Fr Stephen mentions that the prayer of our Lord Christ that "we may be one" is particularly Eucharistic and Ecclesial and not ecumenical. (http://glory2godforallthings.com/2013/02/11/america-and-the-perversion-of-christianity/)
At first I wonder if my current concerns are also affected by the American Evangelical ideas of ecumenism. I think that yes there is a sort of fallen ecumenism which is focused on reductions. However I think when we say Oneness in terms of Orthodoxy being Orthodoxy we must keep in mind that this is not a label or an appeal to denominationalism.
The oneness of Orthodox Unity is not the fallen eccumenism. The oneness is a recognition of that unity in ethos and one that is hopefully resonant with Eucharist and Ecclesiology, the humble and loving Communion of Saints. The clarity of the Saints to see Christ in our midst, to see what is shared in essence even while rejoicing in our plurality. To behold the face of God in the face of another, and love with a humble appeal and affirmation of Truth.
This Oneness of Orthodoxy is more plural, more paradoxical, and rejects the packaging of God that is the temptation of traditionism, ethnocentrism, nationalism, pietism, moralism and megachurch evangelicalism.
I would hope that Joint Commission, even though sometimes attributed to the history of the ecumenical movements of late, can be understood not as a reduction to heterodox forms but rather an opportunity for Orthodox Churches to recapitulate and restore even ecumenism and unity to its rightful glory. That glory of the kingdom and the foretaste of it.
A peace from above, not from below.
Such a thing cannot occur by reductionism. But with the raising of all to God, in our liturgical life, our Orthodox Ethos (which I believe is witnessed in essence in all Orthodox local Churches and all rites, even in a latent form), our Eucharistic embrace of the Cross as sinners and saints for the life of the world.
Will continue to muse on this.
Je Nai Nan.
Here are some thoughts from Fr Stephen
Note that the Creed professes faith in “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” It does not profess faith in the idea that the Church ought to be one. The Church is One, is a cardinal matter of the faith.
That unity, describes its character. We are one, just as Christ and the Father are one. Our unity is many persons in one essence. We share a single, common life, expressed in many persons. Thus we love one another as ourselves. The Eucharist is not a symbol pointing towards a unity, but is a meal in which we actually share in a true unity.
The Church does not celebrate or have a Eucharist – the Church is the Eucharist and the Eucharist is the Church. If the Eucharist is not truly the body of Christ, then the Church is not the Body of Christ. This is also one of the essential reasons why there is no so-called “open communion” in Orthodoxy. Those “Churches” that practice “open-communion” demonstrate that they do not believe the true nature of the Eucharist and have no proper ecclesiology. In this matter, Orthodoxy and Rome have some common ground (with the exception of Rome’s willingness to extend Eucharistic fellowship to the Orthodox – which is “nice” but mistaken and premature).
The unity of Protestantism is either purely theoretical – “we’re all one” as a slogan – or political – in which everyone agrees to get along despite the fact that they believe and practice different things (so-called diversity). Both are a mockery of Christ’s words – bordering on blasphemy.
In Orthodoxy, the One life of the Church is manifest in One common belief, One Baptism, One obedience, One Lord shared in the One Cup. To share in the One cup there must be all these things. Thus, for us, “Orthodox” means “Right Worship,” meaning a koinonia in the One Cup. We are One with those with whom we share the One Cup. This is the recognizable boundary of the Church. Every priest manifests that boundary as he administers communion. At his ordination, the consecrated Lamb is placed in his hands and he is told to guard it until the coming of Christ.
In addition, we require that people be in love and charity with the neighbors and to have made proper preparation for communion, through fasting and repentance. When we sin, we sin against Christ’s body and should be reconciled. This, too, is manifest in the One Cup.
Those who are in schism, do not share in the One Cup. Whatever their status might be (in some ways, God only knows) but it is not true and proper union in the One Cup. Orthodoxy’s life in the One Cup is a proclamation, with whatever humility we can bring, that this is indeed the One Church and the One Communion of Christ. If it weren’t, then we should repent and go find where it is.
And in a following comment :
Yes, it is what I am saying, and I think it is not so strange. The prayer (particularly as given in John’s gospel) is as much commentary and definition of the Church as it is prayer. Of course, like the Eucharist, our unity is the gift of God – it cannot exist except as God’s gift. Thus, what I am saying about Christ’s words is that they are saying the same thing, as if He had said, “Father, make them the Church.” For the Church is not an institution or an assembly of people trying to be something (like “one”). We cannot make ourselves “one” any more than bread can make itself flesh. The Church is the Body of Christ and this is a miracle. As Church, we exist as One Body, as Christ describes in His prayer to the Father. He does not pray that we should be taken out of the world, but that we should be protected.
And, in the prayer, it is clear that the existence of the One Church, the ecclesia, the eucharistia, is the gospel given to the world. “That they might know that Thou hast sent me…that they might know that we are one…etc.”
The Church is the gospel. This is part of the Protestant heresy (if I might boldly use that word – not to condemn but to underline just how great is the error). The gospel is not a set of words alone, it is certainly not an emotional message – the gospel is the manifestation to the world of the Father in the Son by the Spirit through the Church. If the Church is not this – then everything Jesus said and did is bogus, I write with fear and trembling. But this is the message of the gospel.
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the communion of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Eph 3:8-12
St. Paul is bolder still.
