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LENT 2002 |
Part 1 - Prayer & Nurture Part 3 - Mission Part 4 - Social Justice |
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A Read John 17:20-26 - "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me. I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." To ponder: “The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself. “ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), U.S. essayist, poet, philosopher. During the past twenty years or so, we have witnessed a revolution in social thinking in Britain, a revolution encouraged and facilitated by the rapid advances in technology, by the rapid globalisation of trade and, not least, by some extreme politics. Indeed, some of the fundamental changes that have occurred in our lifestyles have been at the heart of the breaking up of our communities. The tendency, for example, towards what is popularly termed ‘free market forces’ has caused tremendous distress to hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country, and is symptomatic of hedonistic individualism that has overtaken our society. Mind you, Jesus brought about a revolution, if not in the physical sense, certainly in other ways, turning traditional teaching on its head by his preaching and way of life. His parables sought to shift the emphasis of personal thought and action away from the self towards God and, through God, to one another, so that we might have the highest regard for others. This means putting others first, whether it is uncomfortable to us or not. It is the individual as part of a whole that is important, for if we are to be truly free we must have a care to others and they to us. To Cain's rather selfish question 'Am I my brother's keeper?' the answer must be an emphatic 'Yes!' In Ephesians (chapter 4), St Paul reminds us that we are not just individuals, living life as it suits us. We are to be the body of Christ, belonging to one another, working together, each making our own contribution. That unity is part of the oneness in the nature of things which comes from the one God “who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph 4:6). In a world which is seen by many to be falling apart, Christians are called to express and maintain that unity, and to use the gifts given to each of them for the sake of the whole. What God wants is mature adult people, and Christ provides the measure which tells us just what that means. We are not to be children, distracted by every latest thing and easily led astray by those seeking to fulfil personal ambition. The body of Christ - which is every person who professes true faith in Jesus - is a sign of the new creation which is what we are called to be, both as individuals and as a people. All too often, however, we lose sight of the head - Christ - and try to go our own way, taking our gifts and talents with us to the detriment of the body as a whole. Worse still, we can end up fighting each other, using our religion as justification for aggression. But what does this all mean in practice? St Paul, writing in Ephesians 4, gives this advice: '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.' We are to be kind and compassionate to one another, 'forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.' In Colossians 3, Paul says: 'And over all these virtues put on love,' which binds all together in perfect unity. Unity amongst Christians is vital for another important reason: it reflects the one-ness of God as He has revealed Himself to humanity. Jesus confirms this in John 17, the passage at the beginning. In that we can see that our unity as Christians is vital in spreading the Gospel, that it is a sure sign of God's presence in the world and His love for all. Put another way, each time we break that unity, or are slow to enforce it, we bring dishonour upon our Saviour. Questions: 1) Is your church a united fellowship? If not, in what ways is it disjointed? Where and how do you think matters could be improved? 2) Do you personally feel that you belong to the Church’s fellowship? If not, do you feel that this is a problem of your own making or somebody else’s fault? 3) What helps you to feel that you belong? 4)
What is your understanding of fellowship?
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