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Sometimes they do keep working on it, over the long haul. Sometime it is more than just an annual joint prayer breakfast or something.
The little town I grew up in had a Bible Church, a Baptist Church, a Methodist Church and a Presbyterian Church. There was a local ecumenical exchange where each pastor would take turns offering public prayers at school functions, community picnics and reunions and the like. My church -- the Bible Church -- was the lone hold-out. Our pastor felt that to participate in such activities would be to promote the dreaded "social gospel". Or something to that effect.
So ... in any given community there can be no buy in, or partial, but I think where the rubber manages to meet the road occasionally is within a particular church. To me it's not just interfaith projects, but the inclusiveness of the group itself. Are there racial and ethnic minorities and disabled and a variety of ages in regular attendance and full participation? That takes a lot of work to really make happen consistently. My guess is that if you pull off inclusiveness and respectfulness like that, then openness to broader cooperation sort of takes care of itself to an extent.
The other ingredient of course is that you have to be willing to allow differences without being threatened by them and this is just a non-starter with churches whose very basis is to defend against "wrong" ideas.
That's a really good point, mordant. There are non-Christians as well as Christians on this forum who I bet would draw back from some of the people who attend my church. Would they be comfortable around a man who wears makeup and nail polish and has his hair curled in a womanly style? He is one of the warmest, kindest regulars in my parish, writing personalized prayers to send around in email every time there is a sickness in someone's family.
Would they reach out when one of the homeless people temporarily housed at the the cheesy motel up the street comes in and starts asking for food or money? That happens pretty frequently. Would they go up to the obviously autistic teenage girl and offer the peace? She used to shriek when people approached her, and now she shakes their hands.
What about the guy whose entire head is tattooed? Or the woman whose chihuahua is always in the pew with her, sitting in her purse?
I personally would not attend a church that didn't welcome and enjoy the presence of these people. And nobody in my church claims to have the all the answers. Oh wait, one does, but she is a cranky and outspoken know-it-all and just adds to the atmosphere.
Our priest retired in the summer, and the organist took another job. The deacon is on a leave of absence. We had no clergy and no organist for Christmas Eve, and guess what. Fifty-four people still showed up to watch the kids do a pageant, complete with a Rottweiler dressed as a cow and a mutt dressed as a donkey, listen to the Christmas story and other scriptures read and sing the carols a cappella. One of the parishioners who has a strong voice that carries well was asked to do all the readings and lead the "service". That was me.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and Peace be with you all.
That's a really good point, mordant. There are non-Christians as well as Christians on this forum who I bet would draw back from some of the people who attend my church. Would they be comfortable around a man who wears makeup and nail polish and has his hair curled in a womanly style? He is one of the warmest, kindest regulars in my parish, writing personalized prayers to send around in email every time there is a sickness in someone's family.
Would they reach out when one of the homeless people temporarily housed at the the cheesy motel up the street comes in and starts asking for food or money? That happens pretty frequently. Would they go up to the obviously autistic teenage girl and offer the peace? She used to shriek when people approached her, and now she shakes their hands.
What about the guy whose entire head is tattooed? Or the woman whose chihuahua is always in the pew with her, sitting in her purse?
I personally would not attend a church that didn't welcome and enjoy the presence of these people. And nobody in my church claims to have the all the answers. Oh wait, one does, but she is a cranky and outspoken know-it-all and just adds to the atmosphere.
Our priest retired in the summer, and the organist took another job. The deacon is on a leave of absence. We had no clergy and no organist for Christmas Eve, and guess what. Fifty-four people still showed up to watch the kids do a pageant, complete with a Rottweiler dressed as a cow and a mutt dressed as a donkey, listen to the Christmas story and other scriptures read and sing the carols a cappella. One of the parishioners who has a strong voice that carries well was asked to do all the readings and lead the "service". That was me.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and Peace be with you all.
Posts like this keep reminding me why I like you so much.
That's a really good point, mordant. There are non-Christians as well as Christians on this forum who I bet would draw back from some of the people who attend my church. Would they be comfortable around a man who wears makeup and nail polish and has his hair curled in a womanly style? He is one of the warmest, kindest regulars in my parish, writing personalized prayers to send around in email every time there is a sickness in someone's family.
Would they reach out when one of the homeless people temporarily housed at the the cheesy motel up the street comes in and starts asking for food or money? That happens pretty frequently. Would they go up to the obviously autistic teenage girl and offer the peace? She used to shriek when people approached her, and now she shakes their hands.
What about the guy whose entire head is tattooed? Or the woman whose chihuahua is always in the pew with her, sitting in her purse?
I personally would not attend a church that didn't welcome and enjoy the presence of these people. And nobody in my church claims to have the all the answers. Oh wait, one does, but she is a cranky and outspoken know-it-all and just adds to the atmosphere.
Our priest retired in the summer, and the organist took another job. The deacon is on a leave of absence. We had no clergy and no organist for Christmas Eve, and guess what. Fifty-four people still showed up to watch the kids do a pageant, complete with a Rottweiler dressed as a cow and a mutt dressed as a donkey, listen to the Christmas story and other scriptures read and sing the carols a cappella. One of the parishioners who has a strong voice that carries well was asked to do all the readings and lead the "service". That was me.
Merry Christmas, everyone, and Peace be with you all.
As you know I'm sporadically attending a church in your denomination and it's similar there. There are mentally challenged people who sometimes prattle on too long or "inappropriately" when congregational participation is invited. They also hang out and "help" with the food preparation in the food kitchen. I think honestly both processes would go more "smoothly" and "efficiently" if they were discouraged from participating in any but approved ways. That is one way I can tell that this group has worked long and hard on tolerance, inclusiveness, understanding and being welcoming to ALL.
I've even seen this in a local business, a neighborhood grocer (a small regional chain actually) that clearly makes a point to hire those with Down's Syndrome and autism as baggers and workers in the deli and produce departments. They have come to be my favorite employees and I look forward to greeting them and being greeted by them. It's part of the experience of being there. Even the "quiet" ones like the guy in produce who speaks only in minimalist grunts (he's actually the adult son of one of my neighbors) makes me feel good that he is productively employed and happy with his job (per his Dad). Also -- they get paid the same as anyone would who works there; they aren't being "used".
And boy do I feel good about this employer as someone I want to buy stuff from!
Personally I find it pathetic that Christians cannot agree on their faith enough to worship together.
There is also some paranoia and hysteria about a "one world religion" or "one church", according to some groups, which makes such a thing happening (eg ecumenical movement) extremely unlikely.
This comes from the Book of Revelation, and the times of the Antichrist.
Rome and Catholicism are often seen as the center of this event, which is very unfortunate.
As you know I'm sporadically attending a church in your denomination and it's similar there. There are mentally challenged people who sometimes prattle on too long or "inappropriately" when congregational participation is invited. They also hang out and "help" with the food preparation in the food kitchen. I think honestly both processes would go more "smoothly" and "efficiently" if they were discouraged from participating in any but approved ways. That is one way I can tell that this group has worked long and hard on tolerance, inclusiveness, understanding and being welcoming to ALL.
I've even seen this in a local business, a neighborhood grocer (a small regional chain actually) that clearly makes a point to hire those with Down's Syndrome and autism as baggers and workers in the deli and produce departments. They have come to be my favorite employees and I look forward to greeting them and being greeted by them. It's part of the experience of being there. Even the "quiet" ones like the guy in produce who speaks only in minimalist grunts (he's actually the adult son of one of my neighbors) makes me feel good that he is productively employed and happy with his job (per his Dad). Also -- they get paid the same as anyone would who works there; they aren't being "used".
And boy do I feel good about this employer as someone I want to buy stuff from!
That is so heartwarming to hear. They hire people on the autism spectrum at the grocery store where I work, also, and the son of someone close to me has a job at the grocery store near him.
Sounds as if you found a good place for now. Even if you don't share their religious beliefs, it sounds as if you share some values.
Location: Removing a snake out of the neighbor's washing machine
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
No. She is given a more predominant role than she is in other Christian churches (as well as more reverence in Islam), but Christ is the center of the RCC.
John 14:6 - ... No one comes before the Father but through Me("Me" refers to Jesus Christ - not Mary, or Moses, or the mail man, or anybody else).
Yeah, and Catholics believe that as well.
Jesus is the head of the church, nobody is disputing that.
Some things though are open to interpretation, like the literal "call no man father" one, that low church Protestants always use and quote. Calling a priest Father is purely a courtesy title.
The traditional tensions between Cattholics and Protestants have parallels to the Shia and Sunni divide.
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