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The Charisms & Ecumenism
Fr Pat Collins a lecturer at All Hallows in Dublin and an author and retreat giver, shares how the use of the charisms can promote grass roots ecumenism as Christians realise that their fellow believers have the same faith experiences as they do and therefore must be authentic in their faith |
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"Their differing gifts, graces and charisms were revealing the presence of the risen Jesus to me" That was the way in my own life. As a young priest, the truth of the gospel of love hadn't fallen from my head to my heart. One effect of this lack of charity, was the fact that I was prejudiced against Protestants. When I was 29 I went to a week-end retreat. The talks were given by a Church of Ireland minister. His anointed words really moved me. At one point I spoke to him and he offered to pray for me. Although I was a little reluctant to be prayed with by a non-Catholic, I said "yes." Having read a passage from Eph 3:14-20 he laid hands on me and prayed that I might receive an outpouring of the Spirit and his gifts. I immediately experienced a spiritual awakening. I became consciously aware of God's unconditional love for me and began to pray profusely in tongues. As a result of this religious illumination, I was fully persuaded that the Lord was strongly at work in members of other churches. This was confirmed the morning after my baptism in the Spirit. I was praying with a number of Catholics and Protestants. It was a bright Spring day. The light was streaming through the windows. When I saw its dappled textures reflected on the faces of the people, I thought that they were like so many coloured pieces in a large mosaic. I sensed that their differing gifts, graces and charisms were revealing the presence of the risen Jesus to me. There was Jesus the healer in one, Jesus the prophet in another.... etc. The Charisms have been poured out on all denominations That primordial awareness of our unity in the Spirit of God has never left me. Happily, over the last century, the charisms have been poured out in all denominations. The community of believers, whatever churches they belong to, are empowered for service by the gifts listed by Paul in 1 Cor 12:8-10, Rm 12:6-9; and Eph 4:7-14. They are rooted in love, express love and are intended to build up that same love among Christians. Whereas our differing beliefs can sometimes be the cause of acrimony and division, the gifts tend to unite. Through their common exercise, Christians are drawn closer to Jesus and therefore to one another. I have found that the charisms have a unique ability to build bridges of understanding and unity. For instance, many years ago I took charge of a parish in Gibraltar while the priest was away on holiday. About a mile away there was a very active Pentecostal church. It had attracted quite a number of lapsed Catholics. The pastor used to tell his congregation that R.C.S were not saved because they hadn't been born again through personal faith in Christ. However, many of the Pentecostals were disconcerted when they heard that a Catholic priest in a nearby parish seemed to have been baptized in the Spirit and could pray in tongues. At one point a deputation came to chat and pray with me. I suspect that they wanted to see for themselves whether the rumours were true. When they saw that I had indeed been baptized in the Spirit and exercised the gifts of the Spirit, they were persuaded that I, like many other Catholics, had truly been saved. As a result a number of the lapsed Catholics, returned to the Church while the attitude of the other Pentecostals was challenged and changed. They had been won over, not by doctrinal arguments, but rather by the exercise of the charisms. They interpreted them as a sure sign of the Spirit's activity. As St Paul testified: "My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" 1 Cor 2:4. God honours unity
In an article entitled, "Ecumenical Origins of the Charismatic Renewal," Peter Hocken has made the important observation that the Charismatic movement is the only renewal movement in the Catholic Church to have had its origin in Protestantism. Not only that, renewal in the Spirit and reconciliation between Christians, from different churches, have been virtually synonymous in Charismatic Renewal. I'm also persuaded that it is only in the light of shared experiences, such as the ones I have described, that we will be enabled to reconcile our doctrinal differences in such a way as to bring about ecclesial convergence. So, I'm utterly convinced that the gifts have an indispensable ecumenical role to play. How good it is to live together
as brothers and sisters for there Yaweh bestows a blessing
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It
was much the same on the home front. I can recall an occasion when
a number of Catholics and Protestants were invited to conduct a day
of renewal in Coleraine. David McKee, a Presbyterian minister gave
the talks. Afterwards he asked a Catholic lay man, an Anglican vicar,
and myself to join him in praying for people. As we did so, many of
them, Catholics and Protestants alike, began to fall to the ground
under the power of the Spirit. When the meeting was over, David called
me aside. "That is the first time I have ever seen people resting
in the Spirit" he said, "why do you think it has happened
today?" "As far as I'm concerned," I replied, "there
can be only one answer. God is honouring our united witness, by blessing
our ministry in a special way". As Ps 133: says: "HOW good
and delightful it is to live together as brothers and sisters….for
there Yahweh bestows a blessing" Paul was spot on when he said:
"Tke kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power"
1 Cor 4:20. 
