leaving for an evangelical or Pentecostal church. "I can’t bring myself to follow the lead of so many to find a closer experience with God, to find a place to belong. Its been a struggle for me for about 2 years." She asks if I have any advice.

These sorts of conversations with cradle Catholics always ramp up my gratitude for arriving at Catholicism during adulthood. By then, I'd pretty much figured out that to be a "good" Catholic I'd need to distinguish:

• religion from faith;
  
• religious identity from cultural identity;
  
• being catholic from being Catholic, and
  
• parish life from the Body of Christ.

Being raised Jewish puts me at an advantage because Jews have spent millenniums grappling with such nuances. My Jewish legacy absolutely entitles me to answer her questions with questions:

• What do you mean by "closer" to God?
• What do you mean by "belonging"?

Whenever I get my knickers in a twist over something that's going on with the People of God or church leadership, I take a break from them and focus on God.

I suppose I'll always retain Judaism's insistence on direct dialing, but as a Catholic this means I focus on Holy Communion. Call me human, but I cannot commune with them unless I'm in communion with Him. You will not find this central focus on Eucharist at an evangelical or Pentecostal church.

As a practical matter, you'll need to find a parish where you can focus on coming to the table of the Lord and being nourished there. Go someplace where you're not distracted by community maneuvers or whatever you may have heard about the pastor. Practice lectio divina with the Mass readings du jour. Pray to God for signs. Gently place your two years of desert wandering within a lifelong journey of faith.

As for "belonging" in the sense of participating in a parish community, I'll have more to say about that in another post. Just yesterday, I had a conversation with someone about the whys and hows of leaving one parish for another. I seem to be having a lot of these conversations lately. So glad that tomorrow is Laetare Sunday!