Originally Written: January 29, 2009
by Michael Gormley
"This change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and can rightly be called 'spiritual ecumenism.' -Ut Unum Sint, 21
This truth about dialogue, so profoundly expressed by Pope Paul VI in his Encyclical Ecclesiam Suam, was also taken up by the Council in its teaching and ecumenical activity. Dialogue is not simply an exchange of ideas. In some way it is always an "exchange of gifts". –Ut Unum Sint, 28
There are great strides being taken in the area of Christian youth ministry where many Protestant youth ministers and pastors are taking a second look at the Catholic and Orthodox traditions in spirituality that were previously rejected since the time of the Reformation. The post-modern perspective on what it means to be church in today’s context, referred to as the Emergent Church movement, has begun to implement traditional spiritual practices once considered outside of biblically appropriate spirituality. With this rise of the Emergent Church movement, many evangelical Protestants are adopting these practices with great fervor into their ministries with youth and young adults. This adaptation of Catholic and Orthodox spiritualities into the Protestant contemporary worship service and youth ministry event is one significant way in which there is an “exchange of gifts” that is the fruit of true Christian spiritual ecumenism.
Youth ministry over the past 50 or so years has taken many forms. It began as a church-sponsored safe place for fun and games, after school programs and youth sports. This is the entertainment model, which still dominates many youth groups. As a reaction to this approach is the traditional classroom educational model, which sees youth group as nothing other than a place to learn about the biblical doctrines of one’s denomination. Later approaches to youth ministry tried to incorporate the social component with the educational component, producing what is commonplace in churches today: youth rooms decked out with the latest in gaming consoles and HD TVs, pool tables and table tennis, access to basketball courts and Frisbee fields, while also holding weekly Bible study sessions and other forms of catechesis. In most churches, both Protestant and Catholic, one will find a tension between the entertainment and educational models present in the same program.
Mark Yaconelli, son of the legendary youth minister Mike Yaconelli, has been working on a project that seeks to transform the very nature of youth ministry in America, by offering to teens what only the church can give them: an encounter with God. This final approach is the contemplative approach to youth ministry, actively tending to the spiritual formation of the individual teen, not the mere entertainment or education.
The uniqueness of the project is how ecumenical it is, borrowing not only from Protestant traditions of prayer, but especially from Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox in an effort to shape teens into contemplatives.
It is my belief that this transformation of youth ministry by a contemplative approach has great benefits for spiritual ecumenism. In the past many Protestants rejected contemplation as a false mysticism that is incompatible with the Bible. However, the Emergent Church movement seeks to critically re-evaluate those broad assumptions of past Protestants and find a way to incorporate contemplative spiritualities into their own worship of God. They see in Catholics and the Orthodox ways of prayer that truly focus on Jesus Christ and are an authentic expression of their love. It is through this radical new approach to youth ministry that many Protestant youth workers are first encountering the spiritual exercises and discernment of spirits of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the writings of Saints Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, and the Little Flower. They are also seeing from new eyes the monastic life, drawing strength from lectio divina and praying with icons. This spiritual formation is drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeing for the first time Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants as belonging to the same Christian faith.
Spiritual ecumenism is the heart of the ecumenical movement, which is not satisfied until the words of our Savior are made manifest before the world, “that they may be one as the Father and I are one” in John 17. The contemplative approach to youth ministry ensures a generation of teens in America that are already engaged in the prayer practices that Catholics have enjoyed for two thousand years. The spiritual gifts of the monastic tradition, especially in lectio divina, can build bridges between Bible Christians and Catholics that never would previously have existed. The practice of lectio divina will be a great source of ecumenism among evangelicals who are being taught a very distinctively monastic way to pray the Scriptures, which can overcome a lot of the aversion to the whole monastic tradition. As Protestants learn to pray with icons, other sacred images and statues common in Catholic and Orthodox churches will be viewed with less suspicion and more with an appreciation of sacred art as a real way to understand the sacramental world all Christians share.
In conclusion, the exchange of gifts of spiritual and contemplative practices that the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics have enjoyed for centuries are now benefiting our Protestant brothers and sisters. This renewed appreciation for ancient Christian practices only encourage more shared experiences of our communion with Jesus Christ, rooted in a common Baptism and faith. It is through this contemplative approach to youth ministry that will bring about for future generations more fraternal affection between the different Churches and Ecclesial Communities based on a shared contemplation of the face of Jesus.
Peace,
gomer
AMDG
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment