This morning in worship we sang that hopeful old tune, “We are One in the Spirit.” You know, the one where “we pray that our unity will one day be restored.” You may remember a time not long ago--back when the main dispute between Christians was baptism by sprinkling infants vs. immersing adults--when we could sing that hymn with a sense of possibility. Now, as Christian factions square off over issues like the war and whether homosexuality is the unpardonable sin, Christian unity seems like a pipe dream. And I'm not talking tobacco in that pipe.
But the dream lives on. Last night I attended a candlelight celebration for a “fourth day” community that is completely non-denominational. This one happens to be an Emmaus community. You may be familiar with Via de Cristo, or one of the other transformational weekend walks. Those who complete the weekends continue to gather periodically under the umbrella of God’s love. Our particular community has members from almost 30 denominations or independent congregations. When we meet in one sanctuary or another, no one can doubt that God’s spirit is in the house. We pray, we sing, we celebrate communion, we love one another. Some people lift their hands in praise, others don’t. No big deal. When we join in communion, no one asks why grape juice instead of wine, or whether anyone believes the elements are symbolically or in fact the body and blood of Christ. What joins us is more important than what separates us.
Although we have clergy participating in our gatherings and in our weekend walks, our community is essentially run by lay people. I hate to say it, but maybe that’s the secret. Take a look at the people sowing dissention in the Christian community and almost all of them are making a living by marketing their divisive opinions. Not that there’s anything wrong with making a living being clergy or running a Christian ministry. The question is, with whose voice do you speak? God’s voice or your own. I’ve spent many years learning to recognize God’s voice and I believe I know what it sounds like. It’s a voice of loving inclusion, not one of angry rejection. I’m trying to watch my own voice on that score. If we all could, maybe some day we truly would be "one in the spirit" again. Which brings me back to the chorus of the hymn: "And they'll know we are Christians by our Love." I believe Jesus said that.
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Thanks for this posting. It accurately describes the joyous occasion of an Emmaus weekend where only the person's name is emphasized - not his/her church, theology, profession, wealth, national origin - or any of those other tags by which we identify people. The unifying theme is definitely "we are one in the spirit." It also touches very effectively on those other issues which can divide us if we let them.
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