Within Church history and tradition, there are three streams of Christian thought and practice. They flow through the centuries into the modern era. These streams have parted over the years. As a result, the Church in general lacks unity and misses the full experience of God’s presence and power. Convergences seeks to reunite the divergent streams.
Many churches adhere to a denomination, while other churches declare that they are independent (or non-denominational). But St Brendan’s Way prefers to be convergent.
Unity is an important concept within the Celts, Christianity, and of course, Celtic Christianity. The Celts believed in a unifying force within nature, and unity and oneness are prominent in Christian teaching too (e.g., the oneness and threeness of the Trinity, Christ’s prayer that his disciples be one). It’s not surprising then that Celtic Christianity values unity. To take it one step further, St Brendan’s Way seeks to give special meaning and application to the concept of unity through the word convergence.
What are the three diverging streams? They are represented by the symbols—Spirit, Scripture, and Sacrament. Churches in the first stream emphasize Christ’s presence and activity through the Spirit (e.g., Charismatic churches), and their worship and living reflects the Spirit’s gifts. The second stream values Christ’s revelation and presence through the Word (e.g., Evangelical churches) and focuses primarily on Scripture in their faith and worship. Churches in the Sacramental stream rely heavily on Christ’s manifestation through symbols and creation (e.g., Catholic churches) and believe the Church’s life and worship are best expressed through sacramental elements and practices.
Sacrament, Scripture, and Spirit are also symbols for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since the three persons of the Trinity are one, there should be points of unity or convergence between the three streams of Christian tradition. Instead, the three streams have diverged over time, leaving each tributary less vibrant and full. But when these streams merge, they form a powerful, life-giving river.
The three main streams of the the Christian faith and Church have diverged over time, leaving each tributary less vibrant and full. But when these streams merge, they form a powerful, life-giving river. Tell a FriendWorship is one possible area of convergence. If we come from an evangelical or charismatic perspective, one way to merge the streams would be to give the same importance to the Table (the sacrament of communion) as we do to the Word (reading and teaching of Scripture) and/or the Spirit (practicing His presence and gifts). If we come from a Liturgical perspective, we may seek to celebrate the beauty and meaning of Christian symbols (Sacrament) in worship without stifling the Spirit or diminishing Scriptural instruction. These are only possible suggestions, and I’m sure there are other ways (than worship) to unify the streams. I welcome your thoughts.
St Brendan’s Way hopes to be a community where the three streams merge and the fullness of God becomes apparent. We want to be a unifying force, and as a result, see the force of unity and the full power of God at work in a dark and desperate world. God may yet have His way on this earth through his Church. Let the river flow!