July 16, 2021, marks the bicentennial of Christian Science founder, Mary Baker Eddy’s birth. Ms. Baker Eddy was an American religious leader and author, who in addition to founding the Church of Christ, Scientist, in 1879,  founded the Pulitzer Prize-winning secular newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor in 1908, along with three religious magazines: the Christian Science Sentinel, The Christian Science Journal, and The Herald of Christian Science.

By Shirley Paulson, PhD.

People often wonder if all their ecumenical and interreligious efforts are worth it. I want to tell you why I think you have done good work.

In 2013 I gave a presentation for the North American Academy of Ecumenists,[1] describing the then-current relationship of Christian Science with the ecumenical movement as a butterfly perched on the fingers of an outreached human hand. In many ways, I said, Christian Science had emerged from a long spell in a cocoon and found a welcoming hand. We were beginning to appreciate a delicate relationship with a much bigger world. Both the hands of experienced ecumenists and the tentative steps of a relatively inexperienced community of Christian Scientists were ready for the mutual benefits of ecumenical engagement.

My first discovery was that real ecumenists cared more about my Christian sincerity than the degree of rightness I held in relation to their own beliefs. These were people I could trust. That is, I could speak honestly without having to brace myself for a verbal confrontation. They were more interested in nurturing a mutual learning relationship than a holier-than-thou relationship.

I’ve often thought of Konrad Raiser (former General Secretary of the World Council of Churches)’s diagnosis of church division among Christian communities: it’s a symptom of broken fellowship, not theology.[2] And, as Raiser continued, broken fellowship and communion “was then confirmed by the fact that you no longer had the language to communicate with one another.”

In the intervening years since my discussion of the delicate butterfly supported by the outreached hand of caring ecumenists, I’ve felt the embrace of sincere fellowship from many directions among Christians. Many from other faith traditions are also participating in this sincere expansion of fellowship. I’ve also heard numerous times from scholars of religion that the history of Christian Science is still obscure and difficult to track down, even for those who want to learn it.

So, to do our part, I found some outstanding colleagues willing to create with me an annotated bibliography on Christian Science. The timing was just right, and this 400-page bibliography is now hot off the press in time to celebrate the bicentennial of Christian Science founder, Mary Baker Eddy, born July 16, 1821.

Now, with book in hand, we’re in a position to invite you to participate in this bicentennial celebration by learning just a little more about Mary Baker Eddy and the Church that constitutes her legacy. The new bibliography does include numerous biographies about Eddy, but what is new are the categories of topics that have emerged in the ensuing history since Eddy’s passing. Some of these categories include Feminist Perspectives; Christian Science After 1910 (the year of Eddy’s passing); Focus on Healing; Social and Cultural Studies; and even Polemical Literature. Most of the 400 annotations are each about 200 words, explaining the key points of the most significant books and articles published on these topics. Our proofreaders have found it fascinating reading!

Almost all of my conversations with ecumenical and interreligious leaders used to begin with “I really don’t know very much about Christian Science.” With this easy-to-read and clearly indexed bibliography, we hope to give more people confidence that they can engage in meaningful conversation about Christian Science. And when that happens, of course, Christian Scientists will have the opportunity to learn from others what will continue to enrich our own self-understanding.

For more information, or to purchase the book, click on the following link An Annotated Bibliography of Academic and Other Literature on Christian Science, or email ScholarsOnCs@gmail.com. The authors of this book—Helen Mathis, Linda Bargmann, and I—thank you for being the trustworthy friends who inspired our efforts to produce this book as a contribution to the great ecumenical and interreligious conversation you’ve supported for so many years.

[1] Shirley Paulson, “The Emerging Face of Being One: Discerning the Ecumenical Community from the Christian Science Church,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies. Vol. 49, No. 2, 2014, 285–94.

[2] Konrad Raiser, “A Conversation about ‘a Kind of Conversation,” One World, November, 1983, 16.

Shirley Paulson, PhD., Founder and Principal Producer of Early Christian Texts: The Bible and Beyond

By Rev. Prof. Dr. Dirk G. Lange

On June 24-25, 2021, a delegation of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) visited the Vatican as part of the journey from conflict to communion, that began over 50 years ago. Of course, the journey has moved forward considerably since the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and the publication of the important study on the Reformation, Martin Luther, and Lutheran-Catholic relations, From Conflict to Communion. These documents made possible the Joint Commemoration of the 500 years of the Reformation held in the Lund Cathedral and the Malmö Stadium in 2016 with His Holiness Pope Francis joining Lutheran leaders in the Common Prayer. In that liturgy, together we gave thanks, we confessed, we prayed and committed ourselves to unity, acknowledging each other as branches of the true vine.

The Joint Commemoration also set a tone for successive commemorations, both big and small. Over the next decade, there will be many significant milestones to be remembered including more difficult memories such as this year, 2021, the 500^th anniversary of the excommunication of Martin Luther. All of these anniversaries will culminate in the 500^th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 2030.

The visit of the LWF delegation in Rome launched the next stage of the journey, looking ahead to the 500^th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession. During the trip, the delegation had conversations with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), consolidated and strengthened an agreement between Caritas Internationalis, the global confederation of Catholic aid and development agencies, and the LWF World Service, as well as meeting with Pope Francis in a private audience on the anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, 25 June.

In that private audience, the Lutheran World Federation President Archbishop Dr. Panti Filibus Musa spoke about the journey from conflict to communion as “irreversible.” We look ahead to the commemoration of the Augsburg Confession in the “hope that we will reconnect with its original ecumenical intention.” The LWF President also presented Pope Francis with the gift of a chalice and paten, crafted for the occasion by the brothers of the ecumenical Community of Taizé. The glaze for the Eucharistic vessels was made with sand taken from the refugee camp in Za’atari, Jordan, where LWF has been working since 2012 to support Syrian refugees, internally displaced people and host communities. This gift, President Musa told the pope, “represents our calling to be one.”

Pope Francis expressed his hope in the ecumenical journey and lifted up the Augsburg Confession as initially a document of “intra-Catholic reconciliation” before it took “on the character of a Lutheran confessional text.” He reminded all those committed to the ecumenical movement that “ecumenism is not an exercise of ecclesial diplomacy but a journey of grace.  It depends not on human negotiations and agreements, but on the grace of God, which purifies memories and hearts, overcomes attitudes of inflexibility and directs towards renewed communion: not towards reductive agreements or forms of irenic syncretism, but towards a reconciled unity amid differences.” And, citing the Rule of Taizé, Pope Francis called for a passionate engagement in this journey from conflict to communion. “Make the unity of the body of Christ your passionate concern.”

Another significant event of this trip happened between Caritas Internationalis and the LWF World Service. The “Common Vision,” jointly presented by World Service director, Maria Immonen, and Caritas Secretary General, Aloysius John, affirms that the two organizations “stand together for the sake of the neighbor – a call which is rooted in faith.” This “Common Vision” expands the agreement reached in the Declaration of Intent, signed between the two organizations in Malmö, Sweden (2016) as part of the Joint Commemoration of the Reformation. By strengthening their humanitarian work for justice, peace and dignity for all people, the commitment of World Service and Caritas also serves as a “catalyst that can shape our doctrinal dialogues.” In listening and acting together in many local contexts, with the involvement and support of local churches, pastoral ecumenism can help shape ecumenical dialogue, listening attentively to the intuition of God’s people to be one.

In the conversation with the PCPCU, both sides re-affirmed their commitment to the journey, even if sometimes it may take unexpected turns. For example, this year marks the 500^th anniversary of the excommunication of Martin Luther. A study group was formed to explore the complexity of this historical moment. Their work continues but was hampered by COVID-19. The results of their research will contribute to a statement on the matter to be presented, not in this year, but in 2023 at the Thirteenth General Assembly of the LWF in Krakow, Poland. Other study groups will be established to research and explore significant upcoming anniversaries (Nicea 2025, the Large and Small Catechisms 2028-2029) leading up to the commemoration of the Augsburg Confession, highlighting its ecumenical potential.

In the meeting with the PCPCU and in a subsequent lecture on synodality at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), General Secretary Martin Junge, spoke about challenges we meet on the journey and reminded us of the central role of justification. “In our ecumenical journey, our communions have also affirmed this criterion. In the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, we have agreed in paragraph 18 that ‘the doctrine of justification, (…) is more than just one part of Christian doctrine. It stands in an essential relation to all truths of faith, which are to be seen as internally related to each other. It is an indispensable criterion which constantly serves to orient all the teaching and practice of our churches to Christ.’ We need not look further than to this simple yet all-encompassing Gospel reality. Justification serves as this touchstone for discernment.”

On this journey from conflict to communion, Lutherans and Catholics continually seek to discern how to live into God’s action that makes us one. With prayer, service, and dialogue, may the Holy Spirit continue guiding us, so that we will gather one day at the table where God, through the gift of Christ, has made us already one.

 Photo: LWF/S. Gallay

Rev. Prof. Dr. Dirk G. Lange,  Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations, The Lutheran World Federation

Fredrik A. Schiotz Chair of Missions and Professor of Worship, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN

By Kristen Opalinski

A Look Back at the 2021 National Workshop on Christian Unity

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

It was the theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and in turn, became an echo for this year’s National Workshop on Christian Unity (NWCU). After last year’s workshop in Houston was canceled due to the global pandemic, focus turned to 2021, and with it questions of how best to move the work of the NWCU forward. These questions of “what now?” and “what next?” have become all too familiar. Conferences have shifted to digital spaces, and with these shifts, questions about our ability to authentically engage, to create opportunities to inspire, challenge, and grow together.

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

Perhaps, there is no better reminder of our life together in Christ in the midst of such a challenging time than this message from John 15. These are words of mutual comfort and mutual resilience, but they are also words that seek to move us into active participation. We abide in Christ to bear the fruits of justice, love, and reconciliation – to not simply lend a hand in the vineyard, but to cultivate, through Christ, the fruit that brings transformation and renewal. This year’s National Workshop (April 12 -15) sought to look at the myriad of ways in which we are being called as Christians into this season of cultivation, to roll up our sleeves, ask the difficult questions, and then dig into the soil around us. Themes of Christian hospitality, human fraternity, racial justice, immigration, and care for creation were the seeds for our week of listening, learning, and engagement.

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

Leaders and musicians from various churches joined together for a stirring opening worship. The Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, delivered a sermon that framed the important work of introspective evangelization noting that, “it may well be that our great evangelistic task will be the re-evangelization of Christianity itself.”

Participants were welcomed into morning meditations on various aspects of Christian hospitality led by Fr. William Skudlarek, OSB, Associate Professor of Theology at St. John’s School of Theology and Seminary in Collegeville, Minn. His sessions for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are available for further reflection and usage.

The theme of Christian hospitality continued with sessions centered on our call to respond to the needs of immigrant communities and those seeking asylum. Wednesday’s Bishops at the Border conversation brought together four bishops serving geographic areas along the southern border of the United States, including Bishop Sue Briner of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the ELCA. On Thursday, a session titled Human Migration, Asylum, and the Church, assembled practitioners from three churches, including Christopher Vergara from the ELCA, to discuss grassroots responses to the challenges faced by immigrants and those seeking safety and a new beginning in the United States.

Other themes highlighted throughout the week included a keynote on human fraternity, and sessions on care for creation, countering racism, and exploring new ways for religious exchange in digital spaces.

The entire playlist of sessions from the 2021 NWCU can be viewed through the Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers (EDIEO) YouTube channel.

Abide in my love … you shall bear much fruit.

This year has forced us all to see life and relationships in new ways, to see opportunities in unlikely places, and to find ways to continue to gather despite out physical separation. As the NWCU looks toward the future, we hope to carry the lessons of this year forward as we continue to broaden engagement in the workshop. The Rev. Tura Foster Gillespie, chair of the 2021 National Planning Committee for the NWCU reflected on this year’s workshop and the doors that it opened with the following, “We were blessed that the online platform afforded us new opportunities. Attendants and speakers were no longer geographically limited.  This made some normally unattainable speakers a reality and I am overwhelmed with how gracious and inspiring they were.  It was amazing to see God work in wonderful ways to make some positive things come out of such a hard year.”

While we hope to gather in-person for the 2022 NWCU in Garden Grove, Calif., there are plans currently being developed for a hybrid model that will continue to allow for further expanding participation.

In addition to all of the content from this year’s NWCU,  be sure to check out Rev. Paul Benz’s post reflecting on this year’s Ecumenical Advocacy Days, which also gathered digitally in April, under the theme Imagine God’s Earth and People Restored.

Kristen Opalinski serves as manager for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations for the ELCA.

By Rev. Protopresbyter Nicolas Kazarian

The Department of Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America welcomes the opportunity to share its Greening the Parish Resource Page with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Designed for both the parish and home, this page provides resource material for navigating and fulfilling our vocation as stewards of creation and working towards greening our churches together on a personal level.

Especially featured are the ecological initiatives and activities of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, renowned as “The Green Patriarch” for his proclamation of “the primacy of spiritual values in determining environmental ethics and action.” Included are the September 1st Encyclicals for the Feast of the Indiction (beginning of the ecclesiastical new year) and Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Natural Environment, along with His All-Holiness’s works in global environment advocacy and action such as the Halki Summits.

Exploring a variety of practical and theological perspectives regarding environmentalism, the Creation Care Toolkit consists of Creation Care resources along with the Greening the Parish webinar series and manuals. Additionally, a variety of Orthodox perspectives are featured on the webpage including youth initiatives, books, and films along with a diverse resource section featuring the works of various Christian traditions, organizations, environmentalists, and academics.

“Defining environmentalism as a spiritual responsibility,” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has explained “Our sin toward the world, or the spiritual root of all our pollution, lies in our refusal to view life and the world as a sacrament of thanksgiving, and as a gift of constant communion with God on a global scale.”

As we continue to cultivate this green ministry, the Department will begin publishing its “How-To” video series featuring lessons and practical guides on creation care and sustainability on Earth Day (April 22). We welcome this opportunity to partake in the protection of the natural environment as a chance to bear witness to our ecumenical desire to be one.

The webpage and additional information may be found here.

Rev. Protopresbyter Nicolas Kazarian serves as Ecumenical Officer and Director of the Department on Inter-Orthodox, Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations. He is also the parish priest of St. Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan.

©UNESCO

The UN General Assembly resolution 2142 (XXI)(link is external), adopted on 26 October 1966, proclaimed 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to be commemorated annually.

Statement for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

The statement follows:

From Churches Beyond Borders: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

In Advent 2020, Churches Beyond Borders expressed a commitment to dismantling racism, combating white supremacy and actively seeking opportunities to engage more deeply on these important issues. In this season of Lent, we continue our journey as we join together in observing the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This is an annual day of recommitment in remembrance of the day police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. (www.un.org/en/observances/end-racism-day) Recognizing that the March 21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is a calling to be lived out every day, we offer this reflection as encouragement to continue the journey with renewed determination.

I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them
(Exodus 3:7-8a, NRSV)

How do we lament the sin of racism?

Racism and xenophobia have a painful, violent, deadly history that traverses all borders. The institutional church shares in the complicity of the legacies of the Doctrine of Discovery colonization, forced removal and genocide of Indigenous people, the enslavement of African and Indigenous Peoples and injustices  perpetrated against all people of color. The sin of racism is structural, institutional, interpersonal and internalized. It lives in communities inside and outside the church; it continues to inflict harm on a daily basis and generate new history. How do we repent of all of this?

At the burning bush, Moses hears God say, “I have heard the cries of my people.” We who follow the God of Freedom must also hear the cries of God’s people, of each other, and especially those among us who live under the constant threat and violence of racism and white supremacy. For those of us who have the privilege of closing ourselves off, we need to open ourselves to feel the painful truths of the sins of racism and white supremacy in our hearts and bodies and minds and souls. We must create spaces and structures that welcome and include the voices of those most directly impacted by the sins of racism. This message is being shared during the season of Lent, a period of self-examination, reflection, and making amends. We need to lament, repent and be transformed.

Moses is told to take off his sandals. We need to lament in worship: to remove our shoes, to stand in humility, to feel the ashes on our foreheads, to be honest in the presence of God about our sins and shortcomings. Holy Ground is a gift that supports lamentation, repentance, transformation and discernment.

Moses is sent to work for the freedom of people. Oppression is not inevitable or insurmountable. Things can change. Challenging racism and white supremacy calls each of us to deep and honest consideration of perceptions, biases, behaviours and systemic patterns. We echo the United Nations call to take the strongest possible stand against racism, discrimination and intolerance of every kind, to spread the word to fight racism and to take stock of the state of human rights and hate speech today and reflect on how each of us can stand up for rights. In lamentation and repentance, we hear God’s call to act for the dismantling of racism.

Moses admits his own fears and reluctance. God directs Moses to connect with his siblings. God provides Miriam and Aaron to make up for Moses’ weaknesses and to enhance his strengths. The journey is long and the work is hard, crossing many difficult borders in our lives, communities, and our churches. We give thanks for the gift of community on this journey and in this work.

We invite you to join us in prayer:
God of Holy Ground, move us to lament and repent. Open our hearts, bodies, minds and souls to the cries of your people. Transform us by your presence. Drive us into action for the dismantling of racism in relationships, communities and societies. Bless us with companions who support us, challenge us and help us keeping going. We pray for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

We commend to you these resources for further reflection and discernment:

Suggested action from the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to #FightRacism
Fight Racism | Stand up for human rights | UN Human Rights (standup4humanrights.org)

Explanation of the Declaration of the ELCA to People of African Descent
https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Slavery_Apology_Explanation.pdf?_ga=2.160292863.337082937.1614267858-176581130.1609883917

“Doctrine of Discovery: Stolen lands, Strong Hearts” is a film about a devastating decision, made over 500 years ago, which continues to profoundly impact Indigenous and Settler people worldwide. https://www.anglican.ca/primate/tfc/drj/doctrineofdiscovery/

Call to Racial Reconciliation: “Litany of Repentance” and “Commissioning for the Ministry of Justice and Reconciliation” from the “10th Anniversary Celebration of Full Communion” between the Episcopal Church and the Northern and Southern Provinces of the Moravian Church
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bTb_fguBnZJO2xLiPjwpLmSLWYeihNnA/view

Sacred Teachings Podcast: Indigenous Elders all across Turtle Island share teachings, languages, traditions and stories of the Ancestors.
https://www.anglican.ca/im/podcasts/

The Ecumenical Conversation on the International Decade for People of African Descent
Recordings of November 26, 2020 online event and companion study guide.  https://www.interculturalleadership.ca/news/study-guide-recognition-justice-and-development-peoples-of-african-descent-and-canadian-churches

“With Love Before Us, We Are Walking” recoding of Gospel Jam 7 (February 13, 2021) with Archbishop Mark MacDonald and special guest Bishop Michael Curry
https://www.anglican.ca/im/gospeljam/

ELCA Anti-Racism Pledge – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Episcopal Church Report for the House of Bishops from its Theology Committee: White Supremacy, the Beloved Community, and Learning to Listen (Fall  2020)
https://www.episcopalchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/bbc_hob_theo_cmte_report_on_white_supremacy.pdf

Anglican Church of Canada House of Bishop’s Statement on Confronting Racism
https://www.anglican.ca/news/our-own-house-is-not-in-order-bishops-issue-statement-on-confronting-racism/30026802/

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Pastoral Letter regarding the ongoing sin of Racism.
https://www.elcic.ca/news.cfm?article=570

In Christ – Shalom,

National Bishop Susan C. Johnson
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Archbishop and Primate Linda Nicholls
Anglican Church of Canada

Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry
The Episcopal Church

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.3 million members in more than 8,900 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org