On November 1,
I began my new call to serve as the Executive for Ecumenical
and Inter-Religious Relations for the
ELCA. I am looking forward to building upon the
solid work that has been done over
decades within the ELCA. It is also an important
time to assess where we are and to give
direction for what the next chapters of our
ecumenical and inter-religious life should be.
I would like
to extend an invitation to you.
It is an invitation to share your
views, theological reflections,
concerns, and input about our ecumenical and
inter-religious ministry. If ecumenical and
inter-religious relations is to have renewed
commitment and meaning, it must have
life at all levels.
We have had very good leadership in
bilateral dialogues and conversations, ecumenical
and full communion agreements, and in the promotion of understanding with people from
other traditions. Yet,
there needs to be greater grassroots involvement. This participation
needs to be a common
reality within the life of individual members, congregations, and local
and regional
communities, alongside of our church-wide commitment. The sharing
of your local
experiences and models will be deeply appreciated. Supporting
ecumenism and
inter-religious relations on a local, grassroots level is one of my
priorities.
Our commitment
to understanding, to unity, and to mission are at the heart of our
identity and our being. Our foundations
are biblical, theological, confessional, and
missional. As an active participant in
ecumenical dialogues, I have learned how
important it is for Lutherans to be
prepared with these foundations in order to share
who we are and what we believe. Our
partners in our conversations and dialogues
will be prepared to do the same. This results
in mutual understanding and advances
us toward greater unity.
If we are
committed to grassroots renewal and involvement, we need to
concentrate on what we believe and how
we share it. Cardinal Walter Kasper,
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,
shares a very helpful book “A
Handbook of Spiritual Ecumenism.” He captures what
I believe is at the heart of
ecumenical renewal. In his introduction, he stated: “The
search for unity among
Christians is, before all else, a desire to be kept alive and a prayer to
be nourished.
This search has its eyes fixed on Jesus, who gave his live so that there
would be
‘one flock, one shepherd’ (Jn 10:16) and who prayed ‘that they may all be one
(Jn
17:21). Many have come to understand that if it doesn’t come back to its moorings,
ecumenical engagement risks losing its élan, its hope; it risks coming to a standstill
in its
face of human limitations.”
“A
Handbook of Spiritual Ecumenism” includes chapters on deepening
Christian
Faith: The Word of God; Prayer and
Worship; Diakonia and Witness. This is a fine
resource and I would encourage its
consideration in local conversations. However, as
Lutherans, we have some rich resources
to bring to the table, as well. These include:
biblical and confessional resources,
the JDDJ (Joint Declaration on the Doctrine
of Justification), the Small Catechism, Worship, our diaconal and
witness resources, etc.
The development of a Lutheran
supplemental handbook would be a great addition
for grassroots, ecumenical dialogues
for interested people from all Christian faith
traditions. I join the hope with
Cardinal Kasper that grassroots sharing will help us to be
more closely united with our sisters
and brothers in a common prayer and a common life
around Christ, our one Lord.
I will look
forward to sharing with you in future Ecumenical and Inter-Religious
Life issues. I invite your prayers for
our staff, our ecumenical and inter-religious
ministry, and our life together in
Christ. As we face challenging times in the life of the
church and the world, may we also be
guided by the Holy Spirit to commit ourselves to
the unity that our Lord wills for us
and for the world that God continues to love and
redeem.
In Christ,
The Rev. Donald J. McCoid
Executive for Ecumenical and
Inter-Religious Relations
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