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May 24 2014

Only Full Unity Between Us Is Enough

Today, associate director of Ecumenical Affairs for the Archdiocese of Boston Vito Nicastro shares the significant of the issuing of Thursday’s joint letter between the Catholic archbishop and the Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Boston.

Above, Cardinal O’Malley joins Metropolitan Methodios at the Cathedral of the Annunciation for the Greek Orthodox celebration of the Easter Vigil April 19. Photo courtesy Alexander Mavradis

The reason why each and every one of us as Christians needs to play a part in the work for Christian unity is rooted in fidelity: Fidelity to the Church, to the Gospel, and to the Lord. That is why the Holy Father Pope Francis is going to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and other Christian leaders May 24-26. It is also why Cardinal Seán with Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston issued a joint letter to their clergy and faithful on May 21.

Vatican II taught us that Christian unity was one of its principal aims; that “The attainment of union is the concern of the whole Church, faithful and shepherds alike;” and that the work “extends to everyone, according to his or her talent” (Decree on Ecumenism, 1 and 5). Just like in evangelization, the Church has no superfluous personnel.

And the link between ecumenism and evangelization is fundamental. “Discord among Christians is the greatest obstacle to evangelization,” said the Holy Father in March. And Jesus’ dying wish for us was that we all be one (John 17:21) “so that the world may believe.” If we are evangelizers, one of our goals each day should be to make some mark for Christian unity.

How do we do that? Everyone can pray for it. Everyone can offer it silently at the intentions of Mass – in general and in particular ways. Everyone can strive for greater personal holiness – drawing closer to the meeting point of all Christians, Jesus. Everyone can examine himself or herself for over-generalizing about other Christians.

They say, “Blood is thicker than water.” But what if the blood is the blood of the Cross and the water is the water of Holy Baptism? Then both form a bond which eternally connects all Christians into a family. We can all hold our thoughts, words, and actions to the standard of utmost charity towards our brothers and sisters. All of us can learn more about them. All of us can build relationships. All of us can see the world differently in light of this bond.

There is much more we can do to make a difference. The Church has given us guidance and exhortation, and providence has given us the circumstances in our city and in our lives to make the unity – albeit incomplete and imperfect–which we already share a living reality. In our region, one of the greatest opportunities for this is the presence of a wide range of Christian communities from all over the world, including the Greek Orthodox. Their Metropolis (like an archdiocese) is led by His Eminence, Metropolitan Methodios. Together, the cardinal and metropolitan – building on their predecessors – are continuing to actualize on the ground the intentions of the Holy Father and other Christian leaders to work toward unity.

That’s what the joint letter of May 21 is about. It is a fruit of the realization on the local level of the progress made so far towards completing the remarkable unity we Orthodox and Catholics already share. The letter is rare – something that happens perhaps once or twice a decade. It is significant in the way it links what we do with the Holy Father’s trip and all that our Churches have done building up to it. It is yet another manifestation of communion between our local Church and the Church of Rome – and communion is what it’s all about in the quest for complete Christian unity.

The joint letter describes a little bit of our relationship between the metropolis and the archdiocese. There is much more than one short letter could contain. At midnight on this past Easter Eve at the Cathedral of the Metropolis the metropolitan gathered with his clergy and faithful for the Easter Vigil. With the church nearly dark and all holding unlit candles, the cardinal arrived from having concluded the Easter Vigil in our cathedral. The metropolitan gave him the Gospel to read, and together they proclaimed the Resurrection as light passed from candle to candle symbolizing the life of Christ which we all share.

Only full unity between us is enough. That is why Pope Francis with Eastern Catholic Patriarchs is going to pray with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Armenian Christians and many other Christian representatives at the empty tomb from which that Easter light shines. Only full unity is true to the nature of the Triune God as communion. Only full unity obeys the will of Jesus, and therefore loves him. Only full unity is the goal set by the Magisterium. Only full unity honors the bond of our Baptism and eternal relation in Christ. Only full unity is coherent with the message of the Gospel of reconciliation. Only full unity empowers our compassion and unfetters our evangelization.

*First published on The Boston Pilot, republished with permission

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: christian unity, ecumenical, jesusunites, john 17, uniteboston

May 20 2014

Report on United Night of Worship / Cape Cod

by Ed de la Cour, reposted with permission

Whenever the Body of Christ – or a solid representative sampling of that Body – gathers together for worship and prayer, it is a very good thing! Over nearly thirty years, we on Cape Cod have been blessed with a growing appreciation for the whole Church of Jesus Christ. In those early years, such gatherings were tentative and rocky as people sought to find ways to work together. Although those early efforts were bathed in prayer, God’s Church moved exceedingly slowly, frustrating many but energizing some to continue to seek God’s face in prayer. We certainly have a long ways to go, but truly we have seen and we have experienced the blessing of God upon us.

Last year, Cape Cod churches worked to together to hold an outdoor Sunday worship service on the Hyannis Green on September 29, 2013. It was a day filled with joyful worship and the presence of God was noticeably and keenly felt.

This blessing found us again on Saturday, May 10, 2014, as United Night of Worship, led by Zenzo Matoga, came to Cape Cod. Twenty-three churches agreed to join together. The churches and pastors ranged from denominational and non-affiliated, evangelical and Charismatic, liturgical and Pentecostal churches.

The worship music also ranged between modern and loud worship songs, and traditional hymns. The music was fun, enjoyable, and Christ-centered. From the viewpoint of this observer, the greatest moments came when Nick Gatzke spoke on the evangelistic need of this area, when John-Paul Lotz responded prophetically, and when the collected pastors prayed. There were three major movements of prayer during the evening. In the first season of prayer, ten pastors prayed concerning the foundations of our culture. The second season of prayer, seven pastors prayed concerning repentance for our own failure to honor the Lord and for God to move the people of His church in evangelism. In the third time for payer, the whole congregation was asked to cry out to God for Cape Cod. The prayers of the pastors of Cape Cod were deep and passionate and powerful. It was humbling to hear and sense the embrace of God our Father in those moments.

We come together, worship together, and work together because we have come to believe God loves it when He sees His children living in love, walking in harmony, and working in peace. John 17:23 unity brings the manifestation of Psalm 133:3 blessing.

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: boston night of worship, christian unity, uniteboston, united night of worship, unity

May 08 2014

Arise & Shine: A Message for Boston

Today, Kelly Steinhaus, UniteBoston’s Team Leader, shares her perspective on God’s destiny for the city of Boston and how this is reflected in what is currently happening within the Christian community.

photo 1-4

Above: Sunrise over the Charles River

Do you like watching the sunrise? I sure do.

Whether or not you prefer to wake up that early in the morning, we are in an amazing time where God is rising over this city, awakening hearts and calling people to the place of prayer.

Isaiah wrote this message to the city of Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, and I believe it’s also a representation of what God wants to do in here in the city of Boston.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.“ (Isaiah 60:1)

I want to specifically draw your attention to verse 3: “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” This is actually strikingly familiar to a sermon preached by John Winthrop on his way to America, where he spoke that the new community they would form would be "a city upon a hill, that the eyes of all people are on us…We shall be made a story and a by-word throughout the world.”

You see, Boston’s destiny is to be a beacon of the nations.

Thus, the question becomes: what do we want to be known for?

Currently, Boston is one of the smallest world-class cities, known for its rich history and being an intellectual hub. With over 300,000 college students, Boston is a popular place to come to pursue high-class education.

But I believe that God has so much more for us – This is only the beginning.

What if Boston were to be known for the way the Christian community works together? As a city where people pray? As a place where love is displayed?

If you’re intrigued by this, I’d encourage you to listen to the short message that I shared on Easter at the first Awaken Winchester service.

We all cry out for revival but don’t realize that what brings revival is repentance. Two weeks ago, Dr. Paul Jehle gave a lecture on the spiritual history of Massachusetts – he said that the Great Awakening was a direct result of the repentance that happened after the Salem witch trials.

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Above: Pastors and leaders gathering to pray for Boston at the New England Regional Leaders meeting

I’m convinced that God wants to bring revival to Boston, we’re not ready for it. Our light shines brightest when we extinguish the darkness, so my prayer is for conviction and changed hearts, that we might be capable for the revival God seeks to pour out.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, may we arise and shine, so that the glory of the Lord can come upon us, that Boston might be awakened to its destiny as a city on a hill and a light to the nations.

Below: A photo of His Eminence Sean O’Malley of the Boston Catholic Archdiocese and His Eminence Methodios of the Metropolitan of Boston of the Greek Orthodox Church joining together to light the first candle of Easter night. Photo taken by Alexander Mavradis.

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Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: arise, awakening, awakenwin, boston, candle, catholic, christian, christian unity, cityonahill, jesus, jesusshines, light, lightinthedark, orthodox, revival, shine

Apr 22 2014

The Testimony of Oneness: City Transformation in Lowell

Local pastors and leaders praying for Pastors Najem and Hernandez during the 2nd Annual School of Transformation in March 2014

The last prayer that Jesus prayed in the Bible concerned unity. What beautiful departing words Jesus spoke comparing the oneness between himself and the Father, to the oneness that was now possible within and among believers. His message was clear; the testimony of a people united in the love of God speaks a compelling story of love and redemption to future generations.

Jesus prayed, “I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these. My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me—the glorious unity of being one, as we are—I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one—so that the world will know you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.“ John 17:20-23 (TLT)

In this spirit, a group of 12 pastors in the Greater Lowell, Massachusetts area gathered at the invitation of Pastor Rafael Najem of Community Christian Fellowship, and Pastor Cecilio Hernandez of Iglesia Christiana Ebenezer Asambleas de Dios, to examine the prospect of working together. The two pastors presented the concept of a citywide church, an influential, evangelical church body that would bless the city and help to fulfill God’s purpose and will for it. Pastor Najem, a longtime proponent of church unity shared his heart with the group saying, “I cannot save the city, you cannot save the city; but together we sure can make a impact for the Kingdom of God here.”

The group responded enthusiastically and the pastors began to gather monthly to pray, fellowship, and strategize. Together they host annual events including a men’s conference, youth training and outreach, a citywide Block Party, and the School of Transformation designed to train and empower Christian leaders. They call their affiliation the Citywide Church of Greater Lowell – a catalyst to ultimately transform the City of Lowell into the City of God!

The Citywide Church of Greater Lowell (Citywide) strives to unify, empower, and mobilize God’s people to love with his heart and to serve with his hands. As Jesus expressed his love through both spiritual and practical means, so too does his church. The objectives of the Citywide church are to be: 1) Salt and Light in the City, 2) Prophetic Voice for Social Justice, 3) Catalyst for Church Building and Development, and 4) Catalyst for Cross-Cultural/Ethnic Unity.

The number of churches actively participating in Citywide has almost doubled with a wonderfully enriched membership of multilingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-denominational believers. This diversity reflects the population in the city of Lowell, and the differences among them are respected and appreciated. Since no one church can meet the needs of all people; diversity broadens the access for new believers to settle in a church that suits their individual expression.

The message of God’s love and redemption is preached through various means. In the case of Citywide, God is using the marvel of oneness.“ Jesus prayed, “I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these…”

Written by Donna Dougherty
donnad@AllWeatherGod.com
www.AllWeatherGod.com

www.ebenezerag.org

Click here to listen or download the messages from the School of Transformation

To learn more about Citywide Church of Greater Lowell please visit: https://www.facebook.com/CitywideChurchOfGreaterLowell

Pastor Rafael Najem, Community Christian Fellowship, www.ccfcca.com

Pastor Cecilio Hernandez, Iglesia Christiana Ebenezer Asambleas de Dios,

Signs held by Citywide church pastors & leaders around the city of Lowell

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: boston, christian unity, christianity, city, jesus, lowell, testimony, transformation, uniteboston

Apr 16 2014

Which Boston is #BostonStrong?

Today, Laura Everett, president of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, shares a timely article challenging the city to the true meaning of our cry “Boston Strong.”

Originally published on her blog Reveverett.com Republished with permission.

Silence and stillness are my reminders of the Boston Marathon bombing and aftermath. From the first train in the early morning to the last train at 12:30am, I can both hear and feel the rumble of the subway line from my apartment. The slight rattle of the dishes, the hum under my feet are the regular rhythms of life in my Boston. But during the manhunt for the suspected bombers, the city was placed on “lock-down” and the trains ceased to run. The buzz of the train stopped, and the silence was punctuated by the hovering of helicopters overhead. We we told to “shelter in place,” but nothing about our sheltering felt safe. It took months for me to stop twitching at the sound of helicopters above. The rhythm of the trains has returned. But every now and then, I become aware of the trains and pause to remember when they stopped.

Boston is a divided city, like most cities. We each experienced and re-experience the Boston Marathon bombing in a different way depending on where we live and move. I was in Gloucester on vacation for the week and immediately returned to my city to start working on the interfaith response. I didn’t experience the chaos at the bombing site. My experience of the Marathon bombing was mostly in the aftermath, the lockdown, the manhunt. Something entirely different happened for those present along the route and at the finish line. But because of the scale, many people sense that we experienced something together. Yet, at some point, the cheers shifted from away from the unified claim to “One Boston” to “Boston Strong.”

This past Friday night at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church on Warren Street in Roxbury, I joined about 100 people, mostly from Boston’s predominantly black neighborhoods to pray for all those who have suffered violence in the year since the Boston Marathon bombing. We prayed hard. We sang fiercely. The collection was taken up to pay for the funeral for a young man in the neighborhood who had just been killed. A Mother asked, “Where is our One Fund? Why does his death mean less than any other death? What is my son’s life worth?”

I was convicted. I was embarrassed by my own blindness. I was heartbroken. I didn’t hear jealously, but genuine wonder and grief of a mother who lost her son. For those of us who strive to follow Jesus who says that none are forgotten in God’s sight, how do we reconcile the invisibility of some lives with Jesus’s promise that God knows even the “number of hairs on your head” (Luke 12:7)?

The sinful truth is that in my beloved Boston, some lives are invisible. Jamarhl Crawford, creator of Blackstonian, said recently “when things that happen to white people, or things that happen to ‘white places‘ where violence is not supposed to occur is seen as this affront to everything that is sacred and holy.” Crawford speaks of the “regular violence,” a violence that becomes expected in “those places, to those people.” Part of what made the Marathon bombing so communally disruptive was that we don’t expect such violence on Boylston Street as we do on Bluehill Ave. Since the Boston Marathon, 235 people have been shot in Boston, 35 people senselessly killed in “those places, to those people.” How is that “Boston Strong?” I grieve the collective trauma, suffering and senseless deaths of the Boston Marathon. Yet how is 35 dead any less senseless? When we chant or buy “Boston Strong,” which Boston are we talking about? Boston is a divided city. Which Boston is strong?

Decades of Boston racial and economic history play into these divisions. As a nation, we have grown to tolerate violence to some people in some neighborhoods. We bring no healing, we do one another no good if we turn this into “oppression Olympics” or contests of who suffers more. I believe there is no cap on the amount of empathy we can expend. Many people suffered enormously during and following the Boston Marathon bombing. Some people suffered unseen, with far less sympathy and resources. And if we dig underneath, maybe we find a embarrassing presumption that we actually expect some people to suffer more because of where they live and the color of their skin. With a regularity that rumbles along like the subway lines, we take for granted that violence will always be a fact of life in some communities. We perpetuate the insidious logic of violence in our own hearts if we divide further as our fellow Bostonians suffer.

The Boston Marathon is and can be a potent symbol of our common life: pro-participation in many forms. The Boston Marathon invites global participation on American soil. During the Boston Marathon, people run into the city, not away from it. The Boston Marathon is a world class event that’s free to view. As you stand alongside the route that leads into the city, spectators help cheer the runners along. You hold up your sign to be seen. That’s what I heard these families asking for: to be seen. They are asking to be seen in their grief, in their need, in their mourning and loss. They are asking for their dead to be seen as fully human.

On the anniversary of Tuesday April 15, and the Marathon on Monday April 22, there will be many tributes. When you pause for a moment of silence, remember all who grieve the dead in Boston. Maybe learn the names of the dead (including the 19 people killed in Boston since January) and pray for their families too. Pray that the blindness might be removed from our eyes. Commit to walking in the Mother’s Day Walk for Peace on Sunday May 11. Our divisions are deep, and the violence systemic and the work to overcome such division will probably take decades, but there is no possibility of healing if we cannot see one another.

Other Relevant Links:

Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dogs coming to Boston to help the city heal

Prayer Canvas to honor Boston Marathon bombing victims and survivors, designed to show America’s unity and humanity.

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: boston marathon, bostonstrong, christian, christian unity, city, heal, marathon monday, transformation, unity, violence

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