2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2,3)Will you devote yourself to the church’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers, promising to further its purity and peace? (fifth question for joining the church- in the Book of Common Worship).
Thoughts: When we join the church, we join to not divide it or complain about it. We seek to make it better- more united, more pure- better. There is no perfect church. Not even the church we are used to going to is perfect. We do not design or create the church, but we are a part of the church- when we take part in it- and we shape it as we live in it. So when we join the church we say we seek to make the church a better place.
In our day of American consumerism, we may think we can simply choose a religion, design a religion, and ignore everyone else and the church. But such thinking is an illusion. We seek the peace of God for the Church- not the peace of death. The peace of death is leave me alone kind of peace- the kind of R.I.P. found over tombstones. But the peace of God is shalom- wholeness- contentment- knowing who you are and that you have purpose. The purity is not simply purity of motive, but purity in terms of doing what is right according to God. Such purity assumes there is a God who cares about how we live and love. If God doesn't care or cannot care, then such purity is an illusion. The God of scripture is a God who cares and asks us to care and live in holy (pure) ways.
Prayer: Lord, help me to seek you through your Church. Help me to seek your purity and your peace.
(Celtic symbol of purity)
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)
Thoughts: What does this mean? We live in such a consumer culture and it is hard to separate our consumer individualism with the Bible's admonition to be faithful and united with others. This is different from "Be true to yourself" (Marcus Aurelius) or "To thine own self be true" (Polonius in Hamlet). There is a sense in which being true to ourselves is important, but Christians are called beyond that to be true to a higher calling- God. Often this means swallowing our pride and individualism to find peace with others we disagree with. In the passage above Paul says "Make every effort" (spoudozontes) means "be diligent" to keep the unity or "exert yourself" to keep the unity of the Spirit. This means bending, going the extra mile, getting beyond our pride and selfishness to keep peace.
In the Church, there is never a call to "leave the church if you disagree with it." This is the consumer way of life, and is fueled by so many churches on every corner in America. But whenever someone leaves a church to go church shopping, it weakens the Church and the kingdom. Instead we are called to be faithful where we are, honoring God with our being a light shining in a darkened place.
Often we let a desire for more members, more money, more growth ["for Christ"] get in the way of being a faithful missionary without immediate- but more important lasting fruit. Many Christians today are like soldiers who are fighting the good fight- but when it looks like it will be a tough fight- leave the lines- and when people start leaving the lines, the fight is lost. But if we are "making every effort" "being diligently faithful" in keeping the unity and the peace of the Spirit, we are blessed by God. It is hard to be faithful in the midst of unfaithfulness, but that is what Jesus did. It is what many Christians do when they are in a minority situation, and it is the calling of all of us.
Thoughts: Today, Lord, let me pursue peace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNOfw1NVAyo (Song)
