My understanding of ecumenism comes from my father, Christopher. He grew up in Little Greece in Downtown Chicago and was raised Greek Orthodox. (While growing up, my family had Orthodox iconic pictures of Jesus on top of our television, and grandma would walk up to them and kiss the pictures, as we tried to watch TV around her.)
I have been in the People of Praise here in the Twin Cities for the last 37 years first as a Presbyterian and now a Lutheran and have had many ecumenical moments. Here I will share one that relates directly to the most recent issue of Vine and Branches.
Trinity Academy, a school founded by the Vancouver-Portland branch, opened its doors on September 6. That morning, five ninth-graders and their parents walked into hurriedly painted classrooms in the basement of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Portland.
Chris Meehan (South Bend) has won the community’s logo design competition. His winning entry incorporates tongues of fire, hands raised in praise and the words “People of Praise Christian Community.”
Mike Feeks (South Bend), 51, began serving as president of the LaSalle Company on August 25. He follows Paul DeCelles (South Bend), chair of the company’s board of directors, who served as president from 2009 to 2011.
A moment that comes to mind is when I went to the hospital to visit my sister Pam Peterson (South Bend) who had been very sick for a week. I walked into her room and her husband Ken was kneeling next to her bed praying.
