Just got back from a regular meeting of our Lutheran – Episcopal Coordinating Committee in Washington, DC. Part of being in a “full communion” relationship with another church is that we participate in such “coordinating councils” to monitor the relationship, answer questions which may arise, and brainstorm ways to strengthen common mission.
At this meeting, we were joined by three Episcopal bishops, one Lutheran bishop (because we have three our four dioceses to their one synod in that part of the country), and the local coordinating committee. “Called To Common Mission” actually encourages the formation of such local “LECCs” but, sadly, there are only a few around the country. This one is quite active and it was encouraging to see how much common mission is taking place in that region.
We also celebrated the Eucharist together daily with an Episcopalian presiding using the Lutheran rite with a Lutheran preacher; and a Lutheran presiding using the Episcopal rite with a Lutheran preacher. This all done in a Roman Catholic chapel of the Paulist Fathers who hosted our meeting!
Who says ecumenism is dead?
That We All May Be One 
January 31, 2008 at 6:24 pm |
sounds wonderful, but i’m not a big fan of using other peoples’ rites. in my own experience at MIT the result was not to the integrity of either. it worked much better to have people celebrate using their own rite, and bringing to it what is wonderful in it and in their tradition.
January 31, 2008 at 6:43 pm |
Yet surely, in a full communion relationship, it is helpful for us to be familiar with one another’s rites. The integrity of the two was unbroken since we did not “mix and match” — which is what I don’t care for.
January 31, 2008 at 8:45 pm |
oh, without doubt, mix-and-match is far worse. and the real emphasis is on what a joy it must have been. is there an LECC in Los Angeles?
January 31, 2008 at 8:51 pm |
Not to my knowledge. There really are only a few around the country, and I hope we can change that. I just put out a press release over ENS reporting on our meeting and commending the work of the Virginia LECC, urging others to “go and do thou likewise!”
January 31, 2008 at 9:20 pm |
I just met one of the members of the committee here for other business. I would say that there is not a “Lutheran rite” in the sense Episcopalians might think of, especially here in the U.S. That itself is a basic difference in itself. Another is that CCM has seriously elevated the episcopate in the ELCA in ways that aren’t necessarily a good thing.
February 4, 2008 at 11:23 pm |
Hi +Epting,
I’m hoping you will join us on Anglimergent for some inter-Anglican ‘ecumenism,’ emerging church style. And speaking of ‘elevated’ Bishops, I have proudly elevated +Greg Rickel as the ‘protector’ of Anglimergent.
There is an interesting discussion forum on the site about the whole idea of a ‘protector’ for a web space and physical space network/order, which I think is great use of ‘episcopal ‘oversight’ as opposed to sham uses that are more like wieding power to shut down conversations towards alternate futures in the church that are sorely needed. So I’m all for elevated Bishops, those who are ‘Gospel elevated’ by climbing down from any pedestals to serve.
Do check out the site and the conversations.
Cheers
February 5, 2008 at 1:03 pm |
Thanks, Karen. Signed up this morning!