I’m popping in on the tail end of the NCC Centennial Gathering: Witnesses of These Things: Ecumenical Engagement in a New Era. Five vision papers were presented. You can read them here: http://www.ncccusa.org/witnesses2010/ga2010studyissues.htm
The current speaker is pointing out that ecumenical cooperation is no longer just the right thing to do. We are in a season of the church’s life where ecumenical cooperation is absolutely essential given the resource challenges we face.
See also: http://www.ncccusa.org/
New Orleans’ Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond welcomed delegates at opening worship Tuesday night. “In 1928 Pope Pius XI was critical of the ecumenical movement and would not participate in it, but in 1964 Vatican II challenged all Christians to unity.” One of the lessons of Hurricane Katrina five years ago is that many social barriers had to be discarded in New Orleans. “It was strangers who came to give help after Katrina and these strangers became the face and the hands and the heart of Christ… We need not wait for a national tragedy to work toward unity.”
Bishop Michael Rinehart 
November 11, 2010 at 4:44 pm
It’ll be ‘re-union’ when there is ‘communion’ ala bread and wine… one of my daily prayer petition remains…”Lord, in my lifetime, have the Pope welcome back the Lutherans as an order of the church, like the Augustinians, the Dominicans, the Jesuits and the Sisters of Mercy so that your work will be glorified in us and others will see our unity in you!”