6/17/14- Unity Thoughts

1How good and pleasant it is

when God’s people live together in unity!

2It is like precious oil poured on the head,

running down on the beard,

running down on Aaron’s beard,

down on the collar of his robe.

3It is as if the dew of Hermon

were falling on Mount Zion.

For there the Lord bestows his blessing,

even life forevermore. (Psalm 133)

Thoughts: It is really easy to talk about love and to talk about unity but then ignore the very practical side of what divides us.
   People who are in power have the opportunity to keep unity by the agenda to a certain extent- by making sure it is on the agenda; by not focusing in on the divisive issues; by not being selfish in idealism by being willing to put other's agenda ahead of their own; by being patient (unity and patience go together); by listening with intensity; by being full of grace and love.  People who are in power can force their agenda on others, manipulate the truth, and that brings disunity.  This does not mean leaders should not lead in new and challenging ways.  But such leading is always done with sensitivity, grace, patience, and a sense of timing.  David did not build the Temple in his lifetime- but was willing to let the Temple be built by the next generation.  Impatience and wanting to get credit are often enemies to the unity that is so good.
   People who are in the congregation or the common people can cause disunity as well.  They can rebel.  They can become afraid and try to retreat from unity in order to maintain a sense of  safety/purity.  Gossip, rumor-spreading, protesting can disrupt unity.  This does not mean that people should not stand up for their beliefs- but such belief is always held in a context of the trust of love. 

Trust and patience are so important.  Jesus gave us the example of unity as he trusted in His Father.  He did not rebel against Rome though he had good cause and many urged him to.  He did not rebel against the Jewish authorities.  He told his disciples to put away their swords and was willing to die rather then fight.  But as He trusted in God, the Lord raised Him from the dead.  Unity always has hope- not in human systems- but that God can change things- even a cross into the resurrection!

  
Unity does not happen when everything is calm.  Unity happens in the clashes, in the conflicts, in the tough times.  A marriage is not unified just in the better, richer, healthier times.  A marriage is actually united when it survives the worse, poorer, sicker times and the couple learns to hold onto each other.  Unity is not uniformity.  In fact, uniformity masks the ability to unite across differences.  True unity is a gift of God- it is a blessing bestowed, oil flowing down.  But it is not wrong to say we must pray for it, be open to it, work for it, and treasure it.  

So I pray for unity in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  I pray for patience and not manipulation.  I pray that things would be done properly- decently and in order.  As the church is united in the hard times, the church shows the world she is different.  As the church is divided, the church destroys her witness and thus herself. 

Prayer: Lord, bring unity to your church.  Bring grace, love, patience, hope- yourself.  

7/20/13- Not Breaking the Bond of Peace

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. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord,one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:2-6) 

Thoughts: Verse 3 speaks of a "bond of peace" we have in the Church, and we are to make every effort to keep it.  In fact the whole chapter is about forgiving one another, limiting anger (not letting the sun set on it), in order to stay together.  So much of the Bible is about the things that would draw us together- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Spirit, love, grace, forgiveness.  Yet so much of history is about the church falling and splitting apart.  Neither Luther nor Calvin intended to split the church- but to reform it.  Splits often come because the church falls into sin- and some in the church want to keep themselves pure; or the powers that be in the church want to eliminate the opposition who are bothering them.  Neither way is best.
      Two passages are often used very loosely to rationalize splitting the church when it embraces a "sinful" doctrine.  One is "Come out from among them and be ye separate" (2 Corinthians 6;17) which speaks of unbelievers not being yoked to believers in marriage.  It could be used vaguely of the church of faith separating itself from the world of unfaith- but it is not a justification for schism in the church.  In our day of American consumerism that filters down to church shopping, we feel we can easily break covenants, promises, and affiliations in order to have the illusion that we are pure.  But reality is the church does not believe perfectly, or act perfectly- no church.  The idea that some are better than others is no justification for dividing the body of Christ that destroys the witness to the world of our patience, humility, and love.  Another passage says, "expel the immoral brother."  But this is an imperative to discipline within the church, not a command to split the church when it has immorality.  Too often in America, we break covenants, promises, and affiliations as easy as we break our marriage vows- neither is the ideal.  Too often in an effort to biblically righteous about morals or theology we forget what the Bible says about being one, united, and what the church is to be.  Truth is- that some need to be more biblical about morals, and others need to be more biblical about the unity of the church. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells two parable about not separating the holy from the unholy here on this earth.  One was the parable of the wheat and tares (weeds), that are to grow up together and should not be separated until the angels come.  The other was the parable of the net and fishes   Christ prayed that "they (the church) would be one- even as we (the godhead) are one.  

Prayer: Christ send the Spirit of unity to us that we may be one as you are one- Father-Son- and Holy Ghost.  Forgive our pettiness, our pride, our hurt, our sin. 

11/16/12- Philippians 4- Basis for Stewardship

² I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Thoughts: The church of Philippi was in a dangerous spot.  There were divisions in the church, the people were looked down on by their neighbors and anxious, and they were brought down by the burdens of life.  This is not too far from the church today in the West.
But Paul's solution is to focus on God.  The divided were urged to be "like-minded"- putting their minds on Christ, their mission/work, and that in heaven-their goal- they will be together (Names in the heaven-book).  

   The whole church was told again and again to "rejoice in the Lord."  Not that all was going well (Paul was writing this from prison).  But the joy of God does not depend on our circumstances. So celebrating Thanksgiving does not depend on how much we have.  We all can be grateful if we wish to  be. 

    They were urged to replace their anxiety with prayers and supplications with thanksgiving.  It is only when we are thankful that we can obtain the peace of Christ. 

    They were also called to focus their thoughts- not on the black dots on the white board- but on the white board.
    The rest of chapter 4 is about stewardship- God makes us content (4:10), gives us strength (4:13), and supplies our need (4:19).  But we cannot have stewardship without- 1) agreement in serving God together; 2) replacing anxiety with thanksgiving; 3) changing our thought life to focus on what God has done. 

Prayer: Today help me to agree, to be thankful to you- Lord, and to focus on the good you are doing.