Day 7- 10/4 Oneness

10/4- Saturday- John 17:11- I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

Bonhoeffer: “Christian brotherhood is not an ideal that we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ which we may participate.”

Thoughts: Jesus’ great prayer before his arrest involved our being one.  Perhaps he prayed this because He knew it would be hard for us to be one.  There are many different denominations today- formed by differences in culture, viewpoints, and sin/pride from the past.  Yet, there is also a sense in which different denominations know deep down we need to work together.  So food banks, care for housing needs, medical help for the needy, community worship at Thanksgiving, disaster relief are often the cooperative work of many different denominations.  The ideal would be that there would/should be no differences.  In heaven that will be true.  There will not be different rooms for Christians- but rather large circles around the throne.  Some get frustrated in the local church that we do not naturally agree on everything.  But this is what Bonhoeffer calls a false idealism. Brotherhood and sisterhood is a reality brought about despite our differences not because of our agreement on every issue.  The appeals in scripture is not to divide but to love and to be one-physically. Consumerism calls us to find what I agree with that best fits me.  There are people who church hop to the best preacher, the best program, and this changes regularly.  But the person who learns to fulfill their calling where God has placed them, being missionaries to their own fellowship community are healthier.  The church is healthier too when people are working together to be one instead of forming small groups to win an issue. We are to be one as Jesus is one with the Father.  There is a difference between the Father and the Son but there is some amazing oneness there too.

Prayer: Help me to seek oneness with you and oneness with others Lord.