<![CDATA[FEDERATION OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

<![CDATA[FEDERATION OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES - Blog]]>Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:05:41 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Anthony Ercolano, FCM would like to share this prayer of Bishop Ken Untener, himself a priest and a prophet.]]>Sat, 20 Apr 2024 17:52:21 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/anthony-ercolano-fcm-would-like-to-share-this-prayer-of-bishop-ken-untener-himself-a-priest-and-a-prophetIt helps now and then to step back and take the long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection; no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future that is not our own.

]]><![CDATA[The Fourteenth Station - Jesus is Placed in the Tomb - Anthony Ercolano, FCM]]>Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:50:53 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/the-fourteenth-station-jesus-is-placed-in-the-tomb-anthony-ercolano-fcmHeard a joke once. Who had the most to lose from Jesus’ resurrection? Answer: Nicodemus and his heirs. Can you imagine the marketable value of Jesus’ tomb today? Even Viking Cruises would have had it on their itinerary.
However, we mostly live in a “fourteenth station” world. The time between the “already” and the “not yet.” A place of waiting and, often, a place of abandonment and discouragement.

No matter how deep our faith, it occasionally feels like we are far from the Divine and that the Divine remains distant from us.

Something like Mary and the disciples on that Friday night and Saturday.

And, unfortunately, even after 20 centuries, it often does not appear to have gotten any easier.

But, I have to look for the element of hope in all of this, or this reflection will likely not get posted on our blog. And maybe the element of hope is here.

The early disciples were willing to die for their belief in the unbelievable. They were willing to sacrifice wealth and reputation to support their faith in Mashiach.

Can their sacrificial faith inspire me/us? Can their faith give those of us, who live in a “fourteenth station” world, hope and peace in the Risen One? Am I able to believe in the “unbelievable”?

Can I believe that our Country can survive this period of moral and political testing? Can I believe that our churches, so seemingly divided, can ever come to fulfill Jesus’ dream of unity? Can I believe that human beings will finally learn how to live together in peace? Can I believe that we will ever be able to transcend imposed gender roles and live as one?

I profess, while still not understanding, that Jesus rose from the dead. But I also believe that this credal element will not make any difference at all if we fail to live as a risen and renewed community.

I wish you a Happy Easter. Not as a blessing, but as a challenge.

Go out there and witness to our identity as an Easter People, ready to proclaim, “Send me,” “Alleluia!”

]]><![CDATA[FCM Members Share - Volume 2 Newsletter]]>Thu, 07 Mar 2024 18:28:22 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/fcm-members-share-volume-2-newsletter

]]><![CDATA[Epiphany - Blessing Your Home by Antoinette Marold, FCM]]>Sun, 07 Jan 2024 18:32:19 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/epiphany-blessing-your-home-by-antoinette-marold-fcm

BLESSING YOUR HOME – CHRISTUS MANSIONEM BENEDICAT 20 C+M+B+24
In one of the ancient traditions of this day, you can ask a priest to come to your home to bless it, or bless chalk for you to bless it, or even bless the chalk yourself. In this ancient ritual you write above the entrance doorpost on the inside: 20 C+M+B+24. The three letters stand for the Latin: “Christus Mansionem Benedicat – May Christ bless this home.” The legendary names of the three wise men, Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar, probably created because of the letters of the blessing. You can pray this blessing:
Loving God, Creator of the universe,
bless this holy space, and all who enter and worship here.
Fill it with hope, peace, joy, love, and the Light of Christ.
May we put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with and forgiving one another.
And over all these may we put on love, that is the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ rule our hearts.
Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, with gratitude in our hearts to God.
Fill us with the light of Christ,
that our love for each other may go out to all people,
as we see the face of God in everyone, who enters here, and in all those we meet.
We ask this in the name of the Christ, the name that each of us bears, and from whose family we come, who calls us his sisters and brothers;
and who lives and loves with you and the Holy Spirit, and in us, God forever and ever.
Amen.
20 + C + M + B + 24

]]><![CDATA[GIVING TUESDAY - by Tom Stricker, Chair Endowment Committee]]>Mon, 27 Nov 2023 18:08:51 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/giving-tuesday-by-tom-stricker-chair-endowment-committee

In this time of uncertainty there is a fundamental truth that give us hope – that together we can do extraordinary things.

Plan now to support the Federation of Christian Ministries with a gift to the FCM Permanent Endowment fund or to the General FCM Fund.

www.federationofchristianministries.org Click on the DONATE BUTTON

]]><![CDATA[Thoughts and Prayers by Anthony S. Ercolano, FCM]]>Thu, 27 Jul 2023 00:17:13 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/thoughts-and-prayers-by-anthony-s-ercolano-fcm

I think that one of the most repulsive phrases I have ever heard after a mass shooting is, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”
Do you know what we need instead of, or in addition to, “thoughts and prayers”? We need legislative action.
There has to be a way to resolve the conflict between staunch Second Amendment supporters and those who want to protect our children in their schools, our worshippers in their synagogues, our audiences at large gatherings.
For many years, there was a virtual ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. During those years, the frequency of mass shooting incidents decreased. Recently, with the intentional overturning of those bans, the number of mass shooting incidents has increased dramatically.
Hunters don’t need assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Or, if they do, they are not really good hunters. People protecting their property don’t need assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, unless they live over Fort Knox.
You know who does? White supremacists and those who have sinister designs on our government.
This is a Right to Life issue.
Can we support this?
Anthony S. Ercolano, D.Min.

]]><![CDATA[My Ideal Church reflection by Dr. John A. Dick ..... Anthony S. Ercolano, FCM]]>Sat, 01 Apr 2023 20:01:41 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/my-ideal-church-reflection-by-dr-john-a-dick-anthony-s-ercolano-fcm

I recently read a reflection by Dr. John A. Dick, an historical theologian, entitled My Ideal Church. In it, the professor addresses the polarization that exists in today’s church and proposes some ways to address it. While the whole article can be found through a Google search, I will touch on just a few of his points. Hopefully, this will tempt you to read the entire article.
He suggests that authoritarian structures, including doctrines and leadership, should be temporary and subject to constant reevaluation and evolution, with leaders elected by the community. Failure to do this can result in “institutional Idolatry.”

His ideal church would welcome questioners, and he uses Jesus’ frequent questions (like “Who do you say that I am?’) as a model, suggesting that even those in leadership positions should continue to be “humble learners,” open to the ongoing dialogue.

He challenges the need for clerical dress, citing its expense and its contemporary irrelevance.
Finally, he suggests that interfaith dialogue is the way forward, compelling us to challenge many of our beliefs including the “old anthropomorphisms” of a male-gender Divinity.
FCM embodies many (most) of these elements. But all of us can continue to grow.
Anthony S. Ercolano, D.Min.
aercolano@att.net

Reflection: https://flimkien.mt/ilhna-u-fehmiet/my-ideal-church-reflections-of-an-older-historical-theologian/

]]><![CDATA[Today is the first-year anniversary of Russia’s aggression against its neighbor, Ukraine. - by FCM President, Tom Cusack]]>Sat, 25 Feb 2023 01:38:46 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/today-is-the-first-year-anniversary-of-russias-aggression-against-its-neighbor-ukraine-by-fcm-president-tom-cusack

Today is the first-year anniversary of Russia’s aggression against its neighbor, Ukraine. To see this major war play out in 2022-23 is heartbreaking. The war’s scenes are those we thought were confined to newsreels of WWII. But here and now the horror marches on.
We pray for peace. We provide the material support we can to Ukraine. We pray that healing and rebuilding might begin soon. We pray for those who have died, for those who are wounded, and those who grieve.
May Peace emerge to bind up the wounds and repair the devastation of people and things. Peace Peace Peace.

]]><![CDATA["And He Shall Rise Again" by FCM member....Anthony Ercolano]]>Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:25:35 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/and-he-shall-rise-again-by-fcm-memberanthony-ercolano

“And He Shall Rise Again”

He was only twelve years old, but already he knew more about resurrection than most of the adults in his life.

He had never met his father, and the only memory he had of his mother was a fading photograph that he had slept with for the first five years of his life until his caressing of it had rendered her image virtually unrecognizable.

Although he was somewhat envious of his cousin, he did love his aunt and uncle, who had taken him in when his grandmother announced, at his mother’s wake, that she was done raising children and, besides, who knew how long she’d be around anyway.

He had kept his first name, Stavros, but had, for convenience, adopted his uncle’s surname, Mulvey, thereby lending him a certain cultural ambiguity. This reflected the ambiguity he would eventually discover in almost all of the aspects of his life.

It was difficult to trace where his contemplative streak originated, but from the time he was a child he was able to recognize the sublime in mud. His aunt would take him for walks and he would ask her to stop every few paces so he could examine the journey of an insect across a slab of pavement or an evocative formation of clouds that suggested angels.

When he entered school, he was frequently admonished for his lack of attention when, in reality, his attention was more deeply refined than any of his classmates – although not on what the teacher was saying. He found his teacher’s voice hypnotizing, and the drone of it in the classroom would transport him to places he would rather be – to experience things, people, places, and events he would rather encounter.

It was, in fact, during one of these reveries, that he discovered his life-long aspiration – the dream that would breathe energy into everything he would do afterwards. This particular trance would last for only a moment in his recollection, though judging by what little he could recall about what the teacher was explaining about fractions, was probably a bit longer. In fact, when she called on him to teach back what she had just explained, his tentative response revealed to his bemused classmates a lapse of more than five minutes.

Stavros had found himself among ruins. They did not, however, appear to be ancient; rather the result of a recent conflict. He was on his knees, leaning over a form which, though critically injured, was impassive. As he reached for his stethoscope, which he knew intuitively would be around his neck, it became entangled with a cross.

It was only with the gift of hindsight that he was able to assess the experience of first grade with the knowledge that his destiny had been laid out for him from his childhood. And, as he knelt beside the Syrian infant who lay bleeding in the street, he knew that the cross around his neck would be more useful to him at that moment than his stethoscope.

There was virtually nothing left of Aleppo. A quarter of a million people, one third of them children, were forced to rely on the few, remaining local clinics; most of the hospitals had been bombed by Russian and Syrian forces. All this in an effort to terrorize the citizens and destabilize the resistance.

For Stavros, the hardest part was believing that anyone cared what was happening here. He had had hundreds of friends at his ordination in St. Olaf’s. And thousands attended his graduation from U of M Medical School. But he wondered now, kneeling in the street, praying over the soon-to-be lifeless child, whether anyone was even aware where he was or what he was attempting.

Oh, he had heard from friends on occasion. A few even sent donations to support his ministry. Some had even encouraged their organizations to recognize him with a significant monetary gift so he could continue his medical-ministerial work. But, most of the time, he knew that he was relegated to a passing thought or a hasty Ave.

Yet, as he continued to kneel there, cradling the now lifeless body of an infant, it began to rain. And, in that baptism, he recalled faded photos, and the salvific love of an aunt and an uncle. He remembered uninvited elementary school visions. And he knew, with total clarity, that he was where he was for a reason. And that reason was Love.

So he got up again.

Anthony S. Ercolano, D.Min.

]]><![CDATA[I don't expect everyone to agree with everything I have to say.... by Anthony S. Ercolano, D. Min., FCM]]>Thu, 26 Jan 2023 19:04:13 GMThttp://fcmblog.org/blog/i-dont-expect-everyone-to-agree-with-everything-i-have-to-say-by-anthony-s-ercolano-d-min-fcm

I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything I have to say – I would like this to be an opening to conversation. I will share a few thoughts with you and then I will open the floor to questions and discussion in the comment section of this post.

Start with the epistemological question – How do we discern the Truth? Notice truth here is with a capital “T.” Because we all know truths – today is Wednesday and I haven’t had dinner yet. We also all have glimpses of Absolute Truth – we see, in the love of our parents, a hint of the love of God/Allah. We have glimpses.
However, Absolute Truth resides only in God.
So how do we approach Absolute Truth? Through conversation, debate, dialogue, and prayer (which is really just another form of conversation).
Children today do not see their parents as much as most of us did when we were growing up. They don’t see their parents discussing, debating, arguing, and making up like we did. They are learning how to argue, debate and dialogue through the media. Think Jerry Springer.
Civil Conversation – opposing viewpoints locked in civil conversation. This was John Courtney Murray’s definition of “Democracy.”
We know how difficult conversation can be even between those who love each other. If we are incapable of doing it here, how can we hope to bring world religions and world powers to the table?
What if we can’t?
I read in a South Korean newspaper, as I was flying home (this story did not appear in the US press), that the US State Department had condemned human rights abuses in Fiji since last December’s (don’t remember the year) military coup. The Fiji Human Rights Commission responded that the US has no right to lecture anyone on human rights because of our recent history in Iraqi prisons. We have lost our credibility. We have lost our right to speak.
When people condemn religion (John Lennon, “Imagine”), what are they actually condemning?

Religious disagreements that lead to strife.
Lack of respect for opposing viewpoints.
Religious absolutism – which is really a form of idolatry.

Where can we find common ground?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Doctrine divides; Service unites.
Rev. Ernst Larsen – “Tell them to care; just to care.”

Compassion – The common ground
Dalai Lama – the only thing we can bring to the table is compassion – promoting the understanding of how the other party (opponent, dialogue partner) feels.

We have been robbed of compassion by the images we find in the media
Sitting in front of the TV, having dinner, watching villages napalmed during Viet Nam War.

How can we recover compassion?

We must “image” the God we want people to meet. And, I suggest, that God will be “Compassion.”
Or else, we will loose whatever credibility we have left.

What are some common misconceptions about your faith (religion)?
For Catholics today, it is that there is only one way of being Catholic. Although Graham Greene once defined Catholicism as the religion of “Here comes everybody!”

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