RESOURCING THE CHURCH FOR ECUMENICAL MINISTRy A ...

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Contextual and Local Ecumenism ........................................22 Christopher B. Morton Ecumenism for the Local Church ........................................ 26 Douglas Lofton Christian Unity, Prophetic Witness, and the Unity of Humanity ... 29 Kristine A. Culp Christian Unity and Prophetic Witness .................................. 34 Nathan D. Wilson bible studies Many Gifts–One Body; God’s Counter-Narrative...................... 38 A Bible Study on I Corinthians 12:4-27 April Johnson Boundary Crossing, Conversion and Resurrection.................... 41 A Bible Study on Acts 10:34-43 Andy Mangum sermons Winds of Unity................................................................ 47 John 3:1-10 Darla Glynn Already...Not Yet: God’s Gift of Unity .................................... 50 Gen. 1:26-27; Ephesians 4:1-6 Sharon E. Watkins report Report from Visioning Conference on Christian Unity .............. 53 Mercy Center, St. Louis, Missouri, June 14-17, 2010 reflections The Journey Ahead .......................................................... 58 Reflections on the Disciples Visioning Conference Thomas F. Best
Celebrating 100 Years as a Movement for Unity Peter M. Morgan Rev. Peter M. Morgan, President Emeritus of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society, serves as the volunteer historian and archivist at National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C. Come sit with me in a classroom at the old College of the Bible in Lexington. The year is 1962. Paul Crow, a very young professor, is at the head of the class lecturing on the history of ministry in the patristic era. Suddenly Professor Crow fast forwards 1700 years. “Many of you will soon be preparing for your ordinations—a magnificent day, the modern equivalent of the ancient church shouting at you ‘Axios! Axios!’ (worthy worthy) It’s easy to become confused on that day. The celebration is not primarily your celebration. It is the church celebrating once again God trusting it to propagate the gospel.” Professor Crow, I remember well your lesson and come on this occasion as one of your students to recite a brief history of the Council on Christian Unity and its propagation of the gospel. The stewardship of the gospel of primary interest to the Council is the prayer of Jesus, “that they may all be one” (John 17:21) and the teaching of Paul “There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Eph. 4:4). One hundred years ago we Disciples, who were founded as a unity movement, had a severe case of amnesia. But God raised up a prophet, Peter Ainslie, to help us remember and reclaim our vision as a people blessed and burdened with a catholic vocation of ecumenism. Earlier in that year of 1910 Peter had been in Edinburgh at the World Missionary Conference, the initial moment which launched the modern ecumenical movement. From an outdoor balcony of Stirling Castle he surveyed its 1 magnificent vista. Later in Topeka, Kansas Peter, in another high place, climbed the speaker’s podium of the International Convention. In one of the pivotal addresses in the history of our church he displayed a panorama of the great vista of the gospel played out across the centuries . . . “yonder are Polycarp . . . and Luther . . . the Wesleys . . . and the Campbells . . . What a host of saints!” he cried. “Some are called Nazarenes, Roman Catholics, Reformers, and some Disciples, but whatever be their names, all these are our brethren.” He then urged his Disciples family to reclaim their calling of Christian unity for that moment in history and for the century ahead. “(I)t is God’s program; it can no more be kept back than the sun can be kept from rising!” A constitution put into words our mission and vision: “to watch for every indication of Christian unity and to hasten the time by intercessory prayer, friendly conferences, and the distribution of irenic literature until we all attain unto the unity of the faith.” What an address! The Convention met in special session at First Christian Church. A constitution put into words our mission and vision: “to watch for every indication of Christian unity and to hasten the time by intercessory prayer, friendly conferences, and the distribution of irenic literature until we all attain unto the unity of the faith.” For one hundred years we have been watching for signs of unity, praying for unity, meeting in conferences for unity, publishing and promoting for unity. On that great occasion Peter Ainslie set in motion a movement
Page 1 and 2: Call to Unity Resourcing the Church
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Page 9 and 10: challenges that we will explore in
Page 11 and 12: Local and Universal We don’t talk
Page 13 and 14: Understanding the Lord’s Supper f
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Page 19 and 20: Being a Multicultural and Inclusive
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Page 23 and 24: To help stimulate discussion of the
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Page 27 and 28: of time and capacity. Who on earth
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Page 31 and 32: nations. This yoked relationship ha
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Page 35 and 36: persons remains particularly releva
Page 37 and 38: 1. Thanks to Mandy Burton, Kristel
Page 39 and 40: leaders proclaim themselves experts
Page 41 and 42: and denomination. To my surprise, t
Page 43 and 44: necessary. You can live without an
Page 45 and 46: Rev. Andy Mangum serves as Senior M
Page 47 and 48: a pluralistic context, Christians w
Page 49 and 50: egarded segregation as acceptable,
Page 51 and 52: Sermon Winds of Unity John 3:1-10 D
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in Christ Jesus? What if we would e
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• The challenge and opportunities
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prayer for Christian unity. It is m
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Rev. Dr. Thomas F. Best, a pastor o
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I believe that the Second Joe A. an
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