Sometimes disticintions between churches and denominations gets to be a mess. Is there anything that can bring churches together? Isaac describes the relationship between Chapel Hill Mennonite and the Quakers as an example of what he calls “radical ecumenism.” Here’s an excerpt from his article, which appeared in The Mennonite:
Tending to the grass and roots and weeds with a bunch of Friends on a humid summer day is our ecumenical work, the fertile soil that sprouts missional plants. It’s not glamorous. Dirty nails and sweat-soaked shirts are what we have to show for our work. This is not spectacular, like a visit with the pope at the Vatican. Pulling weeds and trimming trees is far too ordinary and unremarkable.
But it’s radical—in the traditional sense. “Radical” comes from the Latin word radix that literally means “roots.” (Think about the earthy vegetable named “radish.”) “Radical” is an invitation to look at what happens on the ground amidst the roots. Thus ecumenism, of the radical variety, takes place where roots grow—where people of different local churches get together and tend to worship spaces and gardens, and all sorts of other local, grass roots (radical) moments of fellowship and friendship.
Follow this link to the full article that appeared in The Mennonite: Radical Ecumenism