Last Sunday, I preached in our church on 1 Corinthians 1:10 which says, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.†In our day and age, Christians are prone to do one of two things with this verse. Either they ignore it or they passionately embrace the concept of unity without really looking at the rest of the verse.
Most of the other churches in town seem to have no difficulty working and worshipping together in almost any context. Yes, at first glance, your churches seem to be embracing the principle of unity presented in this verse quite well. But when we examine the verse with greater closeness, we notice that the unity called for is that which centers around saying the same things, having the same mind, and the same discernment. Can we really claim such unity exists between all the churches when some baptize infants and other do not, while some teach that works play some role in our salvation while others do not, while some believe that certain manifestations of the Spirit are essential to proving one’s faith while others require no such proof? Is the unity played out in the public eye an expression of a united reality of mind or simply an illusion?
This verse from God penned by the Apostle Paul makes two things clear. First, divisions in the body of Christ are not good or natural. They are not what God desires in His church. Secondly, it makes clear that true unity is not just imagined or declared. It is only valuable if it is real.
It is often said that one should never speak about religion or politics in a small town, especially with those who might disagree. However while I will leave the question of silence over politics to be discussed by others, it seem to me the silence about religion has allowed some of us to grow all to comfortable with divisions in the church and allowed others of us to act like we are united, when true dialogue would reveal otherwise.
“Is Christ divided?†Paul asks somewhat rhetorically a few verses after this one. Of course He is not. And neither should His body on this earth be divided. But simply imagining or declaring the divisions ended will not accomplish true unity.
We must end the silence about religion if we truly want unity. And we should want unity, for God desires it as well. Let us talk to one another honestly admitting our differences. Let us earnestly pray to the Spirit that He would give us the same mind and the same understanding, that we might say the same things. Let us cast aside all other loyalties that we might together cling to Christ alone. Then, by God’s grace, we may grow into the unity God desires.
Phil,
How committed are you to true dialogue? True dialogue is, itself, only valuable if it is real. In other words, dialogue is, yes, expressing one’s opinion, but truly listening to the concerns, beliefs and opinions of others and at the same time being willing to examine (and perhaps change) one’s own belief in light of what others are saying (instead of simply responding with the stand-by – “but what does God have to say about such and such” – what i mean is, that it is very easy to say that and is said more out of defensiveness than a desire to honestly know God deeper and more profoundly).
Let me try and say it this way: humility is required. Humility that our understanding of a text or doctrine may be wrong or incomplete. And humility in being able to learn from others. Whether in the end we fully change our minds…but what can we at least take away that is good and positive?
I struggle with this because I want to believe that my views and the views of my denomination are the “right” ones it is hard to go in with an “open” mind rather than a “defensive” mind but true dialogue forces us to be open rather than defensive.
I think you have set up a situation in your post in which the LCMS is the good and right way because they stay away from “pretend” unity and practice “real” unity among themselves. I don’t know how you can have “real” dialogue with the situation you have constructed. Real dialogue is more than admitting our differences it is powered with humility, and grace and love, and kindness.
I think your post reveals what “same understanding, say the same things” you would seek….but is that true dialogue?
I am committed to it, but find very few opportunities for it. Part of this post flows out of my disdain for for being viewed as not ecumenical just because I will not join in what is called ecumenical. I am sick of people claiming to be ecumenical just because they do these things. My point overall was that neither “side” often acts in a way that is helpful to true unity. I preached this sermon to the Lutherans mind you before it ever found its way here.
I am willing to admit my beliefs might be wrong and yet do not assume some must be just because the church of today has so many factions which believe so many things. And I am certainly willing to admit that my life, and our life together as Lutherans, may not properly reflect that which we believe. I certainly can and do learn from all sorts of Christians through my talking to them and reading their books. But I am not ashamed to say that I believe that Lutheran’s confessional teachings are true and proper expositions of the scriptures. I think sometimes we use words like “humility, and grace and love, and kindness” as synonyms for secular tact and tolerance which are not Christian virtues that I find extolled.
I walk to talk. I want to search the scriptures with other Christians. I want to talk about whether our difference are based on interpretations of the scriptures or if they are based on substituting other norms for our teaching and living. If I am wrong, I will admit it both to them and to God. But I have not found many other Christians that want to engage in such talk. They would rather just hold hands and act as if everything is okay. And it is not okay.
Phil,
Thanks for your response. It was nice to hear your heart about such things. Yeah, sometimes people do use “humility, grace” etc. as a cover for something completely different but I think there are a good number of people for whom those words are used in a completely biblical, God-honoring, ‘other’ edifying way.
Maybe you should do a series of posts on certain topics and set up guidelines for posts that would help people bring discussion to the table rather than just defensiveness.
btw, have you read/heard of streams of living water by Richard Foster?
I have not. Maybe I will try to get it from the library. And just a note: the blue image was killing me. I changed it 🙂
Phil,
Did the change from blue to red have anything to do with feeling too closely linked to the “blue states”? It’s okay, you can show solidarity with your “brothers in blue” so to speak….Jim Wallis would be appreciative. 🙂