James 24:7

I'm a Johnny-Come-Lately on the pope's recent comments regarding the defectiveness of non-Roman Catholic churches.  Since I haven't been able to find the actual document that the pope issued last week, I'll have to go on what I've read in several papers.  I think I get the drift.

The 16 page document was written to clarify an earlier document that was written by this same man before he hit the big time.  (That document caused an uproar back then too.)  The point of the new document was to clarify for Catholics how they should think of Catholic and non-Catholic churches.

He apparently didn't say that folks outside of Roman Catholicism were going to hell in a handbasket.  Instead he acknowledged that the Spirit can work for people's salvation in non-Catholic "churches" (but implied, I guess, that it's an uphill battle for the Holy Spirit.)

He suggested that Protestant churches are wounded and defective because they are outside the line of papal succession, that they cannot be real churches (or at least churches in the best sense of the term) and that, since they fall outside the bounds of the CHURCH that their ministers cannot really administer the sacraments.

The only reason I care about this is because the pope has so much influence around the world.  At best, his comments are potentially divisive, if not downright offensive.

The only reason I'm bringing it up is to share a story with you.   Four of the women from my church went on a little retreat together.  While there, one, during her time of prayer, fell under the conviction that she needed to be immersed.  (She had been sprinkled into the "real" church when she was an infant.)  No one pressured her or even suggested such a thing to her.  It was a matter of conscience; something that came to her during prayer; something she attributed to the Spirit of God.

The other three women went with her out into the nearby lake and immersed her because..silly girls...it seemed the appropriate thing to do given the circumstances.

Then, the other night one of the women called to tell me that she was going to visit one of the guys in our church who is recovering from by-pass surgery.  She wanted to pray with him and partake of communion with him since he's been out of the worship/fellowship loop for a few weeks.  Don't know whether she's done that yet or not but have every confidence she will and should.

Hmmm..those women are not "ordained" and they are (gasp!) w-o-m-e-n.

I'm not sure the pope would dig that but, hey..."what are you going to do?"

When folks are open to the Spirit of God and attentive to what the Word says and doesn't say...well all kinds of things can happen!

Papa....the mule is out of the barn.