This Christmas eve, I went to Brecon Cathedral for Christmas carols with my wife and her family. This is my second year joining the family in this sacred tradition. As usual, we first went to the Castle Hotel and had roast dinner (yum) with coffee and tea for the whole afternoon (!), and headed to the Cathedral for the carols.
The service was truly moving. We read various scriptures and sang lots of hymns, some in English and others in Welsh (my wife was jumping up and down during the Welsh hymns – that’s the only legitimate release for her Welsh patriotism all year round so she makes the best use of it). It was really encouraging to see the Cathedral packed to the brim, and seeing families passionately celebrating Christmas.
Seeing the procession led by the Lord Bishop and all the other ‘high church’ traditions got me to reflect on just how far I have come in my view of the established church. I grew up in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and I went to an American Jesuit School for 13 years and semi-regularly attended the Catholic Mass. But for the best part of the last decade I avoided the established church like the plague. I became an evangelical Christian some 12 years ago in Ethiopia, and I believed with all my heart that most of the people in the older Christian traditions had been blinded by tradition, that they believed that they would be saved by works and not by faith and were therefore destined to hell, and that I should evangelise to them as I would an atheist.
Over the last year and a half all of that began to change. I began to see the riches of the older traditions and started to read more and more about them. I read through a lot of the Apostolic and Church Fathers and began to read about the Jesus Prayer of the Orthodox Church. And most of what I was finding brought me a lot of joy and encouragement. I now find myself committed, yes committed, for broader Christian unity and constructive dialogue with my Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters. I want to learn – genuinely learn – more about their faith and experiences and speak to them about mine. I want us to grow together in our Lord Jesus Christ and encourage one another in the faith. Yes, that is a major turn around.
I can think of many an objection to this ‘ecumenism’. First is the argument that unity should never be pursued at the expense of truth. Dr. Michael Reeves makes the point that the Reformers were prepared to die for the truths that took them out of the Catholic Church. This younger generation that I am a part of seems to him to hold these truths in lesser esteem.
Similarly the late John Stott, as much as he was known for his ardent quest for unity within the Anglican Church wasn’t all in favour of the ecumenical movement that was in vogue during his time of ministry. He vigorously objected to the tendencies of the movement to downplay and at times outright reject several biblical and doctrinal truths.
Others have seen in this search for unity with the older traditions an ironically new, postmodern tendency in the Western evangelical church. People in this camp note how the young are more and more proverbially restless in this postmodern age and want to find their roots in the older traditions. They claim that the prevailing tendencies towards relativism are driving the youth to criticise their own evangelical traditions and accepting serious errors in the older traditions.
All of these criticisms should not be taken lightly. Unity should never be pursued at the expense of truth. We should all be grounded in the truth of the gospel and not be taken ‘captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ’ (Col 2:8). However, I am not convinced that that is what is happening with me.
What the Reformers wanted was a dialogue with the Church leading to a reformation. They were not looking to found a separate church. At the time it was the Catholic Church that was not interested in a dialogue. That is not so today. We in the evangelical church have totally forgotten about the Catholic Church. To us, they have rejected the Reformation and the gospel and they have been stuck in their ways for the last 500 plus years. We have not been paying attention to some of the encouraging developments within the Catholic Church over the last 50 to 60 years, including the results of the extensive work of the Nouvelle Theologie. This movement sought to bring the Church back to Scripture and the Church Fathers and had major breakthroughs during the Second Vatican Council and since one of its foremost theologians became the Pope in 2005.
On the other hand, we evangelicals are conveniently blind to how we have been ever-splintering into thousands of denominations and that most of our mainline churches have gone liberal at the turn of the last century and others continue to follow suit to this day. There needs to be a lot more humility on our part and a lot more eagerness to learn about what’s happening in the older traditions.
Furthermore, at the time of the Reformation nobody doubted that the Church needed reforming. Indeed there were multiple attempts within the Church that sought to bring about reformation – at least in practice if not necessarily in doctrine. Moreover, most of the theological errors and practical abuses that the Reformers sought to change have their origins in a worldview that began to take shape in the 12th century. But as Louis Bouyer points out, the Reformers thought within the same worldview as most in the Catholic Church did at the time. Therefore, whilst they argued for much needed changes, they were also not able to see beyond themselves and those around them in some crucial issues. As a result, they rejected much too much and a lot of the baby was thrown out with the bath water.
We are in a more privileged position today. While we carry our own biases, we can be free of much of the biases of the 12th – 16th centuries, and thereby evaluate both the works of the Reformers and the mainline Church alike. We can see where the Reformers had it right (and they did for the most part) and where they went too far. And we can appropriate the rich and long traditions of the Catholic Church and approach it with a positive and a constructive attitude rather than a dismissive one.
This brings me to my last point. Not everything about postmodernism is bad. Whilst fully rejecting the claim that there is no objective truth, we should be happy to embrace the humility that comes from knowing that we have lots of biases that keep us from fully seeing the truth. After all, the church has always appropriated positive components of the world’s views whilst fully rejecting the negative. John Calvin was a true student of the Renaissance and brought the exegetical and hermeneutical principles of it into the church. The church in the first 500 years significantly benefited from Neo-Platonist thought, and the scholastics benefited form Aristotelian thinking.
So, as I recline on the sofa in my in-laws’ living room this Christmas eve, I thank God for His church universal, praise Him for His patience with her over the last 2,000 years and pray for unity grounded in truth and not at its expense. May the Lord Jesus continue to purify His Church by His Word through His Spirit, and may she be one as He is one with His Father.
Bibliography
1. Reeves, Michael (2011), the Unquenchable Flame: introducing the Reformation, London: IVP.
2. Stott, John (1992), the Contemporary Christian: an urgent plea for double listening, London: IVP.
3. Bouyer, Louise (1956), the Spirit and Forms of Protestantism, London: the Harvill Press Ltd.
Hiruy Teka
Latest posts by Hiruy Teka (see all)
- The Church Universal - 6th January 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this blog, and agree with a large part of it. As one who was brought up in an evangelical tradition, but who studied theology in a very broad-minded (liberal?) setting, sat at the feet of a godly Greek orthodox priest and academic to learn patristics – and therefore “getting” the discussions in a most positive environment – as one who, when I was first baptised in the Holy Spirit, prayed regularly with a godly Roman Catholic priest and genuinely appreciated (and learnt from) his ability to “pray in the spirit” as opposed to a somewhat shallow evangelical approach, the rich deposit of God in many branches of the universal church is part of our wonderful heritage. One of the best reads in the last few years for me was “Water from a deep well” by Gerald Sittser, who draws out the riches from a variety of different traditions and moves of God through the centuries. But all that glitters is not gold. And I suspect that this is where our postmodern generation needs a little help, so that we are not “tossed about by every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4.14) whether good or bad, is in discerning the good currents and the poor currents of all of our history, so that we learn in such a way that we do not fall into old errors. This is where a plumbline is needed to measure the value of movements new and old, and to keep pressing us into the truth as it comes to us in Christ. For he is truth. And when we are pressed into Christ, the fires of love for him blaze up. This is lots more than appreciative reflection. Which leads me to my big question as a church leader. I have to make choices about how we build a loving community of God’s people that welcomes lost people so that they find life in Christ in today’s world. Probably I can dip in and out of all the treasure of church breadth historically. But communicating with passion for Christ in today’s world is my priority, and making the gospel clear and sharp in our current lost generation the urgent task. God help us to somehow take out of our store treasure new and old, so that this generation is captivated by Christ…
Hi Steve, thanks so much for the comment! I resonate a lot with what you’re saying. It’s true that not everything in every Christian tradition is compatible, so it’s not just a matter of learning something new but of discerning, at times, which things to retain and which to let go of. I like the way you put it – that a plumbline is needed to help us discern, and that plumbline is Christ.
Is there any chance you’d be willing to elaborate on how this plumbline of Christ functions in your own role as the leader of an international church movement? I think there’s lots we could learn from the wealth of your life experience. I often find that every Christian tradition claims to represent Christ faithfully, and therefore there are a variety of “Christ-as-plumbline” options available. Do you have any advice about how we might choose between them? Is it to be judged, for example, by which of them “make the gospel clear and sharp in our current lost generation” or is it more complicated than that?
Thank you for sharing this article. It’s really encouraged and affirmed my journey with Christ which has taken a knock or two recently. I’d like to share my thoughts and experiences that I’ve had with different denominations and communities which potentially could have damaged my journey with Christ.
Christ said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” -Mark 3:24-26
I do think, we the church could make a difference and truly love each others diverse family a lot better by standing stronger and reveal more effectively the grace, mercy and love that God has already shown us and this same grace a mercy would overflow to others in His family and to others outside of His family.
What would that look like?
God’s family have a responsibility to show authentic unity and acceptance in His church on issues that I’m sure God scratches his head and thinks – “Where’s the grace?” At times we might have to let go of things that have become religious in our own denominations/communities/institutions. From the outside looking in hinder others from wanting to be a member of His family and have a relationship with Him.
For example, membership for a church based on believers baptism vs infant baptism and confirmation. I’m not suggesting every denomination/community/institution practises the same symbolic interpretations or rituals, but I do think they can surrender there religious “pharisaic” rituals and be seen to actually love each other within your own family and kingdom. Encouraging someone “in the name of love” (manipulating, forcing, bullying, spiritually abusing… it’s been said to me “not wanting to dangle a carrot infront of you but we don’t want you to miss out on blessings the church might have for you.”) to be baptised again as they haven’t been fully immersed as an adult doesn’t speak love. Each persons walk with God is very personal and no one should scrutinise it. I imagine this behaviour says a lot to the outside world and discourages people to ever walk into a church/community/family because of the hypocrisy that’s shown.
Its my belief that His Kingdom isn’t standing firm in the UK (in fact the world) and a monumental shift (love) in us has to take place if we truly want revival in the UK and the world.
My situation is I’ve recently got married and my partner goes to a church that believes in believers baptism for membership. I come from an Anglican background and I was baptised within a family household as an infant for which I’m grateful for. When I was 10 years old I decided to invite Jesus into my life as I realised that without knowing Him… His grace, His forgiveness and His mercy everyday my life was a bag of anxiety and knowing His forgiveness helped me to forgive more easily. I only truly realised what a spiritually rich and privileged up bringing I had in God’s family was when I went to university and attended a Local Ecumenical church (Baptist and Anglican joined in 1982 which is when the church surrendered religion and the holy spirit was allowed to move and the church grew and continues to do so). Whilst there I met other students and helped to disciple them through there university days, to becoming born again and having the honour of being a towel bearer at some of there full immersion baptisms. A few of them said…”I wish I had experienced your childhood.” Having parents and God-parents who seriously took on the responsibility to encourage, pray and disciple me until my confirmation which I decided to do at 14. I feel my confirmation was my public declaration and at the time I was bullied for my decision. Being a godparent to two children has been a real honour and to see one of them decide to confirm their baptism vows by full immersion as a teenager was a real encouragement to me as I have been praying for them.
I’ve recently moved to live with my partner and we discussed baptism before we got married and I said I wasn’t prepared to get baptised again as it would feel like a lie when giving my testimony. What could my testimony be? It would feel like I was basically renouncing my past relationship with God and I just don’t have any peace about that. I cannot become a member as I haven’t been baptised by full immersion and my partner may have to step down from Leadership due to this. I don’t feel its right that we are unevenly yoked in our marriage by one being a member and I’m not allowed in my current state.
I’m sure being baptised by full immersion is a good experience but I don’t feel comfortable giving testimony other than “I’m doing this for your benefit so you (this church) can accept me and welcome me into this church family.” It was agreed by an elder that “its a box ticking excercise” which surely de-values baptism.
Peter, Thomas and Judas – Denied, Doubted and Deserted Christ. Did they fully know what they were doing when they were baptised? I ask, because they still denied, doubted and deserted Christ. Surely we are all infants at the point off conversion/baptism.
I’m not for one minute expecting all churches to start baptising infants. Likewise all the Anglican churches I’ve been a member of the only time a (for a better word) non-Anglican had to be confirmed was when they were being ordained. It wasn’t for membership. I totally respect and understand the theology behind what different churches believe but I don’t feel its right to control people and not value other peoples experiences and journey of faith. I know the Anglican church isn’t perfect. I dare you to name one? No doubt it has controlled and manipulated people, myself included. I don’t consider myself an Anglican rather a child of God. Going to Toronto started that journey of being set free and I don’t want to come under another controlling spirit.
One thing I have realised and need to pursue on a daily basis is that we His children need to meet God daily for a spiritual baptism encounter to be renewed. A one off physical experience isn’t enough for us to get through life.
You maybe asking “why isn’t this person disclosing his name.” For two reasons: I want to protect the identity of my partner, who is of the opposite sex (I know you were wondering). I also want to protect the identity of the church family that we are currently with because I don’t to tarnish them as I do want God to flourish through them.
Thanks for reading and if you have any thoughts then feel free to comment.
Christ said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – Mark 3:24-26
God’s family have a responsibility to show authentic unity and acceptance in His church on issues that I’m sure God scratches his head and thinks, “Where’s the grace?” We the church could make a difference and truly love each others diverse family a lot better by standing stronger and reveal more effectively the grace, mercy and love that God has already shown us and this same grace a mercy would overflow to others in His family and to others outside of His family. This might mean we might have to let go of things that have become religious in our own denominations/communities. I love the quote –
“Every time we use religion to draw a line to keep people out, Jesus is with the people on the other side of that line.”- Hugh L Hollowell.
Membership for a church based on believers baptism vs infant baptism and confirmation brings division in God’s church. I’m not suggesting every denomination/community practises the same symbolic interpretations or rituals, but I do think they can surrender there religious “pharisaic” rituals and be seen to actually love each other within your own family and kingdom. Encouraging someone “in the name of love” (manipulating, pushing into a corner, spiritually abusing…) to be baptised again as you haven’t been fully immersed as an adult doesn’t speak love. It’s been said to me “not wanting to dangle a carrot in front of you but we don’t want you to miss out on blessings the church might have for you if don’t get baptised by full immersion.” Each persons walk with God is very personal and no one should scrutinise it. I imagine this behaviour says a lot to the outside world and discourages people to ever walk into a church/community because of the hypocrisy and religious spirit that is expressed…
Please follow the link to read more https://www.facebook.com/kingdom.unity.56
Christ said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – Mark 3:24-26
God’s family have a responsibility to show authentic unity and acceptance in His church on issues that I’m sure God scratches his head and thinks, “Where’s the grace?” We the church could make a difference and truly love each others diverse family a lot better by standing stronger and reveal more effectively the grace, mercy and love that God has already shown us and this same grace a mercy would overflow to others in His family and to others outside of His family. This might mean we have to let go of things that have become religious in our own denominations/communities. I love the quote –
“Every time we use religion to draw a line to keep people out, Jesus is with the people on the other side of that line.”- Hugh L Hollowell…..
……https://www.facebook.com/kingdom.unity.56….. To read the rest of my comment please follow the link.