Today we are focusing on the concept of Christian unity.  This unity involves a commitment to participating in the Body of Christ—something that we call the church.  Yet there are those who don’t really see a need for going to church.  They will give some interesting answers when asked why they don’t participate in church.  Recently I read an article that surveyed people about why they did not go to church.  Rather than recounting to you the top six reasons people gave on this survey, I thought that it would be interesting to apply these excuses in a different context.  Therefore, I offer you the following excuses to explain why I do not bathe:

 

• I do not bathe because I was forced to bathe so much when I was a child that I am just burned out on the process now.
• I do not bathe because none of my friends bathe.  Actually, I do not like the type of people who bathe.  They are hypocrites who think that they are so much cleaner than us regular, non-bathing folks.

 

• I do not bathe because there are so many different types of soaps and shampoos, I just can’t decide which one is right for me.  Besides, the people who make soaps and shampoos are only after your money.

 

 

• I do not bathe because it just takes too much of my time.  The last time I was in the bathtub, the drain ran slow.  It took ten more minutes to complete the process than I had been led to believe would be required.  This is just unacceptable given my busy schedule.

 

• I do bathe, but I don’t need to go to a special place to do it.  I have discovered this web site called Scrub Your Body.com.  You go there, you click on the soap icon, you click on the scrub icon, and it sings you an inspirational shower song.  The best part is that you feel clean and refreshed in less than 10 seconds without even needing to get wet!

 

• I do bathe.  I do it on Christmas and Easter whether I need to or not.    

 

All of this suggests that we need to be careful when we give excuses.

 

Today our beloved pastor Gen and several of our members are attending the UCC Conference gathering at Asilomar.  It is ironic that on this Sunday, the lectionary reading is actually the scripture that is most often used to describe our denomination, the United Church of Christ.    It is the scripture in which Christ prays for the unity of all believers.  His prayer is that they may all be one.  This morning I would like to focus on several aspects of unity.  Specifically, I would like to deal with the following questions:

 

• What does unity in Christ mean?
• What is required for unity to happen?
• How should unity empower us to act?
  

 

What does Unity in Christ mean?

To understand what unity really means, we must first understand why unity is desirable.  The Ecumenical Movement in the late twentieth century grew, in part, out of the modern missionary movement of the previous century. Christians in America and Europe were divided into various denominations, each sending out its own set of missionaries to "convert the lost" in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. What the missionaries discovered once they reached their designated places to work, however, was that the differences that seemed so important at home really meant nothing on a different continent. Baptists and Methodists, Anglicans and Presbyterians, Protestants and Catholics all started working together.  At the early missionary conferences, it was concluded that there was plenty of work for all to do, and the work could be done more effectively if everyone cooperated.  Christians had learned the importance of working together, worshiping together, and loving one another on the basis of their common faith in Christ. After 1900 years, Jesus' prayer for his believers had finally begun to come to fruition.

 

Most theological scholars agree that the quest for unity among Christians is not just a desirable condition, rather it is at the heart of our Christian faith. The logic for this is found later in Jesus' prayer where he states "so that the world might believe" (Jn 17:21). This scripture suggests that it is God's will that God's people should have unity. Some scholars further suggest that without unity the church cannot hope to survive.

 

In spite of progress that has been made toward unity, we still wonder why there are so many different religious groups in our world. One might be tempted to conclude that the religious diversity we see is counter to the notion of unity.         Improperly used, religious diversity can indeed be a terribly divisive force. Yet, the words of Paul to the church at Corinth show that diversity can actually enhance unity if the grounding on God is correct.

 

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all people. (1 Cor 12:4-6)."

 

These verses reflect the Trinity.  This scripture mentions the Holy Sprit, the Christ, and God the creator.   Most importantly, this scripture seems to capture the true meaning of how unity should work. 

 

• Paul is saying that we are able to do different things, but it is the same Spirit that motivates and encourages us.  This is diversity in unity. 

 

• Paul is saying there are different forms of service that are needed but the same example of Jesus guides our work.  This is diversity in unity. 

 

• Paul is saying there are different jobs to do, but the same Creator God is present in each one of these.  This is diversity in unity.

 

Paul further explains that (1 Cor 12:12-31) the community of Christ is like a single body with many unique parts, each contributing to the work of the whole. He goes on to say that a hand should not be jealous of a foot because they have different jobs to do.  This suggests that the best model for unity is not one in which we all become the same, but rather one in which we use our diverse gifts to glorify the same God.

 

Unity is not uniformity!  Unity happens when diversely gifted people come together to achieve a common purpose with each person contributing quite differently toward shared goals.    So we conclude that we should have unity of purpose rather than unity of behavior.

 

There is a special balance needed between diversity and unity.  This balance is between respecting differences while at the same time working toward common goals.  Unity should not lead to cookie-cutter churches with identical worship services. Rather, unity should create an environment in which diversely talented people can join in harmony and cooperation to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Mic 6:8).

 

What then are the conditions under which unity has a healthy balance?

A succinct answer to this questions has been provided by William G. Rusch, Director for Ecumenical Relations in the Lutheran Church of America:

 

The four basic requirements for the unity of the church are:

 

1.   The ending of prejudices, hostilities, and lifting of condemnations;

2.   The sharing of those elements that are at the very foundation of our beliefs; (the love of God, the forgiveness of God, and the saving grace of God)      

3.   The mutual recognition of baptism, communion, and ministry; and

4.   The agreement on ways of deciding and acting together.

 

In the secular world we say that we can accomplish far more when we work as a team. This is also true in the theological domain. As we seek to respond to God’s call to unity, we must deal with issues that join us as well as issues that separate us. What we soon discover in this conversation is that there are far more things that unite us than divide us.   The true ecumenical spirit should emphasize the truths and revelations that we hold as essential to our faith, while at the same time celebrating our differences and the strengths these differences provide as we put our faith into action.

 

On this property, we have a Unitarian congregation.  I see these people greeting each other every Sunday morning, and I think to myself:  “Here is a group of people who share many of the values that we hold as important.”  I am glad that they are here and that what their diversity contributes to the uplifting of the human spirit. 

 

The truth is, the struggle for a balance between diversity and unity has been present even within our own denomination.    Maybe this struggle has been present even here in Sunnyvale.   In the September 1975 a UCC Pastor Rev. Oliver G. Powell described our denomination by saying:  "What a beautiful, heady, exasperating, hopeful mix!"  This description has often been quoted as the best description of the UCC. 

 

Notice the words “heady and exasperating.”  These are words that suggest occasional disharmony.  Yet, in spite of the exasperation and the headiness, we remain a group of people who have important work to do and who are moving forward with this work.  Notice also the words “beautiful and hopeful.”  Although these  words suggest harmony, I would argue that beauty and hope cannot exist without the honesty that comes in headiness and exasperation!

 

How then should unity manifest itself in our actions?

• Unity should begin with discernment – We should listen to the voice of God in our lives and in our church.  As a denomination that believes that “God is Still speaking,” we must be willing to be still listening. 

 

• Unity should be reinforced with clear communication - As brothers and sisters working together as friends toward common goals we can achieve much as we respond to our call to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.   Just as in a family or among the best of friends, we may not always agree on what is the best course of action in a given situation. If necessary we can agree to disagree—recognizing that we can still love and respect each other.  

 

• Unity should lead to cooperation –  As a local congregation we should participate in the work of our denomination, in the work of cooperative efforts in the community, and in the work of the body of Christ worldwide. 

 

• Unity should lead to constructive alliances - When possible, we should form alliances with others who share our goals.  We do this through programs like Heiffer Project, Habitat for Humanity, Crop, and so many others.  These alliances should lead us to action. 

 

• Unity should lead to our encouragement of each other – Unity is best practiced when we encourage each other to use our differing talents and skills to accomplish those things that we can not do alone.  This encouragement reminds me of the words of a song from a play that I saw last week.  It was about the unity of friendship. 

 

People come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
I know I am who I am today
Because I knew you... I have been changed for good

 

You see, Unity has the power to transform!

 

Perhaps you feel the same way that I do.  It is that I am greatly blessed to be a member of this church—to be in unity with each of you and in unity with the God who loves us.   I thank God for the beautiful, heady, exasperating, and hopeful unity that I experience with all of you!

 

Amen