Darkness had settled over the city, and the garden was dimly lit with starlight through the thick ancient olive trees. The sounds of cicadas and frogs and grasshoppers probably joined the chorus of snores from the mound of disciples passed out around the tree where Jesus had left them.
A fervent whisper was the only sound to disturb the peaceful night. Drops of blood mingled with sweat as a perfect, holy heart pleaded with the Father.
"I pray for those who will believe in me through [the message of these men], that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
Other Gospels say that the disciples all fell asleep. Apparently the words Jesus prayed so urgently still made it into the heart of John, for these verses are his record. God made sure he remembered them, because God wanted us to know how passionately He feels about this subject.
Unity. It's not a popular idea in our culture or our churches. We want individuality. We want our own way. We want to be in control. Unity requires love, and love requires sacrificing our own desires for the sake of others. Sacrifice requires humility. There's not a citizen of the world that has a natural bent toward humility.
But what of the consequences? Can we really ignore Jesus' passionate words on the very night he gave up so much for us? What does our refusal to seek unity cost our Savior?
There seem to be three types of Christians strolling the halls of our churches today. We've probably found ourselves in all three positions at one time or another. The first is the member who always has a problem with something that is happening. Always taking offense with decisions made. Always threatening or actually running away from the ones who have made him so angry and seeking another place to go where the spiritual needs he thinks he has will be met. My pastor has gone so far to say that this type of Christian is involved in the sin of spiritual adultery.That God meant for us to be rooted in a body, and that jumping out every time things don't go the way you want is the same as breaking marriage vows. While I'm not sure I'm prepared to call that completely Scriptural, I think it's a valid point.
The second type is probably the most common. Yes, this one sees things happening that bother him or her. There are things to be done and things that need attention. This person even has ideas about what he or she could personally do to help promote unity in the situations that arise. But life is busy. Everything else comes first. There just isn't any time to care too deeply about those things. Besides, isn't that what the pastors and elders are for? To run the church? Why should anyone else try to put their oar in? If it's important enough there will probably be a vote and then they will be sure to participate. If they aren't too busy, that is.
Then there is the third type. They see the same problems in the church that the other two types saw as well. But something happens in the heart of the third. They remember the words of Jesus. They can't get them out of their mind, actually. No matter how many things they try to distract themselves with, the Spirit keeps nudging. Get emotionally involved. Pray about it. Love other people enough to do something about it.
They don't always do the right thing. They stumble over words, sometimes offend without meaning to, sometimes get frustrated and feel like giving up. But in the end, they are right back in the middle of things, working.
Maybe that's all Jesus asks. Maybe He just wants us to care enough to do something.
What's been on your mind? What is going on at your church that has left a bad taste in your mouth? You have three responses. Choose wisely.
2 comments:
But I think there might be a fourth category or maybe a fifth. I think there are some seasons of life that a person needs to say no to taking on things. There family needs them more or they need a break to rejuvinate. Plus sometimes there can be an even more valuable ministry for them, believe it or not, outside of the church. I found there have been times I said yes to something when I knew I should have said no. The problem is ,like you said, that there are so many people that aren't stepping up. But then again I know of so many that both parents have to work because they making really low wages. Should they be taking on more; no, they really shouldn't. Maybe more programs should be dropped. Not all, but what is more effective. Really loving your neighbor and spending time in that or having several programs that reach out to the same people. Maybe we need to redifine what ministry really is. Maybe we don't need something else at the church but someone to take a meal over to someones house or watch there children or mow there lawn or invite them to dinner.
I think you have some very valid points. In fact, I sometimes wonder if God would rather that we were doing those things instead of being so inwardly focused on our church programs. Maybe that's the point. Maybe that's why things just aren't working very well. Thank you for adding a new dimension to my thoughts.
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