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In Praise of
Ecumenical Courtesy
Let us ask the Lord to lead
us in wisdom and give us grace for
expressing ecumenical courtesy in our own
circles
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by Dave Hughes
Ecumenical courtesy is one of the pillars of
ecumenical life in the Sword of the Spirit. It is
a comparatively simple idea – one that contains
profound wisdom. It is one of the things that
makes our life as an ecumenical community of
communities work, and I believe is an idea whose
time has come for broader distribution.
Last year I was speaking at a leadership meeting
of a different stream of the Christian world. I
spoke on the practical aspects of our ecumenical
life in the Sword of the Spirit, especially the
notion of ecumenical courtesy. Many of the
participants found the concept to be something
like the ‘missing link’ in their own work for
ecumenism.
In brief, ecumenical courtesy is the idea that we
extend simple courtesy to those from different
Christian traditions in our words and actions –
that we think intentionally in ecumenical settings
about how we say things and how we do things.
Ecumenical courtesy is essentially like other
forms of human courtesy. If I had someone from
China in my home, I would choose my words and
actions to take account of their culture and
background and avoid language and concepts they
would not understand or might find offensive. It
is rooted in respect for others and a conscious
intention not to let superficial matters cause
offense or create exclusion. While a relatively
simple concept, it serves as both an enabler and a
protection for ecumenical common life. It is both
a lubricant and a hedge.
Much more could be said about how we apply this
principal but for now I’d simply like to ask us to
pray.
- First, let us examine our own hearts and ask
the Lord to lead us in wisdom and give us
grace for expressing ecumenical courtesy in
our own circles. It’s not always easy to know
what to do and we often make mistakes, but we
can always do our best. May God give us grace.
- Please pray for a broader renewal and
appreciation for this pillar of our life in
the Sword of the Spirit. Pray especially for
leaders and speakers that they have wisdom as
they lead and teach in ecumenical settings.
- Finally, pray for opportunities to share our
experience in this area. May God use the Sword
of the Spirit by opening doors where we can
freely give the wisdom we have so freely
received.
Dave
Hughes is the president of the North
American Region of the Sword of the Spirit.
Photo
credit from Bigstock.com
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