The following column will probably disturb a theological hornet's nest but I will "go boldly forth" as Trekkies say. In recent years Christians have sometimes been divided into "ecumenical" and "evangelical" camps, the former supposedly more interested in interdenominational (or interfaith) understanding and the latter ostensibly more interested in converting non-Christians.
This distinction is false for at least two reasons. What often seems to be forgotten in both camps is that the ecumenical movement largely grew out of evangelical concerns: divisions among Christians bore mighty poor testimony to the One who prayed that we "all might be one." Missionaries found it particularly difficult to convince those in other lands that warring denominations had anything to teach them about the unity of God.
The other reason this dichotomy makes little sense to me is that in our own time it has often been those who call themselves evangelicals who have shown the greatest passion for bringing together diverse Christians. The average "evangelical" congregation shows more economic and racial integration than the average "ecumenical" one. Wanting to reach the unchurched, many churches have de-emphasized their denominational affiliation or dispensed entirely with any sectarian membership. Even those who are proud of their roots are wise these days to proclaim their openness to other traditions.
Now, here is where I am likely to get into trouble: those of other faith communities often expect "ecumenicals" to reject evangelism and get really nervous when liberals seek converts, but bearing witness to the Good News is at the core of Christianity. Both those committed to ecumenism and those who are serious about evangelism are loathe to offend their neighbors of other faiths, but our faith really is different from other faiths, and followers of Jesus are called to "be ready to give an account of the hope that is within you." (1 Peter 3:15). You may not like it, but you have to deal with it.
This is not to say that Christians should be arrogant or disrespectful of others' beliefs; who would ever want to listen to obnoxious witnesses? or that Christians have nothing to learn from other religions. Jesus, it is reported in the gospels, engaged in theological dialogue with Samaritan and Canaanite (or Syro-Phoenecian) women and was willing to help Roman pagans. Some missionaries and some televangelists have made proselytizing something of a dirty word among ecumenicals, but it remains a key part of who Christians are.
Proselytizing divides Christians from other faith communities. Judaism asks rabbis to actively discourage potential converts, and they often (and often correctly) see anti-Semitism and gross ignorance of their heritage in Christian attempts to convert Jews. Hindus see God as being so multi-faceted that they tend to see Brahma Kumaris and practitioners of Yoga Spirituality as co-religionists. Buddhists and Unitarian Universalists may think their tradition is great, but they don't urge Jews or Christians to stop practicing their own religion. In addition, many Muslims, Bahais, and Brahma Kumaris used to be Baptists and Methodists, and this proselytizing by other faith communities sometimes angers Christians, as if we expected conversion to be a one-way street.
So what are we to do? If we are true to who we are, we are going to tick off some of our neighbors. If they are true to their beliefs, they may offend us.
I don't pretend to have easy answers to this difficult dilemna, but I do have a thought to share. What most annoys other faith communities, I suspect, is when Christians act as if we have all the truth and they have none, and nobody will listen to us if we act like jerks. Christians have something to offer our non-Christian neighbors, but we also have much to learn from them. The mind-body unity found within Judaism, for example, can correct some of the dualism Christianity absorbed from pagan cultures in its early centuries. Understanding the resentment many Muslims have of Bahais, who believe their prophet superseded Mohammed, can help us appreciate how Christianity looks to Jews. Native American approaches to nature can help us recover the creation-centered spirituality Christianity lost. Jainism's theological humility can teach us to recognize our own limited grasp of the Divine. Both ecumenicals and evangelicals, and particularly disciples who strive to be both, have much to learn from others as well as much to share.
Shalom/Salaam/Shanti/Pax,
Tom
Every year the Long Island Council of Churches urges you to support the ecumenical relief work of Church World Service in various ways: walking in a CROP Walk, sponsoring a walker in this walkathon, taking part in Blanket Sunday, gathering materials for school kits and such, buying an AIDS ribbon, or giving money to CWS in lieu of a Christmas gift. What you may not know is that CWS also assists our own neighbors in need. 25% of the funds raised by each CROP walk go to local efforts to feed the hungry; the Western Nassau CROP Walk at Hempstead Lake Park on Oct. 20, for example, supports the LICC's Hempstead Emergency Food Center. Church World Service has generously funded the assistance the LICC provides to those who lost their jobs as a result of the 9/11 attacks and was one of the sponsors of our Sept. 4 training event on how people of faith can help those affected by the 9/11 attacks and how we can take care of ourselves so that we can be of some real help to others. In addition, CWS is offering disaster response training at the North Bellmore Firehouse #2 on October 25 from 9:30 to 2:30. The training is free but you need to register in advance. Call Bill Sage at 212-288-6857 or email him at wsageo@aol.com.
One of the most powerful ways to approach planned giving on behalf of the Long Island Council of Churches or any other not-for-profit is to reach out to the attorneys and financial planners who are counseling clients on a regular basis. I have practiced in this area since 1976, and with each counseling session for a new will or estate plan I routinely ask if there are any charities or other not-for-profit beneficiaries that the client would like mentioned in the will. To this question I generally receive one of two responses. Sadly, many people recoil and state that the monies will all go to family members and that they have "given during their lifetime." Happily, however, I do encounter people who are grateful for the suggestion. At this point, they often leave specific bequests for various churches and other charities. Further, at this juncture, it is appropriate to discuss other charitable planning vehicles, such as the Charitable Remainder Trust, annuities, and even retirement plan options. Many tax planning vehicles are not explored because the question is never posed.
It has been my experience that people make charitable gifts for two reasons, their interest in the organization and their desire to minimize income and estate taxes. There are many planning techniques which may be implemented during one's lifetime which provide good tax savings and benefits which may be enjoyed by the donor. One of the most effective is the Charitable Remainder Trust, which allows the donor to part in many cases with an asset which has a low cost basis. The charity then sells the asset, invests in the trust and pays the donor, often a higher rate of return than previously enjoyed from the dividends or other income on the asset before it was given. Both income and estate tax benefits are available since the ultimate beneficiary is the charity. This both provides a gift for a charitable institution and increases the donor's income during his or her lifetime.
I attribute some of the reticence on the part of my clients to the fact that this issue has not been addressed before. If so, this is quite unfortunate. Most attorneys are concerned with wealth preservation for the family and do not routinely ask questions concerning charities. I encourage each and every one of us to urge the attorneys and financial planners who are working in the area to be vigilant about charitable giving. They will always be guided by their own relationships with their clients, but many wonderful opportunities have been missed just because we, the practitioners, fail to ask.
Bread for the World, an ecumenical Christian organization which advocates changes in public policy on behalf of the hungry, is having its annual potluck dinner on Sunday, October 20, at 5:30 at St. James Episcopal Church (490 North Country Rd. in St. James) . The speakers will be Mary Hibbard, former Suffolk County Health Commissioner, and Jim Stipe, the BFW regional coordinator. To RSVP or get additional info, call Dennis Walker at 631-928-5695 or email dwalker67@aol.com.
Several local congregations have set up shops or crafts fairs where people can buy hand-mde goods produced by missions projects and Third World cooperatives. Church World Service, World Mission Crafts (631-289-3880) all provide gift items you might consider. Here's a report from a group in Patchogue:
"The United Methodist Women opened a SERRV store in the church about 6 years ago, offering hand made jewlery, pottery, musical instruments, and many religious items. We began by calling the SERRV offices and requesting a catalog. This came with all of the information to either run a single SERRV sale or have an on-going shop. Upon approval from our Church Council, we solicited donations and glass display cases as well as a loan from our church's discretionary funds for the initial order. The loan was paid back within the year from case sales. Our United Methodist Men's group also offered assistance financially and picked up the cases for us.
After our first order we had a grand opening sale and introduced the congregation to SERRV. Since that time we have had individuals order from the catalog specific items when we order for the display case. With the wholesale arrangement we receive a 20% discount. Our youth group got involved by becoming our sales people. They really enjoy being part of this mission and have learned a lot about fair trade, handling money and dealing with people. Sales have been slow at times and sales help is not always available, but we have been able to do about $1000 in sales each year.
Our SERRV store is usually open each Sunday after worship during the coffee hour. We also attempt to have it open for special church events and meetings. The catalog is available on the counter and individuals may also order by calling themselves.
If your church is interested in starting a SERRV store, have 3 or 4 people willing to devote time to its operation. The items really sell themselves, and all that is needed are people with a willingness to inform others of the great job of fair trade that SERRV is doing. SERRV catalog and information may be obtained by calling1-800-423-0071 or by visiting their website at www.serrv.org.
Our region is experiencing a severe blood shortage and donors are urgently needed. If you are at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds, you may be able to save someone's life by donating blood. You can call 1-800-933-2566 to schedule a donation or learn where there will be a blood drive near you.
Here are some upcoming blood drives:
Washington Mutual, which recently took over the Dime Savings Bank, is celebrating their arrival in our area in a wonderful way. They are organizing a Walk on Home walk-a-thon to benefit local organizations (including the LICC) which promote affordable housing. Since WAMU is covering all expenses, 100% of the money donated will go to these groups. The Long Island walk will begin at noon on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Hecksher State Park in East Islip. Every walker will receive a free t-shirt and will be entered in a drawing to receive free rent or mortgage payments for a three months, the most affordable housing of all! If you cannot walk yourself, perhaps you would be willing to sponsor me or another of our staff members? To register for the walk-a-thon or to make a pledge to support a walker, visit www.walkonhome.com, or call 800-379-9268, or pick up a brochure from any WAMU/Dime branch or wherever you see a Walk On Home poster.
The LICC has identified the lack of affordable housing as the single greatest problem facing the clients we see in the social service offices and the emergency food center. This year's Fall Convocation at 1st Baptist Church in Riverhead on Saturday, Sept. 28, will focus on this crisis and what we can do about it. It should be an exciting day, with many cooperating organizations, an inspiring speech on "Room in the Inn" by Fr. Charles Stroebel, and opportunities to sign up for housing ministries and projects. Thanks to generous underwriting by Washington Mutual, KeySpan, Greenpoint Foundation, Riverhead Building Supply, Suffolk National Bank, and Ridgwood Savings Bank, the cost of attending the Convocation is only $15 for lunch. We do need a head-count in advance, though. Call 631-727-2210 or 516-565-0290 to register.
"East End Land Use: Creating New Initiatives," a discussion of local environmental and planning issues with Eastern Long Island government officials, business groups, and non-profit environmental organizations, will take place at Duke Lecture Hall at Southampton College at 9:30 am on Tuesday, October 1. Tickets are $30 and include lunch and a complimentary book and/or video from our keynote speaker - Thomas Hylton, a Pulitzer prize winning journalist. Call 631 287-8477 for reservations. The event is sponsored by the Institute for Sustainable Development at Long Island University and McMillan, Rather, Bennett and Rigano, P.C. For more information, contact:
Scott Carlin
Southampton College
Southampton NY 11968
631 287-8238
631 287-8203 (fax)
It is probably impossible for most Protestants, or even many Catholics, to grasp how different the Roman Catholic Church was before the Second Vatican Council. The leading force behind this momentous convocation was Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens of Belgium, a prolific writer, respected theologian, advisor to both the King of Belgium and several Popes, but he is not well-known today. "Author of Reform: The Cardinal Suenens Story," an excellent documentary premiering on WLIW/21 on Sunday, October 20, at 4 p.m. tells how he shaped history.
It was no accident, we learn, that reform was championed by someone raised in a bicultural, bilingual nation. Suenens also benefited from his lifelong friendship with Veronica O'Brien, an Irish nun who led the Legion of Mary, a lay movement. Widely respected and possessing a rare capacity to see things from new perspectives, Suenens was the man to whom John XXIII entrusted the agenda of the Council.
Suenens insisted that laity were as important as clergy. He got women admitted to the Council, at least as observers, and promoted an expanded role for nuns. One of his first challenges was to convince leaders of a hierarchical church that they should begin their first document they produced with a focus on ordinary people in the pews rather than the hierarchy. When Suenens persuaded the bishops to do this, it signaled to the world their willingness to embrace reform. Indeed the Church changed more between 1962 and 1965, we are told, than in all the previous four hundred years.
Suenens encountered serious resistance, but his commitment to reform never flagged. During the 1970s, Veronica O'Brien and the Cardinal championed Charismatic Renewal and Paul VI soon asked Suenens to shepherd the movement within the Catholic Church. Much of Suenens' agenda remains unfinished, we are told, but he spent the rest of his life advocating both personal transformation and the renewal of the Church. Catch "Author of Reform" if you can!
Pastoral Care Week is observed in October by Lutherans and other denominations, recognizing the important work done by chaplains, pastoral counselors, and campus ministers, who often labor on the front lines of ecumenical and interfaith work. Please remember these folks in your prayers sometime this month. Perhaps you would even like to pray by name for some of the people listed below. Do you know a student who has just started college on Long Island? Do you have a parishioner who is hospitalized? Would you like to help with worship in a local jail? These folks can help!
In Nassau:
In Suffolk:
If you have updates or others who should be included in future lists, please call 516-565-0290, mail us corrections (LICC, 1644 Denton Green, Hempstead 11550), fax them to 516-565-0291 or e-mail licchemp@aol.com.