John H Armstrong

The Life and Witness of Brother Roger: An Icon of Love and Unity

Yesterday I wrote about Brother Roger of Taizé in my post. I confess that Brother Roger was one of my genuine spiritual role models in helping form my view of life, love and ecumenism. 

There were a number of things about him I found attractive. For example, he believed that the spiritual leader should always keep a low profile. He rarely gave interviews and refused to permit any personality "cult" to grow up around himself. (How refreshing is that?) Prior to his death in 2005, he was due to give up his community functions because of his advanced age and ill-health. He had begun to suffer from incredible fatigue and often used a wheelchair.

Brother Roger was awarded a number of honors and wrote many books on prayer and reflection, always asking young people to be confident in God and committed to their local church community and to humanity. He also wrote books about Christian spirituality and prayer, some together with Mother Teresa with whom he shared a very cordial friendship.

Brother Roger devoted himself to ecumenism in a remarkable way, seeking to reconcile the different Christian churches in every way possible. He especially loved younger Christians whom he addressed often. During a Taizé gathering in Paris in 1995 Brother Roger spoke to more than 100,000 young people who were sitting on the floor of an exhibition hall. His words at this gathering reveal his approach, one that some evangelicals will find unacceptable because of their strong stress upon formal preaching in a church context. He said: "We have come here to search," he said, "or to go on searching through silence and prayer, to get in touch with our inner life. Christ always said, Do not worry, give yourself." 

The monks at Taizé included members of Lutheran, Anglican, Evangelical, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communions. He always worked to create greater unity among Christian churches, but his focus for more than sixty years was to awaken spirituality among young people in Europe who were growing up in a secular world. This is how he particularly touched my life. I began ACT 3, under a different name, in 1991. My goal was reformation and spiritual renewal. As I grew in this work I saw the connection with unity powerfully. This led to my adopting and teaching what I now call missional-ecumenism. Brother Roger thus became a huge influence in my own journey. 

When he died in 2005 an obituary, published in the New York Times after his untimely death in a Taizé service at the hands of a deranged person who slit his throat, said:

Before the fall of Communism, he and his group had quietly created prayer circles among Catholics in Poland and Hungary and Protestants in East Germany that proved influential during protests in those countries. The Taizé prayer groups with their message of peace and conciliation eventually also reached into the United States - he has followers in New York - as well as Canada, Brazil, South Korea and elsewhere.

He became well known as both a mystic and a realist, a man with a humble personal style who was able to attract tens of thousands of followers. He also became a driving force behind the annual World Youth Day, being held this week in Cologne, Germany.

The Taizé center and Brother Roger drew tens of thousands of pilgrims a year. Although he was seen by many as a guru, he preferred to use the phrase, "My brothers and I want to be seen as people who listen, never as spiritual masters."

When Brother Roger’s health became more frail he named Brother Alois, a German Roman Catholic, to succeed him. The Taizé community is still led by Brother Alois.

From a Protestant background, Brother Roger undertook a step that was without precedent since the Reformation. He entered progressively into a full communion with the faith of the Catholic Church without a “conversion” that would imply a break with his origins. I want to make this point as clearly as I know how. I have discussed this with many Catholics, some of whom refuse to believe that this is the truth of the matter but I have become convinced beyond any reasonable doubt of the facts of the case.

In 1980, during a European Meeting in Rome, he said in St. Peter’s Basilica in the presence of Pope John Paul II: “I have found my own identity as a Christian by reconciling within myself the faith of my origins with the mystery of the Catholic faith, without breaking fellowship with anyone.” (Please read this again. It is both remarkably uncommon and virtually unknown!)

Brother Roger then took the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist every morning at the Catholic Mass in Taizé, and he received the sacrament from both the current and former Pope. This seems to be in contravention of canonical prohibitions on administering the sacrament to those not in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. According to Cardinal Walter Kasper this was accomplished as though there was a tacit understanding between Brother Roger and the Catholic Church "crossing certain confessional" and canonical barriers through what brother Roger called a gradual enrichment of his faith with the foundations of the Catholic Church including "the ministry of unity exercised by the bishop of Rome."

I wrote in my book, Your Church Is Too Small, of Cardinal Ratzinger serving the Eucharist to Brother Roger at the funeral Mass of John Paul II. I have had a number of responses to this statement, many claiming that Cardinal Ratzinger was “caught off guard” when Brother Roger was wheeled forward to the altar area after the service had already begun. With him very near the bishops there was a sense that they had to serve him the Eucharist rather than create offense. I have asked members of the Taizé community about the facts of this case and I am persuaded that I now know the truth. 

The answer as follows. Brother Roger went to Rome for the funeral but did not plan to go when the day of the service came because he had arisen that morning so weak and tired. He was even late in arriving. Because he was so widely known and loved he was wheeled forward to a place where the cardinals were near to the altar. When the time came to distribute the sacred meal it is true that there was little choice but to serve Brother Roger. But what those who insist that a Protestant minister could not be communed fail to realize is that this was gladly done because it had been done for many years before this Mass seen by millions of viewers the world over. Brother Roger did not force anyone’s hand in the matter. He did not create a problem. He was placed there, by Catholic leaders, out of love. He would not have been there in the first place had others not have taken him there. But the simple fact is that he acknowledged the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, remained a Protestant minister his entire life and was routinely communed by Catholic priests, including the last two Popes. 

In an unusual way Brother Roger was an icon and Taizé remains an iconic community of love and unity. This is one of the many reasons I encourage you to learn more about this remarkable mission. It is also why I encourage you, if you are between 18-35 years of age, to attend the Memorial Day Taizé conference at DePaul University. 

 

Chicago Taizé: An Event You Should Know About

The Taizé Community was begun after World War II by a young Reformed minister by the name of Frère Roger, or Brother Roger as we know his name in English. Roger Louis Schütz-Marsauche (1915-2005) was the ninth and youngest child of Karl Ulrich Schütz, a Reformed pastor from Bachs in the Swiss Lowlands. His mother was Amélie Henriette, a French Protestant from Burgundy (France). 

From 1937 to 1940, Roger studied Reformed theology in Strasbourg and Lausanne. He was a leader in the Swiss Student Christian Movement, part of the World Student Christian Federation.

In 1940, Roger rode a bicycle from Geneva to Taizé, a very small town about 240 miles southeast of Paris. Taizé was just beyond the line of demarcation to the zone occupied by German troops. For two years Brother Roger hid Jewish refugees before being forced to leave Taizé. In 1944, he returned to Taizé to found a Christian monastic community which was initially a group of young men living together in poverty and obedience. Today Taizé is an ecumenical order composed of about one hundred brothers, from Protestant and Catholic traditions. These bothers originate from thirty countries across the world. The order has a strong devotion to peace and justice through prayer and meditation. 

In 1945, a young lawyer from the region set up an association to take charge of children who had lost their parents in the war. He suggested to the brothers that they welcome a certain number of them in Taizé. A men’s community could not receive children. So Brother Roger asked his sister Genevieve to come back to take care of them and become their mother. On Sundays, the brothers also welcomed German prisoners-of-war interned in a camp nearby Taizé.

On Easter Day 1949, seven brothers committed themselves together for their whole life in celibacy and to live a life together in great simplicity. Thus began this now famous mission in a small town in France.

Today the community has become one of the world's most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizé each year for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and communal work. Through the community's ecumenical outlook, they are encouraged to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity and reconciliation. Some of you know about Taizé because of hymns and simple songs that you use in worship or you have attended a unique Taizé service. 

I tell this short account of Brother Roger’s life, and of the work of the Taizé community, because there is a Taizé mission coming to America in May of this year. This is, so far as I can tell, a first. The brothers of Taizé have quietly served in a few urban centers among the poor but today they have no regular presence in the U.S. Consistent with their desire to reach young adults they have now planned a Memorial Day weekend gathering for Chicago, May 25-28. Because of my deep interest in missional-ecumenism among young adults I met with two Taizé brothers on Friday, March 23. My purpose was to learn how I could actively support their work. Here is the most recent email they have sent to those who are supporting their May mission.

 

Chicago, March 23, 2012

Dear Friends,

We are now in Chicago and, since we last wrote to you two months ago, a great deal has happened. Three Taizé brothers are now living in a house near DePaul University, just a minute away from the student chapel where, from Monday to Saturday, we have our midday prayer at 12.30 pm. Stopping for twenty-five minutes of prayer and silence in the middle of the day is unusual for busy people, but little by little some of our friends are realizing that such moments of silence and prayer are important.

We have been in contact with a number of parishes and congregations in Chicagoland. Many of them have dynamic young adult groups. We will be meeting many more in April. It is still too early to tell how many host families will open their doors to participants , but the positive response that we have encountered so far is encouraging.

Invitations from various places outside Chicago have also led us to travel: Canada, Indiana, Tennessee are some of the places we have been so far. Soon we will be in Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and further away. People are planning to come to Chicago from all of these places and some have already registered from as far away as California and western Canada.

Each Friday during Lent we go to a different church for prayer around the cross: http://www.taize.fr/en_article13514.html We plan to continue these kinds of prayers after Easter.

A number of new resources are available on www.taize.fr/Chicago, among them an 11 x 17 poster: http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/poster_chicago.pdf
and a flyer: http://www.taize.fr/IMG/pdf/half-sheet_postcard_wfb2902.pdf  These resources can be downloaded and printed and could be useful to invite others to the gathering.

To help spread word about the Pilgrimage of Trust in Chicago some have also been active on Facebook, telling their friends about it, sending them the link to the video http://www.taize.fr/en_article13195.html (often very effective to generate interest).

It is now possible to register online: http://taizechicago2012.eventbrite.com Each participant will be asked to contribute just over 52 dollars for the entire weekend.You should plan on an additional 20 dollars for public transportation in Chicago.

Don't forget that registration closes on April 30^th.

We very much look forward to seeing you in Chicago in May!

In communion,

Br John          Br Emile

 

I profoundly enjoyed my 90 minute conversation and prayer time with Brother John and Brother Emile last Friday. I invited Brother Emile to lead the benediction at our Conversation on Unity in Christ’s Mission on Monday evening, March 26, at Wheaton College. I invited him to specifically promote this event to Wheaton College students and scores of Catholic young adults who joined us for our large event. I will say more about Taizé, and Brother Roger, tomorrow. I believe this is one of God’s greatest living models of missional-ecumenism, which is why I wrote about Taizé on page 187 of my book, Your Church Is Too Small.

The Problem with Nondiscrimination Laws and the Rights of Homosexuals

I hate discrimination. I believe that when it comes to barring people from public places civil rights laws are quite necessary. I also believe that discrimination against homosexuals, because of their sexual orientation or private practice, is wrong. We presently face a number of legal struggles about discrimination that will impact all of us in one way or another. Let me explain what I mean with an intriguing development out of Great Britain. 

Fifteen years ago Peter and Hazelmary Bull made headlines when some reporters saw their "stodgy guest policy" (Wall Street Journal, 3/16/12) in these words: "No double rooms for unmarried couples." Since 1986 the Bulls had been turning away unwed couples at their Cornish B & B. No one bothered much until very recently. They just considered the Bulls out of touch. But things have changed now and this change is happening all across the West. 

A British appeals court recently upheld a stiff fine against the Bulls for turning down two men who wanted a room in their B & B 2008. These two men were joined in a legal civil union. (Great Britain has accepted civil unions since 2005.)  The Bulls, who refer to themselves as "born again Christians," feel they should decline such guests. The charge against them is that they violated the 2007 Equality Act. They have now appealed to the U.K. Supreme Court and if they lose they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. (They are being represented by a very conservative Christian legal group.) Current British law exempts some from nondiscrimination laws, especially churches. But commercial guesthouses do not get such an exemption, thus the battle with the Bulls and their house. 

Here is the point. The Bulls are allowed to hold their convictions in private but they cannot practice them in regards to their B & B because it is a "service and public function."  The Bulls are seeking "reasonable accommodation or expansion" for enterprises such as their own business. Here is the problem. The equality law is constructed to allow religious liberty only within a religious organization. Anne Jolis, writing in the Wall Street Journal, adds, "That's true enough, though Britain's equality and nondiscrimination rules already have more loopholes than a coherent principle can bear. A case in point involves British Airways, a private business that has had the better luck enforcing its standards under Britain's patchwork of rights, responsibilities and opt-outs." 

A dispute with British Airways (BA) now makes its way to the European Court of Human Rights. In this case BA has a long-standing dress code that bars employees from wearing visible religious symbols. In 2006 a check-in attendant named Nadia Eweida refused to stop displaying her crucifix and then refused a job that would have placed her in a non-public place with BA. She was placed on unpaid leave for six months. Subsequently BA relaxed its policy in 2007. British courts rejected her claim and BA was not forced to pay her back wages. She is now arguing her case before the European court in Strasbourg. Her argument? The UK court failed to protect her religious rights to nondiscrimination in the workplace. The government's argument, in this case, is actually based on the fact that Christianity does not require a believer to wear a symbol of their faith. (To be honest about this, I have to agree with this interpretation!) Wearing such a sign does not constitute the "practice" of the Christian faith. She is thus engaging in behavior that is "inspired by belief" but not essential to her expression of Christian faith. The court also argued, and this is a more persuasive point, that a private company has no "positive obligations to ensure this right." Her rights were not violated since she was "free to resign and seek employment elsewhere." 

But here is the problem with the argument of the Bulls with regard to their B & B. Just as no one forces Christians who wear symbols to work for secular-sensitive airlines nothing should compel a same-sex couple to lodge at a B & B that seeks to run its business by their Christian principles. In the case of the Bulls the government's position, says the Wall Street Journal "comes down to the fact that no one forces Christians to open businesses." 

A Downing Street spokesman said a few weeks ago that if a European court finds against Ms. Eweida, then the government may look into new protections for religious workers against private standards such as dress codes. The Wall Street Journal concludes: "That might satisfy devout Britains for a while, as would a new carve-out for religious business owners such as the Bulls--at least until the next time anyone's convictions, mores, practices or habits conflict with anyone else's in the country. Meanwhile, these small victories will only further muddle companies' freedoms to dispose of their resources as they see fit--regardless of faith, sexual orientation, or ever-changing estimations of political expedience."

These same types of arguments are already playing themselves out in the legal and political culture of the U.S. If you think this is simply a matter of "equality" or "prejudice" then I believe you clearly fail to grasp the deep significance of the points made above. Does this rise to the level of refusing service to a black person in a hotel or restaurant in the 1960s? It could if you are really honest about it. Does a company have the right to make standards about how employees should dress when the public will engage with them? I think so. But does this mean that there can be no show of religion in such a place? What about Muslim female employees who wear the traditional head coverings? I would guess this would be allowed because it would be seen as part of the practice of Islam.

I, for one, am not profoundly alarmed by this debate. Thus I do not agree with Christians who see all of this as a form of persecution. But I also do not agree that all laws against discrimination are entirely equal. This seems to be the reason we are still working this out in public contexts. I hope Christians will keep a cooler temperament about these debates and contribute to the future by helping us end discrimination against homosexuals wherever possible without sacrificing our religious freedom in the process. The way forward is slippery. Many challenges will have to be faced legally. I pray that we will respond with civility and grace in how we engage in these struggles about the law. I do not believe my rights are under constant assault. I do not believe there is a vast conspiracy to deny me my faith or to stop my public practice of Christianity. I do believe the way I can express my faith is changing and it is only right that I observe this and respond where I can since mission must always be contextualized if it is done well. At the same time I am committed to the open practice of religious freedom. If religious freedom is only a private right then we have lost a vital freedom for all of us, including homosexuals, blacks, non-Christians, etc. This debate will not end soon. Let us pray for wisdom in how we respond. There will be plenty of heat from the far left and far right but Christians should look for better ways to show the love of Christ in public. 

A New Understanding of Mission and Evangelism

Since 1982 there has been only one official statement of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on mission and evangelism. Evangelicals have written their own statements and produced their own efforts at unity in mission. Now, in 2012, the WCC's Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) is preparing another statement to invoke a new understanding of mission and evangelism amidst our changing world and divided ecclesial contexts. This new statement comes at a unique time in Christian history. For nearly sixty years evangelicals and historic churches have been enmeshed in deep opposition to one another, especially when it came to defining and understanding Christian mission in the world. In the past five years there has been a growing thaw in this impasse. I welcome it for the good of all Christ's people. 

The statement, titled “Together Towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes”, will be presented at the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, South Korea, in 2013 once it is approved by the WCC Central Committee. This potentially landmark document draws on insights gleaned from Protestant, Evangelical, Orthodox and Roman Catholic mission theologies. What is at work here, I believe, is missional thinking, thinking that is now permeating the whole global church. 

The draft of the statement was recently shared at the CWME pre-assembly event taking place in Manila, the Philippines from 22 to 27 March. An extremely helpful video was posted by the WCC last week that explains what the purpose of this effort is all about.

“The statement aims to bring new issues and convictions to the upcoming WCC assembly, since the concepts of mission and evangelism have changed significantly during the last three decades,” explained Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum, CWME secretary, at the event in Manila.

The International Missionary Conference (IMC) was integrated into the WCC in New Delhi, India in 1961. Subsequently, the WCC developed a statement on its role in mission titled “Mission and Evangelism: An Ecumenical Affirmation.” The new statement will succeed that document, first issued in 1982. The late Lesslie Newbigin, who lived as a bridge between the WCC and the evangelical world, remains a powerful influence in this dialogue. 

Jooseop Keum said, “The statement will not replace the 1982 affirmation on mission and evangelism. It would be another statement, which will seek a broad appeal, even wider than WCC member churches and affiliated mission bodies, so that we can commit ourselves to fullness of life for all."

Some of the themes from the statement discussed at the conference included a theological framework describing the mission of the Holy Spirit (missio Spiritus), embracing dynamism, transformation and diversity in mission. There were reflections on the salvation of humanity and creation together, bringing ecological and environmental concerns into the mission statement. Themes related to health and healing, migration and economic globalization were also addressed. Again, evangelicals have engaged in this kind of theology for several decades now and their voices are blending with others from the global church. 

The participants in Manila discussed the concept of renewed commitment to evangelism with humility and respect, examining how to communicate the gospel in today's world. Revisiting the relationship between mission and church remains one of the major themes from the statement being discussed at the event. One can only pray that the result of this will be something that fosters further cooperation and deeper commitment to Christ's mission. I believe this is exactly what is happening thus I welcome this present dialogue while I watch carefully to encourage everyone involved to never surrender the proclamation of the good news to all people everywhere. 

 

A Conversation on Unity in Christ's Mission

As most readers of this blog know tonight is the long anticipated public ACT 3 conversation with Francis Cardinal George and myself. The time is 7 p.m. (CDT) and the place is Edman Chapel at Wheaton College. If you live in the Chicago area I hope you will come. If you cannot come, or live outside this region, you can watch the event live on video stream on your computer. If you go to www.act3online.com you will find an icon that takes you into the event when it begins at 7 p.m. If you go to the Wheaton College site at www.wheaton.edu (WETN radio) you will find a link that takes you to the broadcast as well. If all goes as planned sometime next week we will have the event on our web site for you to view if you miss it in real time. 

To say the least preparing for this event has been a huge ordeal. The ACT 3 staff consists of me and my daughter at the moment. Between us, with the help of some volunteers, we did all the work for this event. This included getting publicity designed, printed and distributed. It included me writing hundreds of emails to schools, leaders and friends. It included a host of Internet efforts and making a video. Beside these efforts I have also done interviews on Moody Radio as well as Relevant Radio (Catholic) in Chicago. The media has been very kind to me. 

Then I've met with various students, and small groups, as well. I met with high school students a week ago and with Wheaton College and Franciscan University students last night at Wheaton. The Franciscan students are on campus for an annual visit that both schools share with each other. They will be present tonight for our event. 

This event is entirely sponsored by ACT 3. Wheaton College has been gracious about working with us but the event is entirely an ACT 3 one. This means that we incur all expenses related to this evening. Our budget is somewhere between $2,500 and $3,000 for tonight. About $1,000 has been designated to help with the event. We will ask people to give at the doors as they leave tonight but we still need gifts to cover our costs. If you can help out please go to www.act3online.com and make a donation today or tomorrow. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Finally, pray for Cardinal George and me. We want to exalt Jesus Christ in this event. And pray for ACT 3 as we seek to build bridges for unity among all Christians everywhere. I believe the Lord Jesus is pleased when his people converse with one another in love. 

 

A Reminder About Monday's Evening's Conversation on Unity

The Tragedy of Syria: Christians in the Crossfire

If you watch or follow American news, from the left or the right, you hear continual calls for our government, working with the United Nations, to engage militarily with the Syrian government in support of the rebels in that nation. I submit that the simple view held by the vast majority of Syria's Christians is very different from what we hear day-to-day. Their message is: "Please stay out!" Why? After all, some Christians have died in the present cycle of extreme violence. And this uprising is now nearly a year old. The images we generally see are of government oppression and open attacks on rebels that defy imagination. 

As with Iraq so it now is with Syria. If the secular government is removed the end result will likely be much worse for minorities, especially for Christian minorities. Syria's religions are as follows: 74% Sunni Muslims, 13% other Muslims, 10% Christian and 3% Druze. President Bashar Assad, an autocratic leader for sure, leads a secular government. If he is removed the result would likely be a Sunni Muslim government that would be extremely unfavorable to minorities. Those Syrians I have spoken with tell me that Sunni Muslims, Christians and the Alawite community, a small offshoot of Shiite Islam, are all under threat if this present government falls. (Interestingly, the Russians and the Chinese are keeping the UN out of Syria right now. Their reason seems to be entirely based on a "balance of power" position in the Middle East!)

Like Saddam Hussein was in Iraq, Bashar Assad is an oppressive ruler. But if the West supports an "Arab Spring" the results will very likely be much like those we've seen in Egypt and Tunisia. A dentist, under anonymity, said, "Of course the Arab Spring is an Islamist movement. It's full of extremists. They want to destroy our country, and they call it a 'revolution'."

Syria's Christians date their origins to Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. Church leaders in Syria have generally aligned themselves with the government urging their followers to give Assad a chance to enact a long-promised political overhaul while also calling for an end to the present violence.

Ignatius IV, patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, described Syria as an oasis of religious tolerance where Christians can worship freely, build sanctuaries and run schools, activities that are restricted to varying degrees in almost every other Middle Eastern country. Christian ministers are often shown on television in Syria taking part in joint prayer services for peace with Muslim clerics. And the defense minister of Syria is openly Christian! The patriarch actually displays a photograph of himself with President Assad on his wall. I find the same response among Syrian Orthodox Christians in the United States. 

Do not misunderstand my point. Christians have died in Syria. Things have been terrible over there the past twelve months. But recent reports from Syria suggest the rebels are as violent and aggressive as the government troops. Rebels are acting more and more like the Assad regime according to many Christians. The truth is that Christians in Syria have little or no confidence in a successful revolution. The ones I have spoken with tell me to urge Americans to stay out of this situation. It took me some time to realize why but now I think that I understand their reasons. When we removed Saddam we celebrated but the church in Iraq began a whole new period of history. Many Christians have died, churches have been bombed and most Christians have fled Iraq now, many into neighboring Syria. 

While we may think these Middle Eastern uprisings are a good thing the fact is that most of them lead to great suffering for our brothers and sisters. Perhaps we should make this a higher priority than America's own political agenda in the world. I, for one, think the church transcends military operations. I hope our government will listen to the Christians of Syria, and other minorities, and stay out. I also pray for the peace of Syria, especially for my suffering brothers and sisters there. Many of these people are wonderful Christians with deep faith in God and profound love for their homeland. Syria is a gorgeous country with friendly people. It may not be a just democracy but it is not an evil empire either. 

One of my frequent themes on this blog is global Christian mission. If we are to practice a truly global faith, and not simply an Americanized version of Christianity, we should pray for the church in Syria and then work for peace. This seems to be at the core of what it means to faithfully follow Jesus in the modern world. 

One of My Favorite Modern Authors

I have many favorite authors. Some are theologians. Some are pastors. Some are missiologists. Some are novelists. Not all are Christians. The ones I appreciate the most make me think the best. 

One of my favorite writers is a United Methodist Bishop by the name of Will Willimon. I am not sure when I first began to read Willimon but it has to have been at least 35 years ago. I like Willimon because he is a contrarian and a provocateur. He's been a pastor, a university chaplain (Duke University) and now is a Methodist Bishop (Alabama). If you ask Willimon what he is he will tell you that he's a preacher first. He says that he is called to be a truth-teller of Jesus Christ. A Pulpit and Pew Research Center study discovered that he was one of the most widely-read authors among mainline Protestant pastors. Willimon feels most at home behind a pulpit. If you've heard him you will never forget it. Sometimes Willimon rubs people the wrong way. He offends the Left and the Right pretty evenly. He has always challenged me. Maybe I inherited a tiny bit of his spirit. I hope so to be honest.

A new Willimon book was released last week. My copy, ordered months ago, arrived on time. It is simply titled: The Best of Will Willimon (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012). This book includes one gem after another. I encourage you to get it and read it slowly, whether or not you have ever read Willimon before now. Here is one quote, taken at random (literally):

To read Scripture is to risk transformation, conversion, an exchange of masters. You might think of Sunday morning as a struggle over the question, Who tells the story of what is going on in the world? Scripture reading can be uncomfortable, as we are made by the Bible to see things we would have just as soon ignored, as we hear a word we have been trying to avoid. Reading is not only a formative activity, but also a potentially disruptive means of existing in our culture, of defamiliarizing and making the normal seem strange and the strange seem normal, of having delightful respite from conventional, culturally sanctioned accounts of "the ways things are." Therefore, the primary interpretive question is not, "Do I understand this passage?" but rather, "How is this text attempting to convert me to Christ?" Behind all Scripture is not simply the question, "Will you agree?" but rather the more political, "Will you join up?"

I will likely give you some more Willimon in the future but chew on that and if you are moved by it get the book.

The American Church and the Problem of Passing Fads

For some years I have enjoyed a precious friendship with a dear brother by the name of John Paul Todd. John has served the church in many capacities and now lives in Kentucky after some years on the mission field in Latin America. He blogs about unity and Christ's kingdom at a great site. I encourage you to check it out and create a tab. Now and then John and I have shared rich private fellowship. I mention John Paul in my book, Your Church Is Too Small, because he helped me frame several of my ideas for that work. He has been a great personal encouragement. Occasionally we share email correspondence. He recently wrote me a personal email that I wanted to share. With his permission I share it here.

 

 

I just returned from a road trip with my daughter & husband to the Southwest -- nine states in all. It was great to see some of the major national parks that I hadn't seen before such as the Petrified Forest & Painted Desert. Besides the chance to spend time with my adult children and to visit their son at Prescott College (AZ), I did a lot of meditating, thanking God for all that I saw of His handiwork, not only in breath-taking nature but in other obvious signs of grace in His people in every time and place. I was especially focused on the Native Americans. I rejoiced that we are living in a time when many traditions and heritages are finally getting the respect and justice that is so rightly their's.

Just one example -- in Prescott, Arizona, the Yavapai Indian tribe is dominant! The tribe had a tragic history and was almost entirely wiped out at one point. I was able to pick up a brief biography of a lady who was greatly used to stabilize this tribe and then lead it into a position of prosperity. Chieftess Viola Jimulla, who was for 26 years a tribal head of native Indians in the US, was this wonderful lady in this story. She was a strong Christian believer, a Sunday School superintendent in the Presbyterian Mission and a deacon. These are the kinds of stories that we should be learning about and celebrating, stories that demonstrate that God's people, the Church, has had remarkable victories in spite of her failures.

I have followed with interest your ACT 3 Weekly series on the "Churchless Christianity". As always you've given us a lot to think about. You wrote: "These [expressions] present a form of Westernized (American) Christianity that gives the impression that the only choice the Christian can make is between a very bad idea about the church and no church at all. To put this simply, they create a common straw man of stereotypical Western Christianity, with all its significant flaws, and then knock it down. "

From your latest article I'll make this general observation. The above comment sums it all up for me. In every age the sensitive biblical believer has wrestled with the great redemption that God has made for his people on the one hand and the reality of the mixed-multitude with all their failures to live their heritage in Christ on the other. Most Christians, in their more mature moments, realize that this is the nature of things in this present evil age. We are never to condone sin or living in the flesh but we also must recognize that this world is still a battle field and thus this will always require constant, repeated, vigilance by the Church. I think what those involved in this latest fad of attacking the "institutional" church are completely neglecting is 1) the wonderful stories of victory, such as the one I shared above, and 2) the fact that millions are living in traditional church settings all over the world, and for them, the local church is still the center of their Christian faith. These multitudes simply cannot be ignored nor do they show any sign of significant change in the future -- they are not going away. Those who have convinced themselves that we are living in a new "reformation," or a some kind of giant shift in Christianity, are simply not viewing the total reality in my view. I've lived long enough (now in my 70th year) to have seen this kind of fad at least twice. If I live long enough I'm sure I'll see it again in the 21st century. 

 

For the most part I agree with my friend. However, I do believe we are seeing new challenges that require new leadership and this leadership needs to understand missional-ecumenism to be more effective in the future. Actually, John Paul agrees with this analysis. 

How Christology Helps Us Find Unity in Christ's Mission

One of the chapters in my book, Your Church Is Too Small, is taken from the title of a book by the German theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Christ the Center. Here I argue that the Christian faith is first about Christ? "Who do you say that I am?" asked Jesus. Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Before we argue about the doctrine of the church, the nature and seat of authority or even about the nature of faith and grace in our salvation why not begin with this question. It is clearly the most basic and core question of them all. If a person says (with the faith that only God knows and really sees) "Jesus is Lord" and confesses openly that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, then Scripture is very plain about this matter. Such a person is to be numbered among his followers and should be received by his followers as a brother or sister in Christ.

I am frankly amazed at how quickly we move away from this simple core conviction. Theology matters! In fact it matters profoundly because we are always in danger of losing our way in regard to rightly confessing the core mystery/truth that Jesus is Lord. Other lords seek our allegiance and bad theology can mislead us, even causing us to leave the Lord who redeemed us. But all of this does not negate the simple fact that we are saved by confessing Jesus, not by knowing which church is right, or which creed we accept or what doctrines we agree/disagree about.  

I am well aware that some extremely progressive Christians deny the most basic truths that support a credible confession of Christ when they deny his death, burial and resurrection. I am aware that some progressive Christians deny the essential truth of Jesus's two natures (divine and human) in his one person. In other words there are some professing Christians who deny what is stated in the creed as essential to the faith of the earliest followers of Jesus. I am also aware that the majority of liberal and progressive Christians do not deny these core truths at all. They "see" a Jesus who looks and sounds more like a progressive (modern) liberal and this prompts them to adopt views of the faith that I find, at some points, unacceptable. Yet I also believe that far too many conservatives "see" a Jesus who looks much like a modern conservative rather than the Jesus that we actually encounter in reading the four Gospels of the New Testament. If for no other reason this makes me cautious about these labels. For some time I have accepted people on the basis of what they confess and not "read" my views into them in terms of my relationship with them as brothers and sisters. This has not been an easy road to follow. Honestly, it is extremely challenging. The further I go down this road the more I have learned to accept and love people who confess Jesus as Lord but this has not always been without significant challenges to my mind and spirit. 

What I said in my chapter "Christ the Center" is rather simple. It is, in the best sense, basic. But it is not easy or simplistic. We too easily think that what is simple is simplistic. Not so.

This was one reason, among several, that I was drawn to the book, Infinity Dwindled to Infancy: A Catholic and Evangelical Christologyy (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011), by my friend Fr. Edward T. Oakes. Oakes is the associate professor of systematic theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois. I have visited this seminary campus a number of times and have many friends on the faculty, including the extremely popular teacher and preacher Fr. Robert Barron, whose Catholicism video series I have warmly recommended. 

Oakes maintains that at the heart of all ecumenical dialogue between Catholics and Evangelicals is their fundamental agreement on Christology. (Oakes was an original writer and member of the Evangelicals and Catholics Together Committee, an esteemed group which includes J. I. Packer, Timothy George, John Woodbridge, and other good friends, who are all respected evangelical academic leaders.)

Oakes has written a 459-page book to show how this common confession of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and unique Savior of the human race is the core of our common "evangelical" faith. In this magnum opus he surveys the Christian teaching on the person and nature of Christ and looks at the many doctrinal and historical issues essential to the study of Christology.  

Oakes draws on recent scholarship in New Testament studies and patristic Christology as well as key medieval and major Protestant voices. He also includes major contemporary Catholic theologians and magisterial statements from Vatican II. By presenting two millenia of thinking about the Christian paradox of an infinite God who is a finite human person he concludes that poet Gerard Manley Hopkins was right to speak of "Infinity dwindled to infancy." 

Timothy George, in his endorsement on the back cover of this important book, writes: "Oakes, one of best and most literate theologians, has given us in this volume a masterpiece of Christological reflection. Evangelicals and Catholics share together a common faith in Jesus Christ the Lord, the one and only Savior of the world."

But here is the is point of it all. George adds, "The closer we are drawn to Jesus Christ, the closer we come to one another." (He says this book will help us do both!) 

I believe that statement. The closer we are drawn into Christ, the more we exalt him and worship him and write about him the closer we are drawn toward one another. This is the key to understanding my journey in missional-ecumenism. Seek Jesus Christ first and draw near to him. He is "the way, the truth and the life." We have significant differences about authority, the nature of the church and our understanding of how grace works sacramentally, to name only a few, but we share this: a common love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Before we discuss anything else I suggest we go back here and begin anew.