Believe it or not, my experience with the ecumenical movement began in the 1930s when I entered the earliest grades of public school. We started every day by praying the Lord’s Prayer. I remember the teacher saying something like this: “Now, boys and girls, some of you will stop at the word ‘evil,’ while others will continue with the phrase ‘For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.’ At that point let us all say ‘Amen’ together, and this will show our unity.”

In the late 1950s, Pope John XXIII really got the ecumenical movement going when he said something like this: “We’re not going to call the Protestants ‘heretics’ or ‘schismatics’ any longer. Let’s call them ‘separated brethren.’ After all, we’re all Christians.” Then the dean of the seminary I attended was asked to go to the Second Vatican Council in Rome as an official Protestant observer. I was beginning to feel the importance of the ecumenical movement.

The word “ecumenical” refers to the “worldwide community of all Christians,” regardless of whatever other name we may use to refer to ourselves.

When I came to Portland in the late 1960s, the ecumenical movement was really happening. I was personally involved with the Roman Catholic Church, many Protestant denominations and the Greek Orthodox Church. It was exciting.

I remember the worship services held on the first Sunday night of every month in one of the area’s Episcopal Churches. The steering committee was made up of two Roman Catholic priests, an Episcopal priest, a Methodist pastor, a Baptist pastor and me. We sang a lot, read scripture, heard a good Bible-based sermon and ended every worship service with Holy Communion.

At one point in one of the planning sessions the Roman Catholic priests suggested that the communion service be conducted by one of the clergy from a nonliturgical church. The committee asked me, an Evangelical Protestant, to perform this service. I agreed. On the appointed evening, I looked forward to working with that Roman Catholic priest, but I was disappointed when I did not see him in the congregation. Later, however, I saw him kneeling at the altar rail, and he took the elements from me.

After the service I said to him: “I’m so sorry that you were not here soon enough to participate in the service with me. I had looked forward so much to concelebrating the sacrament with you.” He replied: “You misunderstood me, Dick. I wanted to receive the sacrament from your hand.” Wow! Talk about ecumenism. We were so close, brothers and sisters from so many Christian traditions.

All of this shaped my Christian understanding. My theology is centrist. I miss that fellowship. I’m sure it’s still there somewhere, but for some reason I don’t hear of many joint services or even clergy fellowship groups. I do lead worship during the summer months on one of Maine islands, and the congregation is made up of Christians of many churches, Catholic and Protestant. So, the ecumenical movement is still alive. I’m glad for that, and I feel at one with all my Christian brethren, just as Pope John XXIII said it many years ago,

The Rev. Richard H. Petersen is retired pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

 

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