Last month’s column was about a button from the synod assembly that said “Proud to be ELCA.” This month’s column is about the phrase in the Nicene Creed “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.” With these two columns let us ponder the creative tension between church and denomination.
Throughout the New Testament there is an ongoing tension between the human impulse to divide into various groups and the divine imperative to hold together as one body of believers in Christ. St. Paul dealt with this in his first letter to the Corinthians where he wrote “I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (1:10) He knew full well there would never be total unanimity among the believers on all subjects, but he consistently taught that unity in Christ should always trump diversity of opinion about secondary matters. And so he appealed in Ephesians 4:3 for the believers “to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And he went on to base this appeal on a central tenant of the faith: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of us all….”
The struggle to maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” continues in the 21st century as people argue over some of the social issues of the day and come to different conclusions about public policy and appropriate private behavior. Sometimes sharp differences on one or two points become more important than sharing a faith in Christ and a fellowship centered on his redeeming sacrifice on the cross. When St. Paul was appealing to the Corinthian church to come back together, he wrote “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified….” (1:22) and “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (2:2) Keeping Christ central will keep believers together.
So when I say that I am proud to be ELCA, this does not diminish my desire for unity with those who are LCMS or RCC or A/G or anyone else in that alphabet soup of Christian denominations. When tempted to pull away (and I am sorely tempted at times) I try to remember that what unites us (Christ) is stronger than what divides us (social issues, secondary doctrines, etc.).
President Ronald Reagan, who struggled at times to keep his political party together and who was famous for his “11th commandment” not to speak ill of fellow Republicans, is also widely quoted as saying, “A man who agrees with me 80% of the time is not my enemy.” Reagan, of course, was talking about politics here, but his comment is good for Christians to heed in the midst of religious and ethical discussions. The Christian with whom there is only 20% disagreement is certainly a brother or sister in Christ, and thus a person with whom there should be fellowship and cooperation. There should be no thought of disaffiliation.
But there are people who make it difficult to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” After all when St. Paul wrote “If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18) he knew full well that it does not depend entirely on you. There are difficult personalities and inflammatory issues that make it hard to hold together. There are those who isolate themselves from others with whom they disagree as well as those who seem more bent on attacking people of faith with whom they disagree than working together for the good of all and against the truly evil things in this world. Working and worshipping together in the spirit of true Christian fellowship is an imperative for believers in Christ.
This is consistent with the prayer of Jesus in John 17 where he prays “that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you….” Jesus prays that his disciples be one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, but not always of one opinion about every issue before the church or the electorate. Unanimity of opinion will never happen this side of heaven.
In Revelation 7:9 St. John has a beautiful vision of heaven where there is “a great multitude which no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, clothed in white robes…..and crying out with a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God!….” What a great picture of a diverse crowd united in singing God’s praise in harmony with one another.
May glimpses of this vision of heaven be seen in the way we live here on earth as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church today.
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