A Weekend in the life of an Ecumenist

As I thought about this past weekedn I realized that it kind of encapsulates in a few days what my life is like.
Friday night I worked on a painting that was commissioned by the band Overhang that they hope to use in the cover sheets for their CD they will release in February. All the members of Overhang happen to be Christian Reformed (CRC) and/or grew up CRC. Then a member of Reconciler came over and we watched some episodes of Dr Who, when Tom Barker played Dr Who.

Saturday Luara Gottardi-Littel was ordained to the priesthood at the Episcopal cathedral of St James. Laura has been called to be the Episcopal Priet at Reconcielr. So, Tripp, Kate and Katya went. Tripp and I vested and processed with clergy. Tripp and I know several Episcopal clergy in Chicago, Tripp because he attended Seabury-WesternTheological Semianry and I because kate is Episcopal and my spiritual director is a priest. Which means when we show up to such things we are greeted by several priests and those who don't know us are quizical. Everyone is always hospitable, but there is always the puzzled look when I say I am an Evangelical Covenant minister, even after explaining that I pastor an ecumencial congregation. though I have to admit that a Covenant minister processing into the Cathedral in alb and stole is a bit odd even to me when I simply put it that way. But I am a student of John Weborg and the liturgy feeds me, any who have attended Reconciler will not be surprised.
Then our community had a party in the evening, and it was the first party where a good representative of our different friends from different contexts all showed up to one of our parties. Members of Reconciler came, some of the film crew from Kates latest movie came, some friends of Katya's and Benjamine's from Northwestern, friends of Amy's, and people brought people so it was quite a mix. conversations (that I took part in) ranged from film and various aspects of the film industry to experiments on language acquasition and identity to what role the intent of the author has on one's experience/interpretation of a work of art (the specific example was Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." It was a fun party and Benjamine and Katya stayed up with many long after Kate and I went to bed, at 2 AM.
Then Sunday night at Reconciler, we had a small group of us at first, and then there were a few people came after service started, and there was a visitor who came with some of our members. It turns out the visitor was a Jesuit scholastic. Our jaws nearly droped when we heard that. No the last think we expected was for a Jesuit to show up to Reconciler. Tripp had preached and I had presided, and he told Tripp "I really felt your sermon." and he thanked me for presiding. Then he hun around with our congregants and talked about all the elements of the service, both personal responces like crossing yourselves, to liturgical elements that were also found among the catholics. He was quite taken by the fact that Kate and I cross ourselves according to Eastern Orthodox custome. It was all just a little sureal even for this ecumenist, wonderful but a little mind bending.