CHRISTIAN UNITY

(based on John 2:1-11and Revelation 19:6-10)

Most of us can remember the weddings we?ve been to in our lives.  We might remember the people who were special to us, or the unexpected things that went wrong on the day.  But I wonder how many of us remember the symbolism of the service, the Bible readings, the words spoken by the minister, the prayers that were said.

The Church takes weddings very seriously; a lot of preparation goes into every one.  The events that take place have a deeply sacred meaning because the marriage service involves two people making a life-long covenant with each other and with God.  The couple make vows to each other before God, but they also make vows to God, promising to remain faithful and true for the whole of their lives, no matter what difficulties they may face.

No wonder then, that the Christian Church is said to be wedded to Christ  and that we, who are born of that union, are known as the children of God ? ?children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband?s will, but born of God? (John 1:13).  Every time we take Holy Communion, God renews in us that special bond that binds us all together as one body ? the body of Christ.  Jesus was unequivocal about this, so there?s no choice.  If we want to be children of God, followers of Jesus Christ, and think of ourselves as Christians, then we must all love each other as brothers and sisters. And because Christians are born of God, not of sexual intercourse, we must love one another more than we might love earthly siblings.

God, through Jesus, has made it very clear what we must do, and yet we find it so hard to what he asks of us.  The very first people to disobey God were Adam and Eve.  When they ate the fruit in the garden, they made gods of themselves, thinking that they knew best.  They set a precedent and they set a trend that has continued for all time.  Even after Jesus was born and died for us, people have still gone on making gods of themselves, thinking that they know what?s best.  The result is that for nearly two thousand years, Christians have been arguing, quarrelling, fighting and killing each other, because so many of us can?t quite grasp what it means to be ?one in Christ?. 

The quarrelling over what it means to be a Christian began very soon after Jesus died and that?s why the Church wrote our creed.  The Creed states in no uncertain terms what we all believe and at first it settled the issues.  But after Constantine was converted about three hundred years after Jesus, Christianity had become the compulsory religion in the Roman Empire.  People from many different cultures and traditions were absorbed into the faith and eventually damaging and permanent splits occurred.  First came The Great Schism in the eleventh century which divided Christendom into east and west ? into the Orthodox Church with its headquarters in Turkey and the Roman Catholic Church with its headquarters in Italy.  One body; tragically torn in half.

Then the Reformation divided the western world into Catholics and Protestants.  It caused untold misery, suffering and the shedding of vast amounts of Christian blood.  One body; torn into pieces; some small; some larger ? but all sure that they, and only they, represented the true body of Christ.

There is always a price to be paid for claiming to be one of God?s children, but not doing what our Father wants us to do.  And what a price we?ve paid.  These days many people ridicule Christianity as a religion that?s earned a reputation for its history of brutality and divisiveness.  A religion which doesn?t seem able to practice what it preaches. 

There?s nothing wrong with having differences of opinion.  It leads to healthy debate.  People rowing with each other is alright ? as long as they make up afterwards.  By and large that hasn?t happened so far.  Protestants and Roman Catholics tend not to take communion in each other?s churches and neither of them is likely to dine at God?s table in an Orthodox Church. 

Almost 50% of the world?s population are Christians.  If we were more able to act as one unified body of Christ we could easily establish God?s Kingdom on earth and put an end to most of the world?s suffering.  In the England and Wales census of 2001, out of a total population of about 58 million, 42,558,000 declared themselves to be Christians (73%).   If we could all work together, we really could build the New Jerusalem ?in England?s green and pleasant land?.

The Church of England holds many different kinds of Anglicans within its communion ? from Anglo-Catholics who venerate the Virgin Mary in their decorative churches to Evangelicals who focus closely on Bible teaching.   The Church of England?s success at enabling such a broad spectrum of believers to shelter under its umbrella has been its strength in the past.  It survived the ordination of women, although there were pessimists who said it wouldn?t. Now it is being rocked again over two more issues: women bishops and homosexuality.  Some people believe that these two will alienate enough members to cause yet another split in Christianity, adding even more divisiveness at a time when we are struggling for Christian unity.  We need to pray that it doesn?t happen.

As Christians we need to work together and resolve our differences, learning to live with each other?s cultures and, beliefs and opinions. It can be done.  In 1940, a Swiss called Roger Schultz began the Taize Community in France.  He has called it a ?parable of communion? and that?s what it is ? a heavenly example on earth of what is achievable when there?s a will to make Christian unity a priority.  In 1969 the first Roman Catholic joined and today thousands of pilgrims visit Taize, where they raise their voices, in many languages, to sing God?s praises in a thanks for the reconciliation of belief and culture that is the essence of the community.

In our parish we?ve seen the benefits of working with other Christians.  David came to us with a vision for Christian unity and, under his gentle guidance, St Peter?s and St Andrew?s have drawn closer together.  We?ve kept our distinctiveness and individuality but I think we all feel more like one body than we used to.  We?ve worked on strengthening our links with Barrow, Kelsall and Ashton, as well as achieving a new unity with the Methodists.  Each of our churches is unique and lovely in their own way, both the buildings and the congregations.  Put all together, they add up to a much bigger pool of Christianity, with a spiritual strength we can all draw upon to make our community more Godlike. 

We should never underestimate the power of the Church which Jesus created and for whose life he died.  Christianity has taken an awful bashing over the past two thousand years.  In this millennium, which is still only five years old, we must try to heal the breaches that have set Christian against Christian in the past.  We are asked in the Network Sheet to pray for Christian unity.  Please make that a priority this week.  Jesus has said that where two or more are gathered in his name, there he will also be.  And we know that faith can move mountains.  Imagine how great would be the spiritual force if all Christians can achieve the goal that God has set for us, his children ? to finally be able to work together as one body of Christ.

The Taize community is known all over the world as a place of peace, reconciliation and understanding.  That?s the goal we should all be aiming for.  It may seem daunting for some of us but we have to do it because without reconciliation, what hope is there for the future of mankind?

Amen.

Amen