In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, he created a cosmos that was both unified in its nature and divided. Much of creation was a process of dividing water from land, heavens from earth, fish from birds, etc. However, it is in this division on creation that its unity and order unfolded. One could go so far to say that division is a necessary part of unity and order. If there was no division between light and darkness for example, that wouldn’t be unity, that would be the chaos that the Spirit hovered over.
In like manner we too often understand unity in the Church as the blending of all traditions that claim the name of Jesus. However, even though this can be a source of unity, it can also end with traditions seeking to mingle that are as different as water and land. We must not assume that the blending of conflicting theologies creates unity. Often, it confuses the faith and creates the reality of chaos. Division is, at times, necessary to preserve order and unity.
For example, the CREC has the tendency to allow both infant baptism and believers baptism views to co-exist together in one communion. This means that you have people worshipping together, some who believe their children to be part of the covenant people of God, others who do not. What appears to be unity is actually just chaos and disorder. These views are in conflict. If one denies the biblical truth that infants are to be baptized and called true Christians, there cannot be fellowship in any formal sense. This division is actually a necessary one for true unity and order to manifest.
All this to say, we should be careful to recognize the beauty of ecumenism, but also its dangers. When it is genuine, it enables true unity. When it isn’t, it sacrifices true unity for the blending of light and darkness, land and sea, and unfortunately will bear the fruit of this merging: chaos and an incoherent testimony to the world about the nature of order and unity.
This is the first video reflection for the Great Fast.
Welcome to the Mere Catholicity Locals Community! Here, you will find like-minded Christians with a desire to live ecumenically and pursue Christ in all things.
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Friends - as I consider the various platforms that I operate, I find Substack to the most conducive to the model of online ministry that I am aiming for. Though I still plan to post here, as many of you still support me through this platform, Substack is where I will be focusing the majority of my time. If some of you wish to move your subscription from here to Substack, you are welcome to do that. Those who continue to support here, I will continue to post here — mostly the stuff that is behind the paywall on Substack so that you are getting the exclusive content regardless of where you are subscribed.
Hope you all are doing well. Lord bless you.
- Rev. Jonah
I've been gone again for a time preparing for my ordination. I was ordained a Deacon in the Holy Catholic Church on March 8th, 2025.
It was a joy beyond words. I am now back in full swing with ministry, media, and work.
I hope you all have been doing well. More to come soon.
Good morning everyone. I wanted to quickly update you on the Mere Catholicity Podcast. I’ve been posting videos on my channel, but it has been quite sometime since my channel has had a podcast episode release.
With my new job as a classical teacher, scheduling interviews has been a challenge. However, my plan is to use my summer breaks as time to double down on planning and recording new podcasts. The idea will be to record a ton of interviews that will then slowly release throughout the school year, expiring around the time the following summer arrives. This will ultimately result in a consistent once a month interview.
All that to say, the podcast will resume here in May or June of 2025 with some excellent interviews lined up!
Blessings on your Sunday!
