Easter 7: 4 June, 2000
The Rev'd Dr John Davis, Vicar, St Peter's Eastern Hill
Holy, Father, protect them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one, as we are one. Jn 17:11.
Ut unum sint ; that they may be one. We have today as our text that most famous of intentions, that
most earnestly expressed desire from the high priestly prayer in the farewell discourses of St
John's gospel. It is a prayer of the Lord for all those who follow him: a prayer for Christian
unity. How this stands as a continuing reproach in the history of those who are called Christians.
What a continuing challenge it remains. It is not a plea for uniformity and sameness. It is not a
prescription for only one possible way of functioning or only one area of concern or approach. It
appeals to that far deeper oneness: "so that they may be one, as we are one": a unity of love and
of purpose that flows, according to today's gospel, into protection, guarding, joy, sanctification
in truth. "I will not leave you orphans", says the gospel acclamation set for today, "I will come
back to you and your hearts will rejoice". We hear all this in the context of this Sunday after
the Ascension: the seventh of the Sundays of Easter; the Sunday next before Pentecost.
This weekend our prayers are particularly asked for the unity of two great traditions of
Christianity within Australia: the Roman Catholic and our own. June 3rd is the time each year when
we will be asked to have this as a special intention - and so we do today, at each of our masses.
The day is the date in the Calendar, which commemorates the martyrdoms in late 19th century Uganda
of Anglicans and Roman Catholics together. It is also the years mind of that great visionary,
Pope John XXIII.
Are there any signs of hope, we might ask? Well, only in this last month, bishops from thirteen
regions of the world where there are large communities of both Anglicans and Roman Catholics
together met near Toronto for an extended gathering. The conference was convened by the Archbishop
of Canterbury and Cardinal Cassidy of the Roman Curia. The final statement spoke warmly of what we
share while frankly acknowledging areas where further work needs to be done. It suggested that the
next step needs to be the claiming and the consolidation of what is already agreed through the
ARCIC process of the last generation. And that is substantial.
Some speak today of the "winter of ecumenism". Some of us have been at it for so long that the
enthusiasm is waning. Whereas perhaps twenty years ago all the signs seemed to be pointing towards
the fulfilment of the Lord's prayer for the unity of his people in all sorts of quite remarkable
ways, now that movement is by no means so clear or apparent. And yet, there remains so much to be
thankful for. It really depends on where you care to look.
For instance, we Anglicans can tear out what hair we have over our internal strife that might lead
us who knows where: true. Or we can look to all the changes that have confronted and challenged
us over this last generation and declare that this last one (whatever it may be) is just the last
straw, (and even forget that every generation has them and they all seem big at the time: remember
South India or divorce?) And yet God is. And yet people still come to faith. People still grow
in faith. The presence of God is still experienced and known. Lives still find renewed purpose
and direction. Christian communities try to respond to the love of God that is within them and
reach out in service and care.
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to deliver in Sydney one of the Halifax-Portal lectures for
this year. This is jointly sponsored by the Anglican and Roman Catholic dioceses in Sydney to
honour the Malines Conversations of the 1920s. These were conversations at a high level in Europe
by which some were hoping to bring about the reunion of our two Churches. They were doomed to
failure, because of course they cut across many vested interests and were well ahead of their
time. But they were a valiant failure. It is no dishonourable thing to strive for a worthy cause
even when the odds are heavily against you.
The very fact that these Sydney lectures are held at all is encouraging. I was able to bring
into the discussion an important step that has come from the Anglican and Uniting Churches here in
Victoria. Last August, a "Code of Practice for local co-operation in Victoria" was published.
This brings together in one document a summary of official and agreed existing patterns and
examples of co-operation already in place in Victoria. It is a conservative document, in that it
does not for instance seek to try to address such issues as the recognition of orders or
eucharistic sharing. They are issues being discussed at the national or international level.
Interestingly of course, they are also the issues that we are discussing with the Roman Catholics
at the international level ourselves.
But so far as it goes, this new Code is a most valuable consolidation of what already is. It is
very practical and mainstream; declaring and describing only that which is official and approved.
But in considerable detail it is able to describe hospitality, shared buildings, shared
activities, shared ministries and pastoral care. In a sense it has already done at this local
level, what the Toronto conference of bishops has suggested needs to be done at the international
level. Let us acknowledge and claim what already is, rather than waiting for complete agreement,
especially when new issues will inevitably continue to arise.
My suggestion in Sydney was that this Victorian model could be applied not only nationally
between the Anglican and Uniting Churches but could also be widened in scope to include where we
already are with the Roman Catholic Church as well. Of course there would be gaps and
inconsistencies. It would take a bit of hard work. But it could indeed serve as a major boost
and encouragement to assist flagging ecumenical hearts, if it then provided an inspiration and
encouragement for joint action and a greater sharing of resources, both human and material,
wherever possible and desirable. Of course this does not mean the abandoning of that which is
precious and distinctive in our various traditions. Unity is not uniformity or sameness. But a
move towards unity is a move towards a context of mutual respect, sensitivity, awareness and
generosity of spirit.
The 1999 Victorian Code sets out clearly right at the beginning its ecumenical vision:
We commit ourselves to work together in the mission of Christ. As far as conscience and church
order permit, we shall seek
- not to do in separation what we may do together, and
- to do together what we are not able to do in separation.
This stands as an admirable statement of fundamental principle capable of broader application.
There is so much that we already do together as a matter or course that in fact a generation ago
would not have been possible or scarcely thought of. There has been a revolution in the
theological education of potential clergy for instance, at least in the context of the United
Faculty of Theology and similar consortiums around the country. There are numerous parish and
regional associations and operating agreements: some good, some not so good. Most of them bring
together in some way the three major Christian religious traditions in Australia: Roman Catholic,
Anglican and Uniting.
We could all give illustrations that we ourselves have experienced of the Churches working
together; be it in joint social outreach or witness on a question of justice or peace, or right
now here in our city in the exciting Stations of the Cross project from our Melbourne City
Churches. But I am certainly old enough to remember when Catholics could not even enter other
churches, and when Anglicans definitely refused communion to non-Anglicans politely but firmly.
Our Melbourne Stations of the Cross project is a very positive example of Christians working
together. To include the Church of Christ and the Collins Street Baptist Church in such an
enterprise verges on the miraculous. It is a great tribute to the vision of the minister of
Wesley Church, Peter Gador-White, that this is up and running. We hope it will all be in place
by Ash Wednesday next year. St Peter's Eastern Hill is an enthusiastic participant.
But there still remains the simple and continuing scandal of Christian division sometimes as we
well know, even within denominations. It is re-enforced by our fully and differently developed
ecclesial histories and cultures. Our past is separate, competitive and adversarial. It has
been reflected right up to our own day in very well-documented expressions of denominational,
regional, ethnic or class divisions, prejudices and shaping perceptions. Just occasionally it
is substantially to do with doctrine. Every person here could give illustrations from their own
family histories. This new 1999 Code prefers to speak of co-operation.
One thing may definitely be claimed. It remains our broad experience today that whenever the
Churches act together in a positive way, this is met with the overwhelming approval of our
people.
Perhaps a verse from today's epistle sums it up nicely:
No one has ever seen God;
if we love one another, God lives in us,
and his love is perfected in us. (1 Jn 4: 12)
The prayer of the Lord for all his people, is the prayer over our heads today:
Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me,
so that they may be one, as we are one.
Amen.
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