The Bishop of Breda, Tiny Muskens, wants people to start calling God Allah. He says the Netherlands should look to Indonesia, where the Christian churches already pray to Allah. It is also common in the Arab world: Christian and Muslim Arabs use the words God and Allah interchangeably.
It’s a solid, balanced, and fair introduction to the issues. For those acquainted with the New Perspective, there’s nothing earth shattering here. But this would make a great introduction for those who are asking, “What’s the New Perspective?” or “New Perspective on what?”
The Pope hopes for the end of the nearly 1000-year divide between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
Pope Benedict XVI told a visiting Cypriot Orthodox leader Saturday that he holds hope that the Catholic and Orthodox churches can be united, despite centuries of painful division.
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Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus has offered to play the role of mediator to try to arrange a groundbreaking meeting between the pope and the Orthodox patriarch of Moscow, Alexy II. That encounter eluded the late John Paul II in his long papacy because of Catholic-Orthodox tensions following the demise of Soviet communism.
In a speech to the archbishop after their private session, Benedict said he held “firm hope” of uniting the two churches.
The Seattle Times has a story about Episcopal priest Ann Holmes Redding, who has recently made public her commitment to both Christianity and Islam.
Shortly after noon on Fridays, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding ties on a black headscarf, preparing to pray with her Muslim group on First Hill.
On Sunday mornings, Redding puts on the white collar of an Episcopal priest.
She does both, she says, because she’s Christian and Muslim.
Redding, who until recently was director of faith formation at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, has been a priest for more than 20 years. Now she’s ready to tell people that, for the last 15 months, she’s also been a Muslim—drawn to the faith after an introduction to Islamic prayers left her profoundly moved.
. . .
“I am both Muslim and Christian, just like I’m both an American of African descent and a woman. I’m 100 percent both.”
Redding doesn’t feel she has to resolve all the contradictions. People within one religion can’t even agree on all the details, she said. “So why would I spend time to try to reconcile all of Christian belief with all of Islam?
“At the most basic level, I understand the two religions to be compatible. That’s all I need.”
She says she felt an inexplicable call to become Muslim, and to surrender to God.
“It wasn’t about intellect,” she said. “All I know is the calling of my heart to Islam was very much something about my identity and who I am supposed to be.
Due in theaters on June 22, Evan Almighty is the latest in semi-religious hubbub. All the usual questions are flying: “Isn’t that blasphemous?” “Don’t religious movies have to be serious?” followed closely by all the usual hasty conclusions: “Let’s pretend it isn’t happening,” or “Let’s make tracts to hand out!” or “I’m going down to protest outside the theater.”
All that aside, there is one unique aspect of Evan Almighty that is worth considering:ArkAlmighty. It’s a program coupled with the movie that centers on fulfilling needs. When a church registers, it receives a media kit and a dedicated page on the ArkAlmighty website (e.g., Greenville Community Church). The church can then hand out the provided flyers, which direct their readers to the church’s page. Online, ArkAlmighty has a sort of garage-sale for needs. If a person has a need, he can go to the page and post it. The church then does what it can to meet that need.
The idea is that the publicity already generated by Evan can help churches be more available. The program is designed to be an outreach tool, to bridge gaps between churches and their communities. On the surface, it sounds good. Maybe it’s even good underneath.
Here are a few pros and cons to consider:
Pros (not exhaustive)
Millions will be exposed to a religious message
Needs are being met
Ties to secular communities are being made
Religious movies don’t have to be serious
Excellent selection of teaching points
Cons (not exhaustive)
Possible cheapening of the holy
Possible misrepresentation of biblical ideas/concepts
Does the church need a movie to accomplish God’s purposes?
Association—would Steve Carell ever speak from your pulpit?
Excellent selection of teaching points
Your decision should be made in prayer: whether to see the movie, whether to associate with ArkAlmighty, whether to jump onto the bandwagon or watch it roll by.
In addition, read all you can and be as informed as possible. It should be your goal to provide helpful, insightful advice and answers to your flock.
Reformed and Lutheran churches in France intend to unite as the Universal Protestant Church.
The union—announced on May 20 in the town of Sochaux—will create one church composed of two regions: one Lutheran and another Reformed. The union is to become fully effective by 2013.
The Reformed Church counts around 300,000 faithful in France and the Lutheran Church 36,000.
Here are a couple snippets from the most recent post:
Here’s a fact many miss: To a very large degree, the unity Christ prayed for does exist among genuine believers, and it is a unity that transcends denominational lines.
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The unity Christ prayed for has always existed in the true body of Christ. It is an organic, not an organizational unity.
Apparently the article in Times Online yesterday, “Churches Back Plans to Unite Under Pope,” was not an accurate assessment of the state of affairs between Roman Catholics and Anglicans. The forthcoming IARCCUM document will “include a clear statement of the doctrinal differences that divide Catholics and Anglicans.”
Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane, Australia and Anglican Bishop David Beetge of South Africa, the co-chairmen of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM), cautioned that their commission’s report is not yet public, and will not make a dramatic call for reunion.
Bathersby and Beetge go on to say, “It is unfortunate that its contents have been prematurely reported in a way which misrepresents its intentions and sensationalizes its conclusions.”
The official document (PDF) from the primates meeting in Tanzania is now available.
There is some debate on what exactly it means and how it will influence the Episcopal church. This much seems clear: “Anglican leaders demanded that the U.S. Episcopal Church unequivocally bar official prayers for gay couples and the consecration of more gay bishops” (IHT).
The US Episcopal Church has been given seven months to change its ways or face being kicked out of the Anglican Communion. In an unexpectedly hard-hitting set of recommendations, Primates of the Anglican Communion demanded an “unequivocal common covenant” under which dioceses in The Episcopal Church agree not to authorise same-sex blessings. They also demanded that no more gay men or women in active relationships with a person of the same sex be consecrated bishop.
An article in Times Online has spurred discussion about the possibility of the Anglican church reuniting with the Roman Catholic church under the authority of the Pope.
The International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) will release a report later this year, arguing that despite clear differences on major theological issues, Anglicans and Catholics have enough common ground to encourage steps toward common worship.
Bishop Martinus “Tiny” Muskens of Breda, Netherlands thinks so.
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The August issue of Christianity Today features an article by 
The Seattle Times has 
Reformed and Lutheran churches in France intend to unite as the Universal Protestant Church.
