Christian Unity

[gtsecc]

Yesterday there was a service for Christian unity at the RC Cathedral. The RC Bishop, RC priests, Anglican Priests, Orthodox Priests, and Lutheran Pastors, were invited. The result?



3 Anglican Priests and one Orthodox Priest showed up.

No Lutherans

No Romans



We moved on and held the service in the RC Cathedral anway.

[AngCath]

interesting to see that it was us and the Orthodox who made the effort... and at least the RC let you use the building, that's something.

[ContraMundum]

That's bizzare.

Imagine if the evangelical protestants did the same and invited their circle of friends? You'd not have enough seats to fill the place. I've been to one of those.

[IowaLutheran]

That is unusual for Lutherans (ELCA at least); in my location we are normally the ones spearheading the effort, and nationally, we have entered into more dialogues and more full communion agreements than just about any other denomination (perhaps too many in some cases).

[gtsecc]

That's bizzare.

Imagine if the evangelical protestants did the same and invited their circle of friends? You'd not have enough seats to fill the place. I've been to one of those.

I agree.
Why the heck can't the historic faiths catch that zeal?

[Annabel Lee]

On Thanksgiving eve, the local churches have an ecumenical service at our Catholic Church. All the area churches are invited but only the Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran Churches attend.
The choirs and the music directors work together in the preceding weeks and it's actually quite beautiful.

Also, five area churches, including Catholic, Lutheran and Episcopal, run the winter homeless shelter.

[AngCath]

Where I am the local churches in the neighborhood ("the Southside 7") do a service together for Thanksgiving and in any given year only 1 or 2 drop out. This group is made up of Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, United Methodists, Lutherans (ELCA), and Disciples of Christ. the service works pretty well for us at getting all the Christians in one part of town together.

[svdbygrace]

All the mainline Churches (including the ELCA, ECUSA, UMC, RCC, PCUSA, ABC, AME) here hold shared services all the time... such as World Communion Day, and Advent Vespers (held at each church, at diffrent times), and Holy Friday.

[karen freeinchristman]

edit - double post

[karen freeinchristman]

All the mainline Churches (including the ELCA, ECUSA, UMC, RCC, PCUSA, ABC, AME) here hold shared services all the time... such as World Communion Day, and Advent Vespers (held at each church, at diffrent times), and Holy Friday.
Gosh, you have a lot of churches in your area!

We sometimes have ecumenical services, called 'Village Churches Together' -
which is comprised of 2 Church of England, 1 Methodist, 1 RC, and 1 United Reformed (which is a combination of Presbyterian and something else :sorry: ).

[Teshi]

Yesterday there was a service for Christian unity at the RC Cathedral. The RC Bishop, RC priests, Anglican Priests, Orthodox Priests, and Lutheran Pastors, were invited. The result?



3 Anglican Priests and one Orthodox Priest showed up.

No Lutherans

No Romans



We moved on and held the service in the RC Cathedral anway.

That's a serious shame. Is it at all possible that it was due to some legitimate miscommunication or scheduling conflict, or is it certain that folks could come but didn't?

In my hometown we have ecumenical Christmas services with the congregations of the local Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist churches (we don't have a lot of religious diversity there - mostly everyone in the region who's religious is either RC or some variety of Lutheran). There's always a good, solid turnout, which I find very hopeful, considering that as recently as thirty years ago there was a lot of Protestant/Catholic tension in the area. It may be a slow change but at least it's a positive change.

[svdbygrace]

Gosh, you have a lot of churches in your area!

We sometimes have ecumenical services, called 'Village Churches Together' -
which is comprised of 2 Church of England, 1 Methodist, 1 RC, and 1 United Reformed (which is a combination of Presbyterian and something else :sorry: ).

Many more denominations/sects/ whatever you could think of. :o