Friends:

On Friday the Science and Religion Faculty Group had
its last luncheon meeting of the year at WTU. There was a discussion
of upcoming events. As you probably know, the group
sponsors a public event each semester on Science and Religion.
The most recent was noted earlier in this blog.

Science and Religion will be the topic of the fall Faculties' Convocation
on September 29th at VTS.

The agenda is as follows:


Science and Religion at Virginia Theological Seminary—Dr. Francis Collins has confirmed that he will speak.

The Science and Religion Group has workshops lined up:


1. Evolution and Original Sin—Joe Wimmer [WTU] and Daryl Domning [Howard]

2. The Scientific Community and the Dialogue on Science and Religion: Challenges and Opportunities—Connie Bertka for the Howie Center at Union/PSCE

3. The Brain and Religious Experience—Fred Ware [HUSD]

4. An Overview of Issues of Science and Religion—James Wiseman [CUA]

5. Emergence—The End of Science—Walt Shropshire [Wesley]


The group expects to have a public event on March 28, 2009 with a speaker and a respondent.

The group did not just do business!
Professor Larry Fagg of the Physics Department of CUA [he is now retired]
wrote an editorial for a science and religion journal and asked the members for feedback --which they gave in abundance.

Peace,
John

Friends:

The Annual Friends Reception for the Consortium
took place in the Pilgrim Gallery at Washington
National Cathedral last Thursday night.

You may recall that this is the 100th Anniversary of the
Cathedral--The Consortium Development Committee
wanted to acknowledge this anniversary.

The night was clear and beautiful. The Gallery is on the 7th
floor--so we had a delightful view of the Washington horizon.

The friends engaged in animated conversation, shared a buffet meal
and listened to a quite stimulating talk on ecumenical dimensions
of Hispanic Ministry by Fr. John Ford of Catholic University.

As usual, the event was well supported by public trustees of the Consortium.
Honorary sponsors include major church leaders from the region.

It is always good to see these friends.
The Consortium serves the member instititons and the wider public.
These friends support the public outreach with their time
and their contributions.

Peace,
John

Friends:

I have just refreshed my coffee at lunch!
But this will be my last blog on a very busy 8 days.

Yesterday, due to the energy of Dr. Henry Simmons of
Union/PSCE, we have a meeting of Professors of Christian
Education in Richmond. This luncheon meeting with Christian Educators was a first for me.
The quality of the discussion was outstanding--as people shared about
their teaching and research. There were several major themes that
emerged. I was impressed with the focus on the local congregation and its
needs--and reflection on how to prepare students to serve. The approach struck
me as multidisciplinary. The colleagues are well-read across fields--in search of the best
preparation for their students and the best for the congregations they serve.

All in all a fine meeting.
It was well worth the trip in the rain.

Peace,
John

Friends:

As you can see, I am catching up on my blogging today.

Quite awhile back I post a version of Crossin 10 points for new students.

I though it might be helpful if I posted the outline for my basic talk on Ecumenism
for parishes and congregations. I have given this talk a few times in recent weeks.

I build on this outline--so it is not really exactly
what I say. But perhaps you will find it useful for your reflection.

• Crossin’s Ten Points on Ecumenism
  and InterReligious Relations Today[1]
  
  1. Conversion—The importance of a change of heart to ecumenism cannot be overestimated. Ecumenism must go from an intellectual understanding to a commitment of the heart.
  
  2. A Communion of Communions—The goal is to bring all together with the distinctiveness of the varied traditions. It is not to obliterate those distinctions but to find the common core around which we can unite. There will be diversity in unity and unity in diversity
  
  3. Structures—
  a. World Council of Churches
  b. National Council of Churches
  c. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
  d. The ‘Big Tent’—Christian Churches Together
  
  4. InterFaith Dialogue—This is important but is not the same as Ecumenism. The goal of ecumenism is visible church unity while the goal of InterFaith dialogue is mutual understanding. The two efforts are complementary in that they both require mutual respect, attentive listening and clear explanation.
  
  5. The Both/And--The necessary relationship of doctrine and life, Scripture and Tradition, etc. For Christian unity things go together.
  
  6. Cultural differences do make a difference
  With the Orthodox—who never experienced either the Enlightenment or the Reformation.
  In Africa and Asia—the struggle to enculturate.
  
  7. Diversity in Unity is especially challenging in the moral arena
  Divisive moral issues ---Ecumenism often moves from the less difficult to the more difficult.
  Can we agree to disagree on some things?
  
  8. Differences in the Understanding of the Church
  a Have some reforming movements run their course?
  b Local or international
  c Hierarchical/Participative
  
  9. Local Reception—agreements at the top must be received locally
  Interchurch Families
  What are the practices that form us ecumenically?
  
  10. God’s ways are mysterious. God seems to work slowly. Yet there has been abundant change in the last few years. The key foundation is prayer [See Ut Unum Sint, Pauline Books and Media, 1995.] Christian Unity is a gift of God.
  
  Saturday, April 05, 2008
  [1] My original 10 points were drawn from an article by Michael Kinnamon in Ecumenical Trends in May, 2001.

Peace,
John

Friends:

I am certainly having my coffee today.
On Friday I was drinking cokes however.

I was sitting in a studio on Massachusetts Avenue
and offering comments on Pope Benedict's visit to
a Jewish Synagogue in New York and then to a group of
250 ecumenical leaders at St. Joseph's church.

Ellen McCloskey of the Office of Digital Media of the
US Conference of Catholic Bishops had invited me to
be a Guest on the Live Web Cast of these events.

It was a very interesting
experience. I was here offering live comments
on what was happening there. These were somewhat planned
and a bit spontaneous depending on what was actually happening.

The videos are still available at www.uspapalvisit.org and should
be for the foreseeable future. This website can also be accessed through the
Bishop's Conference Website [www.usccb.org].

This guest commentary was one of the unexpected things--there are a number--that
I am asked to do as Director of the Consortium. This makes for an interesting day!!

Peace,
John

Friends:

I mentioned in my last posting that I attended the
National Workshop on Christian Unity in Chicago

While there I did some of my work as President
of the North American Academy of Ecumenists.
Seven Board members of the Academy who were in attendance
had breakfast together on Tuesday morning.

We are still firming up a few details for our Annual Meeting
in St. Louis, September 26-28. The them is Ecumenical Ecclesiology.
If you wish to attend you can get details at www.naae.net.

It was good to see so many members of the Academy at the NWCU meeting.
While a few details remain to be settled, the St. Louis meeting promises to be outstanding.

Peace,
John

Friends:

I was happy to spend part of last week in Chicago
at the National Workshop on Christian Unity. You may recall
that last year I served on the Local Committee which hosted this event
in Washington.

This year there was not nearly so much to do!
I had more time to visit with folks--and update them
on the Consortium.

The three previous years I presented one of the Workshops [last year the
workshop was on the work of the Consortium]--this
year I was free to attend workshops.

I saw our former Chair Rev. Thomas Prinz--he seems to be doing
very well and is busy as ever--both with his congregation in Leesburg and with
ecumenical work.

I saw Rev. Becky Crites-she recently graduated from VTS-she is now the ecumenical officer
for the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Virginia. She was in very good
spirits as usual. She is a living reminder that if you take my course in ecumenism, things might happen!

I also saw Brother Jeff Gros. Jeff received the Consortium Ecumenism Award this past February. He was very thankful and positive about receiving the award--and was happy for the opportunity to see his friends at the ceremony at the John Leland Center [He mentioned Dr. Dolores Leckey of the Woodstock Theological Center among others.]


As usual, several people asked if Wesley Seminary would be offering the Doctor of Ministry Degree in Ecumenism any time soon. There is a low-key and continuing interest.

So, it was a great experience!
More later.

Peace,
John

Friends:

We had a wonderful presentation and discussion yesterday
at WTU over lunch. This was the annual luncheon of the
Consortium Faculty Group that is involved with the Spiritual
Formation of lay students.

The presenter was Dr. Timothy Sedgwick--Vice President
at VTS and distinguished ethicist/moral theologian. He offered
his personal reflections on the influence of theological education
on spiritual formation and vice versa.

Actually the two should be
seen as one. Our spiritual formation influences our theologizing and our
theology influences our spiritual journey. We can approach our theological
reading with the 'mindset' of lectio divina; we can bring our knowledge of God
and the Trinity into our prayer--perhaps by letting our knowledge change our practices of
prayer.

This was a rich presentation and discussion--filled with practical examples from the faculty
participants.

Dr. Sedgwick has shared his notes with me--so that I can reflect more on all this.
This integration is at the center of what we do--and is of prime importance to ecumenism.

Peace,
John

Friends:

Before I get my next cup of coffee, I should
mention a fine presentation last evening sponsored
by the Arts faculty group and held at Wesley [Thanks
to Dr. Deborah Sokolove and to Peggy Parker].

Kathe Hicks Albrecht, Visual
Resouce Curator of the Department of Art at American
University, gave a clear and helpful presentation of copyright
issues as they now stand--especially, as you might expect, in
relation to images. This is a complicated area--but even I, a non-specialist
to be sure, came out with clear understanding on several important issues.

Peace,
John

Friends:

Morning is a good time to drink a little coffee.

Last Saturday about 25 of us gathered at WTU to hear
a fine presentation on Science and Religion by
Fr. Patrick Heelan of Georgetown University.
Heelan had studied with Schrodinger and worked
with Heisenberg. He is a physicist/philosopher. His talk
was quite interesting. What sticks with me is the limitations
on our knowing. This is especially true in physics. Heelan used
his autobiographical accounts of his famous colleagues/mentors to
enter the questions raised by modern physics.

A large group stayed for lunch and continued the discussion.

It was a most stimulating morning.

Peace,
John

Friends:

I had a very fine experience last night in visiting
the class of Dr. Richard Jones and Dr. Mohamed Adam El-Sheikh
at VTS. Theirs is one of the first classes for the Certificate
Program in Christian Muslim Dialogue. There were 25 or
so students in class last night. I heard two interesting
student presentations on fasting--one by a Christian student and one
by a Muslim student.

I congratulated them on being the first--
Faculty and students of the first required course in the certificate program.
Of course, they have encountered all the issues in a beginning class.
And there are many differences in background and perspective as
well.

The program is launched--thanks to these good folks.
I hope that we will be building bridges of mutual understanding
for years to come.

Peace,
John

Friends:

I am still drinking coffee from lunch.
I have to keep up the blog name.

Last Tuesday at this time I was in Richmond.
I had just heard a very stimulating but quite informal
presentation by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Ann Atward.
on "The Power of Race." Jonathan is the leader of the New Monasticism
and Ann is a seasoned civil rights leader and activist. Theirs was an
experiential talk--it was quite absorbing. One thought that sticks with me
is that the way of interpreting Scripture that justified segregation and discrimination
persists in some places--and this is one root of a continuing problem.

The talk, one of the Lawrence Hoover lectures at the Baptist Theological Seminary
in Richmond, was a concrete and practical discussion of a perduring issue in our culture.

Peace,
JOhn