Studying church unity

Throughout the fall Carlos’s bilingual mission partnership class and leaders of the Estoreño Presbytery – along with perhaps other Crescent Hill and Estoreño folks on their own - have been considering ecumenism (interchurch unity), partly via study of the following scripture passages: John 17: 20-28, Ephesians 4: 1-6, 1 Corinthians 1: 10-17, and Galatians 3:28.

Two Saturdays ago presbytery leaders were discussing ecumenism when Crescent Hill folks interrupted with a monthly phone call. This past Sunday half a dozen folks at the Crescent Hill class got into a discussion about whether the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, is all about Jesus and how a belief like this can squared with desires to be interfaith and to respect Muslim and Jewish interpretations of scripture.

Framing the class’s discussion of Galatians 3: 28 was a reading of the larger scriptural context: Galatians 3: 23-29. In English: Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In Spanish: Antes de venir esta fe, la ley nos tenia presos, encerrados hasta que la fe se revelara. Asi que la ley vino a ser nuestro guia encargado de conducirnos a Cristo, para que fueramos justificados por la fe. Pero ahora que ha llegado la fe, ya no estamos sujetos al guia. Todos ustedes son hijos de Dios mediante la fe en Cristo Jesus, porque todos los que han sido bautizados en Cristo se han revestido de Cristo. Ya no hay judio ni griego, esclavo ni libre, hombre ni mujer, sino que todos ustedes son uno solo en Cristo Jesus. Y si ustedes pertenecen a Cristo, son la descendencia de Abraham y herederos segun la promesa.

This month a newcomer, Hilda, has joined the class. Hilda has shared some of her experiences with environmental problems in Peru, problems that sound possible even worse than those in Izabal and eastern Kentucky.

-- Perry