Comments on: Mere Catholicity http://pursiful.com/2006/08/mere-catholicity/ Darrell Pursiful's blog Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:53:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: D. P. http://pursiful.com/2006/08/mere-catholicity/comment-page-1/#comment-13 D. P. Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:43:36 +0000 http://pursiful.com/?p=8#comment-13 I'm not sure, Derek. While I certainly wish Christ's church would look and act more like one unified body in its teachings, ethics, liturgy, and so forth, I hesitate to identify the "one body" with any institution. Otherwise, I'd be making my way to Rome, if not Constantinople! (Well, at least as far as Canterbury or possibly Utrecht or Uppsala....) I've enjoyed much good ministry, teaching, worship, and prayer in gatherings that included a wide range of Christian believers, and I hesitate to say that I was not experiencing "one body in Christ" at those times. Guess I'm just a fan of the bottom-up approach to ecumenism more than the top-down variety. I’m not sure, Derek. While I certainly wish Christ’s church would look and act more like one unified body in its teachings, ethics, liturgy, and so forth, I hesitate to identify the “one body” with any institution. Otherwise, I’d be making my way to Rome, if not Constantinople! (Well, at least as far as Canterbury or possibly Utrecht or Uppsala….) I’ve enjoyed much good ministry, teaching, worship, and prayer in gatherings that included a wide range of Christian believers, and I hesitate to say that I was not experiencing “one body in Christ” at those times.

Guess I’m just a fan of the bottom-up approach to ecumenism more than the top-down variety.

]]> By: Derek G Shore http://pursiful.com/2006/08/mere-catholicity/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Derek G Shore Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:06:50 +0000 http://pursiful.com/?p=8#comment-12 Is it any wonder we Protestants have our concept of catholicity all skewed? Luther says "The essence, life and nature of the Church is not a bodily assembly but an assembly of heartsin one faith." (Holman Ed., I, p. 349) Does that statement not lead us away from "One Body, One Spirit" rather than closer? The one body is not contrary to one spirit, but is implicate in it. Thus placing them part of one another defiles the true doctrine of the church. The Household of God: Lectures on the Nature of the Church at newbigin.net Is it any wonder we Protestants have our concept of catholicity all skewed? Luther says “The essence, life and nature of the Church is not a bodily assembly but an assembly of heartsin one faith.” (Holman Ed., I, p. 349) Does that statement not lead us away from “One Body, One Spirit” rather than closer? The one body is not contrary to one spirit, but is implicate in it. Thus placing them part of one another defiles the true doctrine of the church. The Household of God: Lectures on the Nature of the Church at newbigin.net

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