As I am preparing to lead a church that has the core value of unity within the body of Christ based in Ephesians 4, watching the program Common Ground had new meaning to me this time. It just aired on TBN, but is available for purchase on DVD here. It’s basically an interview of Father John Riccardo (Catholic priest) by Pastor Steve Andrews (Protestant Christian pastor) where the conversation touches on some of the differences between Catholics and Protestants and the things that we actually share in common with each other.
Having been involved in leading discussions with Catholics and Protestants at the same table I was pretty familiar with much of the dialog, but some of it was pretty powerful in ways that helped me relate more with some Catholic theologies. As there has been a trend among the younger generation (Gen. Y, Millenials, etc.) to seek God through experiential means and mysticism it seems odd that the Catholic Church hasn’t connected more with this generation. I’m sure a lot of that has to do with misconceptions from both the Catholic and Protestant perspective.
While I do believe that the Protestant Church has a better position theologically in regards to Christ’s desire on having a relationship with his people, it is refreshing and encouraging to know that there is something happening right now that may help bring us closer together as brothers and sisters in Christ. To that I say Hallelujah :)
Here is a clip with Father John explaining a little about the reverence that Catholics place upon the Eucharist (Holy Communion):
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- Emerging Church & the 21st Century
- 10 Ways for Worship Leaders to Hinder the Church
Tags: catholic, common ground, john riccardo, protestant, steve andrews, unity
