Megachurch Ecumenical Discussion of the Da Vinci Code

I recently watched a video of pastors from a couple Michigan-based churches discuss The Da Vinci Code.

The group was composed primarily of megachurch evangelicals[1], but the audience crossed a wide spectrum.

The panel included...

Steve Andrews, Relief Pastor at Kensington Community Church
Dan Kopp, Spiritual Formation Director at Kensington
Dr Craig Mayes, Teaching Pastor at Kensington
Fr John Riccardo (formerly pastor of St. Anastasia Catholic church in Troy, MI,, now pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, MI )

Kensington Community Church appears to be an evangelical/charismatic nondenominational church; it has a number of locations and reaches nontraditional worshipers.

Watch the discussion here >
(Recorded: May 21st, 2006 at Kensington Community Church. Unfortunately, this clip only features Steve Andrews and Fr Riccardo. Depending on how your computer is configured, the movie may launch or begin downloading to your computer.)

Listen to the Q&A followup >
(This is an audio-only segment from the Q&A followup. It includes Dr Mayes and Fr Riccardo.)

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It was refreshing to see evangelical Protestants and Catholics engaged as brothers and openly expressing their love for Jesus. You can see them step delicately through areas of disagreement if you know where they are.

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I find the facts behind the controversy more interesting than the controversy itself. Dan Brown tells a good story and I don't take his theology seriously, but misinformation is serious and I respect those that take issue with it.

Dan Brown is to Jesus what Oliver Stone was to John F Kennedy.

I did read the book, BTW, and enjoyed it.

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Watch Fr Riccardo and Steve Andrews seek common ground >
Excellent Video on Common Ground with Fr Riccardo and Steve Andrews. If you finish this (Part 2) you can view other parts of the same conversation. Part 3 shows how deeply moved Andrews is by the discussion.

Part 1 > 
Part 3 > 

Andrews: Do Catholics believe you can work your way to heaven?
Riccardo: No. We're saved by Jesus' precious blood. Period. End of story.

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Where am I?

I'm not a Baptist (my home church removed me from the membership role years ago after I left town for college and didn't return). I'm not Catholic. I attend a charismatic megachurch for my family, but not myself. I'm not a Calvinist, even though my degrees are from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. (I'm decidedly non-Calvinist, actually.)[2]

I have a lifelong personal and educational relationship to Christianity. I understand some of the literature, popular and academic. And I am sometimes needled with doubt. But at 50 and counting (backwards), I am persevering, daily, when I'm tired and when I'm not, when I'm happy and when I'm not, when I'm frustrated and when I'm not, and when I'd just rather not.[3]

I have no label, though I have a direction. I was baptized into a bible-believing community and I confess The Apostle's Creed. (More on that at another time.)

I am at this time, I suppose, like those of which Christ said, "Whoever is not against us is for us."

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[1]
I prefer quiet, reflective worship. To each his own. I've heard that megachurch attendance lasts on average a couple years. I'd be curious if anyone reading this who also attends a megachurch has an opinion on this.

Maybe the trade-off is worth it? If you can get them in the pew for a couple years, you've planted a seed that may last a lifetime.

But if justification is a journey and not (only) a decision, it may end when they walk out the door for the last time.

[2]
Calling yourself Baptist without being a member of a Baptist church is like calling yourself Catholic without being confirmed.

[3]
That is a good sentence.

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Started: 2013-02-19