I read this week what is perhaps the best article I have ever read on disunity in the church. The title of the paper is Disunity in the Church and the Credibility of the Gospel, by Bruce D. Marshall. You can access the article in its entirety with the following link: http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/apr1993/v50-1-article8.htm.
Marshall centers his comments primarily around John 17:16-21. You will recall, this Scriptural passage is where Jesus prays that we would all be one as Jesus and the Father are one, so that the world would come to believe in Jesus Christ. What I found particularly helpful and insightful in the article was the emphasis on VISIBLE unity being a necessary component of church life. For example, take at look at this one short quote from Disunity: "The world, so this passage suggests, can see the unity of the church; since it is the church's unity that leads the otherwise unbelieving world to believe in Jesus's saving mission from the Father-that is, to believe the gospel-the church's unity cannot itself be accessible only to believers (as, for example, the invisible and perhaps not yet extant object of their faith and hope) but must lie open to the apprehension of all, outside the church as well as within."
The previous quote is as encouraging to me as it is discouraging. I am encouraged to think about the power and influence that unity in the church can exert for good in this world. I am discouraged when I think about and witness so much disunity in the church today. To be honest, when the world thinks of the church today the word, unity, is not the first word that comes to their minds. To be blunt, unity is not the first word that comes to mind for most Christians when thinking about the church.
Over the years, I have taught several classes on unity in the church. One question I typically ask is, "What do you think is more miraculous, that the church could be one or that Jesus rose from the dead?" Usually, without being at all facetious, brothers and sisters in Christ will say being one is more miraculous than Jesus rising from the dead. Why would so many in the church today think unity is more miraculous than resurrection? Perhaps one answer is that we have seen church unity less than we have seen people raised from the dead? We believe Jesus was seen risen from the dead, but who has ever seen the church remain unified? So we may think, "Well, one man rose from the dead at least once in human history, but when has the church of Jesus Christ ever been completely unified?"
Brothers and sisters in Christ who have especially been members of the church for most of their lives, or a good portion of their lives, have typically witnessed much disunity. I personally have had my fair share of witnessing the ugliness of disunity in countless "men's business meetings," and "congregational meetings." The sad reality is that most members who have a long duration in fellowship with the church will experience a church split, or at least a hurtful disunity in the church. I think it would be a fascinating research study to tally the percent of Christians just within the Church of Christ who have experienced division and disunity. I imagine, if you have never experienced a church split, or a destructive and disruptive disunity in the church, then you are the exception rather than the rule.
What has happened to our passion for unity and our hatred for disunity (John 17:20-21; Prov 6:16-19)? It seems to me we have a growing tolerance of disunity that borders on apathy. As a result, we often settle for shallow notions of the "universal church" being one, and abandon notions of the local body of Christ being one. In other words, unity is more of a mystical concept than a concrete reality. I may have oneness in my heart with brothers and sisters across time and space, but disunity with the brother or sister sitting in the pew across from me. However, unity that is not local, visible, and concrete is a fantasy and not a reality. The cost of unseen universal unity is virtually nothing, but unity with the brother and sister I see will cost me time, effort, energy, and sacrifice. Yet, Jesus died and rose from the dead, so that we may be one with God and one another, so how can we expect anything less in our pursuit of unity?
In closing, if we settle for a tolerance of disunity and an apathy for unity, then what are we to make of Jesus prayer that we would all be one as He and the Father are one? Where has all the love for unity gone? Has the prayer of Jesus fallen of deaf ears in the church? How many congregational splits could have been and be avoided if we would but have a conscious and sensitive awareness for the unity Jesus desires for us? Have you been scarred by the evil spirit of disunity? I have. Disunity is a darkness I care not to see again in my life. What are your feelings about unity? How has disunity affected you? Who is listening to Jesus pray for unity?
Over the years, I have taught several classes on unity in the church. One question I typically ask is, "What do you think is more miraculous, that the church could be one or that Jesus rose from the dead?" Usually, without being at all facetious, brothers and sisters in Christ will say being one is more miraculous than Jesus rising from the dead. Why would so many in the church today think unity is more miraculous than resurrection? Perhaps one answer is that we have seen church unity less than we have seen people raised from the dead? We believe Jesus was seen risen from the dead, but who has ever seen the church remain unified? So we may think, "Well, one man rose from the dead at least once in human history, but when has the church of Jesus Christ ever been completely unified?"
Brothers and sisters in Christ who have especially been members of the church for most of their lives, or a good portion of their lives, have typically witnessed much disunity. I personally have had my fair share of witnessing the ugliness of disunity in countless "men's business meetings," and "congregational meetings." The sad reality is that most members who have a long duration in fellowship with the church will experience a church split, or at least a hurtful disunity in the church. I think it would be a fascinating research study to tally the percent of Christians just within the Church of Christ who have experienced division and disunity. I imagine, if you have never experienced a church split, or a destructive and disruptive disunity in the church, then you are the exception rather than the rule.
What has happened to our passion for unity and our hatred for disunity (John 17:20-21; Prov 6:16-19)? It seems to me we have a growing tolerance of disunity that borders on apathy. As a result, we often settle for shallow notions of the "universal church" being one, and abandon notions of the local body of Christ being one. In other words, unity is more of a mystical concept than a concrete reality. I may have oneness in my heart with brothers and sisters across time and space, but disunity with the brother or sister sitting in the pew across from me. However, unity that is not local, visible, and concrete is a fantasy and not a reality. The cost of unseen universal unity is virtually nothing, but unity with the brother and sister I see will cost me time, effort, energy, and sacrifice. Yet, Jesus died and rose from the dead, so that we may be one with God and one another, so how can we expect anything less in our pursuit of unity?
In closing, if we settle for a tolerance of disunity and an apathy for unity, then what are we to make of Jesus prayer that we would all be one as He and the Father are one? Where has all the love for unity gone? Has the prayer of Jesus fallen of deaf ears in the church? How many congregational splits could have been and be avoided if we would but have a conscious and sensitive awareness for the unity Jesus desires for us? Have you been scarred by the evil spirit of disunity? I have. Disunity is a darkness I care not to see again in my life. What are your feelings about unity? How has disunity affected you? Who is listening to Jesus pray for unity?
I tried to read Marshall's article but my brain didn't engage so I only read yours. I too am hopeful when I think of all the church can show the world if we are unified and I am discouraged thinking it will never be. I know that if we love him we will be unified but I guess we don't love him.
ReplyDeleteI've been hurt by disunity. One thing I have begun to learn is that we need to "spur one another on toward good works". Forcing, coercing, guilting or anything else seems to just bring bad feelings but encouraging might actually do the trick.
I would have to agree with you in the fact that it is harder to have unity within the church verses believing that Christ rose from the dead. It is interesting to think about and some of the things that have come to mind are personalities play a huge role in the dis-function that we have within the church. The lack of willingness to give it all to the Lord and allow him to smooth it out is a problem that we all face. It is one thing to talk about it but another to actually do it. Also we tend to pick and choose those that we wish to be around and don't show the love of the Lord when we do this. We find people with similar personalities, likes, dislikes and that is where we tend to rest in our thinking. We will from time to time take scripture and pick out what we want it to mean and use it to justify our thoughts and actions.
ReplyDeleteIf we truly want to be unified and together as one, then we as Christians have to drop the lines that have divided us and realize the real purpose for which we are here...To serve the Lord in the capacity that he wants us to serve, not what makes us feel good. We have to let go of the worldly thoughts and principles that man has put into the church and allow God's thoughts and principles to shine above the smog of life.
I can honestly say that things have been better and yet they have been sadly much worse, It is up to all of us to remember that we serve a God that isn't concerned about what we wear to church on Sunday, or whether we clap our hands or have a band playing, but that we love him with all we have and worship him with all our heart, soul and mind. It is this that tends to separate us and divide God's people. We have to seek to change this thought process and move toward what God has intended all of us to be....His Children.
Here our enemy is effectively using our "strength" against us. So often we are too proud of our bible knowledge, our interpretations, and our eschatology. Each group feels that they are the only ones who have it right, and therefore have feelings of not belonging to other Christian groups that have differing opinions or a different title over the door.
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much that I have been hurt by this, but I have been saddened by it. I have had members of one Church of Christ attempt to convince me that I was going to the 'wrong' congregation and that I should switch to a different Church of Christ only one block away.
Now I am attending a fellowship called "Christian" church. Since we use instruments in worship, many of my brothers and sisters in the Church of Christ feel that I am somehow doomed, even though the two church's doctrines are exactly the same otherwise.