Planning Project

Friends:

Yesterday and today, Linwood Blizzard and I finished our work on the planning questions.
Linwood, a senior at HUSD, is our summer Planning Associate. He is the Co-Chair of the Consortium Student Board--and president-elect of the Student Association at HUSD.

Tomorrow he will begin interviews with a sample of 16 Consortium trustees, administrators, faculty and students. He will be asking them the questions I just mentioned.

Thus we will get some initial input for our Framework for Planning.
This Framework will guide us over the next 12-16 months in our efforts to put together our next 5 year plan.

Peace,
John

Communications in the Consortium

Friends:

The meeting yesterday with the Board of Trustees Communications Committee reminded me that I need to think more often about how to communicate with you effectively.

The trustees are full of good ideas.
We will be changing our website, improving our email communication, expanding our networks, and so forth.

We learned that our change in the website last year led to significantly increased usage.
We hope to continue this trend.

We also will give more visibility to our ecumenical blog!

Peace,
John

Life in a Catholic Religious Community

Friends:

I rarely move away from my ecumenical musings, but today I thought that I would mention that I spent the last 4 days at the Annual Convocation of my Religious Congregation.

I have been a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales for the last 43 years.
In recent years we have had gatherings of the members of our Province [We have 176 members in the Wilmington, DE Province] for a week in June to pray, hear presentations on important issues, and to catch up with each other.

This year--as last--we met at DeSales University in Pennsylvania. The University is in a beautiful setting. I reminisce that when I was a high school student, I saw the turning of the spade of earth for what was to become Allentown College and is now DeSales University. I never realized what connection I would have with the place--B.S. in Mathematics in 1972, Board of Trustees member for 10 years.

The meeting went well--though it was a little exhausting.
We stayed in the student dorms--a few nights is enough!

It was wonderful to see so many fellow Oblates and find out what they were doing in their varied ministries.

Peace,
John

Prayer for Christian Unity

Friends:

Its always good for Christians to pray together.
This is especially important when the topic is ecumenical ethics.

The Conference this week at Loyola College of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology was a wonderful time to pray together and to consider important and somewhat divisive matters in depth. The context of prayer keeps us focused.

I had numerous substantive conversations--A current Consortium trustee Pastor Scott Ickert and I had an opportunity to discuss the local Lutheran-Jewish Dialogue and its implications. Former Consortium Board Chairman Tom Prinz and I were able to spend some time talking on the pastoral implications of ethical divergences on homosexuality.

All is all there is always a lot for me to learn.

Peace,
John

The Joy of Teaching

Friends:

My little seminar at WTU on Spiritual Ecumenism and the Moral Horizon came to a conclusion on Thursday. I always learn a lot by teaching. This time was no exception.

I await the student papers this week--they will offer their synthesis of the course as part of their requirements. This should be very interesting.

With fine students interested in ecumenism, the future is bright.

Peace,
John

Consortium Director's Ecumenical Prayer Project--Invitation to Monthly Prayer

Friends:

Over the last few months several of us have been trying to pray more intently for Christian Unity each month. I have provided a little [optional] prayer guide for this.

Recently I discerned that I should continue this little prayer project until Christmas, at least.

I had been sending the guide to a few friends by email.
Recently I asked if they wished to continue--and many said yes.

If you wish to be included each month, send me an email crossin@washtheocon.org
and I will send you the monthly prayer guides.

The guides will also appear on the Consortium Website--beginning next week
www.washtheocon.org

Of course if you read this blog you know that I think that prayer is the most important thing.

Peace,
John

Long Delayed Ecumenical Dialogue on Moral Issues Should Begin

Friends:

As I said in class yesterday--and said also at the North American Academy of Ecumenists last September and the National Workshop on Christian Unity this April--the long-delayed dialogue on personal morality should begin and is actually beginning.

In an article to be published in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies this summer--which was a presentation at NAAE last September--Michael Root surveys the dialogues and finds some dialogue on moral issues but not much in-depth consideration.

The Catholic-Episcopal Dialogue in the United States has begun to work in this arena.

I believe that we should move forward with this process--It was called for in the 1990's but not embraced. Now controversial decisions by some Christian communities have put moral issues 'on the front burner.'

I think that we should, as always, pray for the guidance of the Spirit.

While some of these issues seem intractable, I believe that 30 years ago a Joint Declaration on Justification seemed difficult if not impossible--yet we now have a Declaration. I don't think we should underestimate the power of the Spirit.

Peace,
John

Ecumenical Progress Needs One Person

Friends:

In the class I am currently teaching at WTU in Ecumenism, the students have to endure many 'Crossinisms.'

One such is that a single person who is willing to take a small leadership role can make a big difference on the ecumenical scene. Many folks want to be supportive--but do not have the time or inclination to lead.

A person who feels called by the Spirit and can devote some time can make a big difference--an annual event can happen, a discussion can take place, a prayer meeting can occur,....

Let me encourage you to discern--seek the Spirit's guidance--as to whether you are that person.

Peace,
John