November 26, 2024

Dear Friends, 

First, an anecdote and a statement, both of which arrested my attention in the last week. 

The anecdote: A woman stopped attending a church group because, though she liked the group and its activities, she clashed often with the leader of the group. In the end, she attributed it to differing personalities and left. 

The statement: Recently, a church leader told me (I’m paraphrasing), “This church has never known unity. It’s just that the causes of disunity were different than they are now.” 

When the apostle Paul talked about unity, he referred not to people being the same, dressing the same, living the same way, or liking the same things. Rather, he referred to people being  “of the same mind.” To the raucous and arrogant Corinthians, he appealed that they “… should be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” (1 Cor. 1:10) He asked the  Philippian Christians to “… be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Php. 2:2) Of course, Paul understood that the challenge would be that everyone had made up their own minds as to what was best or right or necessary (or that with which they were most comfortable). That’s why he offered a corrective for all of them — and us. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Php. 2:5) The mind of Jesus was one given to pleasing his Father, doing his Father’s will, being in his Father’s house, speaking his Father’s words, and loving the people his Father loved. His trust for his Father enabled him to bear with his disciples, unformed and sometimes treacherous as they were. One of his disciples, John, testifies that Jesus was so given to this outlook that he loved them (his disciples) to the end. 

Friends, the basis for our unity is not common “likes,” common values or any of the things we generate within ourselves. We are united in our sinfulness, our need for the grace of God, our commitment to being disciples of Jesus (as differently as that discipleship might manifest)  and to the mission of Jesus. And, let’s be honest. We can’t do this without the power of God changing us (we naturally like what we like). 

That woman who left the group was not a Christian. Therefore, her reason for leaving is understandable. She was concerned about herself first. She didn’t have the mind of Christ.  We who name the name of Jesus and seek to follow him can’t use that excuse. 

In Letters To The Church, Francis Chan wrote: “Many of us make decisions based on what brings us the most pleasure. This is how we choose our homes, jobs, cars, clothes, food, and churches. We pursue what we want; then we make sure there are no biblical commands we are violating. In essence, we want to know what God will tolerate rather than what He  desires.” 

My dear friends, let’s not be that kind of Christian or foster that kind of church. Let’s commit to be changed by the grace of God and to love one another. That’s the witness the world needs. 

Blessings! 

Doug