|
October 2006
As a prisoner for
the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the
calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be
patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep
the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body
and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were
called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
(Ephesians
4:1-6 NIV)
Dear All Saints' Family,
In the letter to the
Ephesians, the apostle Paul is writing to a church that is relatively
stable. Unlike most of his letters, there is no specific pastoral
problem that he addresses, but instead he writes so that the church
might better understand God’s eternal purpose and appreciate the high
goals God has for his church. Paul reminds Christians of his purpose,
“to bring all things in heaven and earth together under Christ.” (1:10)
He proceeds to show the steps toward the fulfillment of his purpose:
Reconciling individuals to himself, breaking down the barriers between
people, and ultimately uniting these reconciled individuals into one
body, the church. Having explained these great goals, Paul explains the
practical ways through which God’s purpose is to be worked out.
Paul’s first appeal is for unity. There is one body, one Spirit, one
hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. The
scriptures are clear that God’s intention for his people is unity.
Jesus’ last prayer for his followers was that they are to be one just as
he and the Father are one, and that this unity is the very sign to the
world that Jesus is the way to God. So why is unity so elusive? Why is
there so much division in the world and even more in th church? If unity
were the very sign that Jesus is who he says he is it stands to reason
that the devil would do everything possible to bring division.
One thing needs to be made clear; disunity and diversity are not the
same. The scriptures are clear that there is diversity within the body
of Christ. There are different gifts, talents, temperaments, background,
needs, likes and dislikes. At All Saints’ we have a great deal of
diversity, and we celebrate it as best we can with services and programs
that hopefully meet the needs of our members. However, when differences
lead to disunity and division, then there is a problem that must be
overcome in order to be faithful to the purpose for which God has called
us.
Paul gives us the answer to division and disunity by reminding us that
God alone is the source and power that enables us to be one. We can only
be one if we acknowledge Jesus to be the head of the church, to
understand his Word to be the authority and rule that shapes our common
life, and to humbly submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must
never allow our personal opinions to be in conflict with God’s revealed
truth. It is true that there are divisions among us but as we seek the
Lord’s wisdom and will, let us “be completely humble and gentle; be
patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
God's blessings,
Fr. David+
top
|
