Strangely Warmed

What would it look like for Christians to agree to disagree in a manner consistent with what John Wesley called " The Catholic Spirit "? Let me begin with a small experience with the Catholic Church. The Corpus Christi Procession My wife and I stopped downtown for lunch after chapel on Sunday. On the way out of the city after lunch we had to stop the car to allow the passing of a Catholic parade in honor of Christ's transubstantial presence in the Holy Eucharist. The procession celebrated the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi , or the Solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . As the procession passed by us, I hopped out of the car and grabbed these photos with my cell phone. A cross-bearer leads the procession. Beneath the canopy, a monstrance contains the consecrated host, the "substance" of which Catholics believe has become the body of Christ. The bearer of the monstrance is wearing a humeral veil so that he doesn't have to touch the ...

As an institution, the United Methodist Church is built on its Book of Discipline . Apart from the Catholic Church, the UMC is perhaps more dependent on its church law than any other Christian denomination. Our self-identity is rooted in the "connection" created by our Discipline . Like the United States government, we have legislative, executive and judicial structures within our polity. Our polity wields great power over our churches, our clergy and - to a lesser degree - our members. And just as in secular law, there is an extensive body of judicial decisions that define how the law is to be interpreted and applied. Significantly, the law is largely written by clergy, administered by clergy and - when necessary - adjudicated by clergy. Understandably, and for good reasons, pastors are not necessarily skilled legislators or lawyers. Neither are the lay members who generously give of their time to play disciplinary roles. That creat...