Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Michael Ramsey on the Ministry of Reconciliation

From one of the books on my reading list below Glory Descending: Michael Ramsey and His Writings:

"The ministry of reconciliation is part of the life of a reconciled and reconciling church. This means a Church aware that it owes its own existence to the reconciliation of the Cross, and has its worship ever deepened by that awareness. It means also a Church which prays for the world, with the question, 'who is my neighbor?' ceaselessly in heart and mind and outgoing action. Within this reconciling prayer and action is Christian concern about relations with people of other races and religion, about poverty and hunger in the world, about cruelty and injustice, and about weapons of destruction. Within the confession of our sins there will be included sins of attitude, complacency or idleness of thought. We are not sinning if we are unsure of the answers to hard questions: we are sinning if we do not think or care. All this is part of a renewed ministry of reconciliation in
the life of the Church."

-Be Still and Know, 1982


No comments: