In recent weeks, I have been looking at the research on––especially
interviews with––people who consider themselves to be “spiritual but not
religious.” One of the many critiques such people have about the Christian Church
is that we are judgmental not only about non-church people but about each
other. What is the point, they ask, of belonging to an organization so filled
with hostility?
The stakes are high regarding Jesus’ prayer that we “all be
one,” because our disunity unmasks the unjustifiable self-righteousness that keeps
creating religious antagonism.
Taking Jesus’ prayer for our unity to heart on this Sunday,
let us preach a vision that moves beyond pet theological stances. Let us lift
up the ways in which churches are working together in mission and in scholarly
understandings because of our unity in Christ.
From the perspective of God’s love for this world in Christ
Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, we have a strong and stable common ground on which
to stand for the sake of the life of the world.
John 17:20-26
In the years since Christ's return
to heaven, many divisions have crept into his church. Perhaps this is the very
reason that Christ felt compelled to pray for the future generations that would
be entrusted with practicing the faith and telling the story. It is quite
possible that he knew how difficult it would be for us to all get along.
Signs of improving unity among
various traditions within the church abound; numerous agreements and statements
of concord have been drafted among representatives of the Roman Catholic,
Orthodox Catholic, and Protestant churches in recent years.
Unfortunately, some of our worst
divisions are within our own traditions—Baptists versus Baptists, Episcopalians
versus Episcopalians, Catholics versus Catholics, and so forth. Perhaps there
is no better time for us to return to the prayer of Jesus. . . .
Jesus invokes the love of the
Father for the Son—a love that he has sought to share with his disciples—as the
basis for living a life pleasing to God. – John P. Fairless
Acts 16:16-34
The unity we are called to work toward includes not only the
churches but those the church is called to serve. We might continually ask
ourselves the question put to us by Burton-Edwards:
In the name of Jesus, Paul and his
companions confront economic and spiritual systems in Philippi, sing hymns to
God, and behold God setting prisoners and a jailer free. How does the ministry
of your congregation confront unjust primal forces of your culture and set
captives and captors free? – Taylor Burton-Edwards
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17,
20-21
When asked by Christians, “Don't
you think we're living in the last days?” my answer is. “Of course we are!” But
my answer is not based on current events or speculative obscurities in
apocalyptic prophecy, but on the clear promise of scripture. . . . Because
Jesus has overcome the powers of darkness in his death and resurrection,
because he ascended to rule with the Father and has poured out his Spirit on
the church, because these things have happened, the last days are upon us. . .
.
Our character in this age is to be
shaped by the knowledge that “everything old has passed away; see everything
has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We can no longer live in the idolatry of
thinking that our job or our weekly paycheck is our source of security and
comfort, because Jesus reveals a God who claims that role in life. . . .
The final words of Revelation offer
three invitations. The first two invite the Spirit and church together to cry for
the return of the Bridegroom. To establish righteousness, justice and peace.
The third invitation is to the world: “let everyone who is thirsty come: take
the water of life as a gift” (22:17). . . .
In this vision, the Spirit-indwelt
church calls out to both Christ and to the world. This is the mission of God's
people: to gather in the Spirit as the holy bride of Christ—an open sign to the
world of the world that is yet to come. By living and worshiping as the “end
times” people of God, we are able to call out to the world: Come, drink freely
of the water of life! – Michael A. Van Horn
Taylor
Burton-Edwards is the Director of Worship resources for the United
Methodist Church.
John P. Fairless
is senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Florida.
Michael A. Van Horn,
an Evangelical Covenant pastor, served Trinity Church of Livonia, Michigan,
for ten years and is now a missionary with the Rock of Ages Ministries,
Cleveland, Tennessee.
Homily Service 40, no. 6 (2007): 29-36.
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