08.08.2015 Views

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

s) Missions and CampaignsMissions and campaigns were strong and effective in <strong>the</strong> past and are now lesspopular. Towards <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> 20 th Century Catholics became welcomemembers of <strong>the</strong>se outreaches, which were previously mainly attended byEvangelical protestants.We need constantly to remind ourselves of <strong>the</strong> simple tie that binds all<strong>Christian</strong>s toge<strong>the</strong>r and at <strong>the</strong> same time be aware of <strong>the</strong> many ways thatfaith has been expressed sincerely by our many fellow <strong>Christian</strong>s.WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?When my fellow Protestants say <strong>the</strong>y could never have fellowship withCatholics because of <strong>the</strong>ir doctrine of transubstantiation, I have to ask on whatlevel <strong>the</strong>y could not have fellowship. Could <strong>the</strong>y not even pray with <strong>the</strong>m, singhymns with <strong>the</strong>m, weep and rejoice with <strong>the</strong>m? It really goes back to <strong>the</strong>principle that Anthony Norris Groves enunciated – life, not light is <strong>the</strong> basis of<strong>Christian</strong> fellowship. <strong>The</strong>re are Catholics who have not submitted to Jesus asSaviour and Lord just as <strong>the</strong>re are similarly Protestants or Orthodox who havenot done so. But where <strong>the</strong> divine life is apparent, I can have fellowship inworship and witness and action.We can be hopeful today that <strong>the</strong>re can be progress in visible unity in <strong>the</strong>Church, but <strong>the</strong>re does not seem much prospect of <strong>the</strong> Protestant-Catholic-Orthodox divide being overcome in any structural or ecclesiological way: <strong>the</strong>differences in concept of <strong>the</strong> nature of <strong>the</strong> Church are so entrenched and sodiverse. <strong>The</strong> very essence of Protestantism is <strong>the</strong> emphasis on <strong>the</strong> individual’sapproach to God, while <strong>the</strong> sacramentalist system has required <strong>the</strong> Church tomediate between God and <strong>the</strong> individual.John H Erikson points out in <strong>The</strong> Ecumenical Future 185 that differences inChurch order which <strong>the</strong> Protestant Reformation underlined are still with ustoday, when doctrinal differences are gradually being resolved. He writes:185Ed Braaten, Carl E and Jenson, Robert W, <strong>The</strong> Ecumenical Future, William B EerdmansPublishing Co 2004, pp 149-150.Page 200

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!