English/Bassa/ Report on alternative fora

I have to be short today.
Yesterday we had the alternative fora. I joined the group talking about what to do with the outcome of Graz, the organisation of Sibiu and better ideas to make this assemblee worth being there.
(Do accept my apologies when names/countries aren't right)
Mr. Fuchs from Germany was in Graz as well. He recalled the situation over there with the ecumenical village. There the people were not delegates but have had there imput to the official delegates. Finally here in Sibiu he is a delegate, but he does not feel himself one. He feels imprisoned. By the program, by the long speeches, by the fear the organization shows and more. He feels himself now to be a passive watcher to all what is happening. his proposal for a new assemblee is one like the Kirchentag in germany.
One of the youth delegates, or actually I have to say a young adult - Reb Redpadh - sais that he came to the assemblee to learn how to be in a relationship with other believers, with other christian forms of faith. But the only place where he learns that is during the meals. He wants to be involved so that he can learn how to be in contact with others.
Some of the participants of this group proposes for more committees or/and more activities during the preparation of an assemblee like this one. For example, from Graz one of the outcomes were reconciliation teams working all over europe nowadays. These teams and committees has to be more involved, or at least in a way known by memers of all participating churches.
Mr. Maurov from Italy said that Sibiu is not an assemblee but a conference. he wants to know how the commitments of the Charta are translated all over Europe and in all churches. That is what he wants to talk about here and now. Otherwise there is no step forwards to take at the end of this assemblee.
Mr. Kaspari from Germany was at the preperation meeting at Wittenberg. There the atmosphere was already like the one we all meet here in Sibiu. On the one hand it is good to be together, but more can be done, more can be discussed and have to be discussed. He talked about the problems of organise this assemblee, for example the infrastructural problems in Romania. In the end he said that meaybe not the assemblee itself, but the ongoing process of preparation and the way towards an assemblee like this one is the most important. More participants agreed on this. For lay people, the people from the grassroot so to say, such preparations are visible. If you can follow the preperation, on local, national and international level, everybody will have the feeling to be involved. And that will create more opportunities then listening to church-politic-speeches. Martin from Austria wants to talk about a proper continuation of the ecumenical process the participating churches are now involved in.
Stephen from Germany even asked himself if there has to be another assemblee. Because what are we doing here? Caryn from France is at the Sibiu assemblee, the first ecumenical meeting she is involved in. She was surprised about all the new things she saw here. Perhaps this assemblee doesn't show the unity we wanted it to see, but at least this is a way to see and to get to know each other. Therefore she was immpressed by the speech of mr. prof. Riccardi because he spoke about his personal faith. We all here in Sibiu are not that perfect, but we can accept this and try to share the good things with one another.
Durk from Germany is quit aware of the ecumenical developments everywere. Why is this assemblee only held once in 10 years. There is lot more happening in ecumenism than just this kind of meetings. And progression can only be evoced when there is a tension, when there are things to discuss, when there are visible quarrels and so on.
One of the proposals made was to overlook the perspectives on organizing an assemblee like this one. If people want to be more participating the perspective from wich discussions are started has to be one with the goal of progression. Timi from the UK states that here in Sibiu everyone is acting on an individual base. But not really together. To be in progression the Charta must be a guideline for the next assemblee. How is it implemented and how can we together advance this implementation?
Maybe we have to go along till the eschaton to reach some agreemant on sacramental issues for example, but at least the churches - all of them - have their responsibility in workig together and to let their light shine on this world. maybe now in Sibiu there is some fear on too much provocation, but why? Crestian from Estonai used the m etaphor of having a meal. To eat your dinner is to solve the problem of hunger. Maybe we can solve the problems between churches with talking with each other?

In short terms this was (for the biggest part) the outcome of our talking. To add something personal: I was not really satisfied on the fact that many of us just talked about what is 'wrong' here in Sibiu. Why not encouraging each other and to help each other seeing the good things? Still I think it is a kind of miracle that alle the people, all the degelates are here in Sibiu. To meet one another on the street, in the tent, in the churches and during the meals is kind of amazing me. And I realize, more can be done, but please, why can't we see the whole assemblee as something God arranged just to be there? This can be called Ecumenism in one of its purest forms, at least here in Europe. Many church political issues are discussed here, and sometimes it is quit boring and not that suprising, but again, this is a step. A step towards the Kingdom of God. I hope all the things that frustrated us can be put in our luggage as home work back in our own church. Make know the outcomes here, show the light of Christ and be a wittness of what you saw !
Only then something of what our Creator meant with his Creation can be seen.

yours in Christ,
Marrit Bassa - Still the youngest of the Dutch delegation ;)