Taking Christian Unity Seriously: A Holy Week Reflection
As we walk through Holy Week this year I’m particularly aware of Jesus’ prayer the night before he died: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” (John 17:20-21a).
Two weeks ago Fr. George Miley gave a compelling presentation on the imperative of reconciliation within the very fractured body of Christ. He shared stories of his personal involvement in efforts toward that end, especially among Lutherans, Catholics, Jewish Christians, and Christians from “free” churches (i.e. those not tied to a state church).
In a recent Christianity Today article, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson writes that she used to think of working
for Christian unity (often called “ecumenism” from the Greek word “oikumene,” which means, roughly, “household”) “as either a boring academic exercise in doctrinal compromise, or a winner-takes-all struggle to forge one monolithic superchurch.” What she found, however, is that “the quest for church unity is a wild, wondrous, and strange act of penitence for Christians’ often callous disregard of that little word one in John 17 and the Nicene Creed.”
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The Procession © 2007 John Swanson | Eyekons[/caption]
In my own ministry I serve on the Ecumenical Relations Task Force for the Anglican Church in North America, so this is something that I think about regularly. The question, though, is always twofold: “How do we go about achieving the unity for which Jesus prayed?” and “How will we know when we get there?” How we answer the second question will obviously impact how we answer the first.
For many, the answer to the second question involves institutional unity—all Christians under the same ecclesiastical authority, a part of the same institution (this is the “superchurch” Wilson speaks of). Others, though, like myself, believe that there is nothing inherently wrong with different Christian institutions. What matters is how the different institutions relate to each other. Do they view each other as enemies, as brothers and sisters, or, to some extent, as both?
When we look at Jesus’ prayer, he prays to his Father that his disciples “may be one, as we are one” (John 17:11b). So, in our Trinitarian paradigm, we know that Jesus, the Son, and his Father are one in substance, i.e. of the same “stuff”—divine stuff. However, they are distinct persons. So, there is both unity and diversity within the Godhead.
Paul picks up on this concept in his letter to the Ephesians when he urges his readers to make “every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). He goes on to say that there is “one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). Having said that, however, he writes, “but each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7).
While Paul’s words are almost certainly directed toward individuals, I don’t believe that it is too much of a stretch to apply them to different streams and movements within the church at large. Thus, I don’t believe that either Jesus’ prayer for unity or Paul’s exhortation to unity requires institutional unity, but rather a common confession and a common mission. Uniting around a common confession of faith and a common mission allows given traditions and institutions to maintain their distinctive “markers” (i.e., Anglicans can still worship with the Book of Common Prayer, Pentecostals can still speak in tongues, and Baptists can still immerse).
The confession Paul articulates as “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all” is a wonderful starting point for discussion. An even more basic creed of the early church was simply “Jesus is Lord.” Wilson suggests that Paul’s statement to the Romans “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) might be right place to start. Regardless, beginning with confessional statements found in scripture—rather than in the theological development of given tradition—is essential.
On a common mission, it is important to note that Jesus, after praying that his disciples would be one, continues by saying, “so that the world may know that you have sent me” (John 17:21b). Paul, after speaking of the unity to which Christians should aspire, outlines the diverse gifts given to the body, identifying the purpose of these diverse gifts as “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13). (As an aside, Paul writes that pursuing this unity should come with “all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,” as he writes in Ephesians 4:2.)
Christian unity, then, serves as a witness to the world that the Father has sent the Son, and also facilitates Christian maturity. In fact, the modern ecumenical movement, which began in Edinburgh in 1910, started for the sake of mission. Western missionaries were often rejected because the various traditions—Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Anglican—were competing for converts, and in so doing compromising their witness. The Church of South India, which is a union of the denominations listed above, is a beautiful fruit of this paradigm shift.
It seems to me, then, that as we gather with Christians from diverse traditions and movements within Christ’s body, it will be important to ask questions like these: “What does it mean that Jesus is one with Father? What does it mean that Jesus is Lord? What does ‘one faith’ entail?” Then, questions like, “How can we manifest unity to the world in such a way that non-Christians might be drawn to Jesus?” and “What do our various tradition contribute to the goal of Christian maturity, and how might they be incomplete?” will emerge. If we do this humbly and gently, patiently and bearing with one another in love, I believe that we will see surprising fruit.
Recently Peter Leithart, writing for First Things, observed that many good ecumenical partnerships are developing on a micro-level as Christians embrace the fact that our society has shifted from broadly Christian to broadly secular. I was heartened as I read Leithart’s piece, as there are several examples of this “micro-ecumenism” in Phoenix.
First, as Fr. George reported in his presentation, there is a prayer movement developing among Evangelicals and Catholics in Phoenix with the blessing of the Vatican. At one meeting, Bishop Olmsted of the Roman Catholic diocese of Phoenix publicly called Mark Buckley, the pastor of Living Streams, a brother in Christ. On the other hand, Mark wrote of an incredibly moving experience he had while praying with one of the Roman Catholic leaders.
Second, the Phoenix-based organization CityServe was founded for the purpose of connecting diverse churches with tangible needs within our city. Thus, many partnerships between churches and local schools have developed, and churches have taken the lead in taking in foster children—a desperate need in our community. Christ Church has recently begun a partnership with North Phoenix Baptist Church in serving local elementary schools (a partnership that actually started several years ago working with the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind), and I’m excited to see where that relationship will lead.
Finally, as many of you know, I’ve been involved with a group of local pastors in advocating for immigration reform. We’ve hosted a pastors’ meeting with AZ Senator McCain, and we’ve also met with AZ Senator Flake, and AZ Representatives Salmon and Franks. At each of these meetings were able to pray for these public servants—three of whom are Mormons—not only about immigration, but about their personal needs as well.
I’m not ultimately sure when we’ll know when Jesus’ prayer for oneness among his followers will be answered, but in the words of Anglican Theologian Ephraim Radner, we’re seeing signs of “Hope Among the Fragments.”
As we prepare ourselves for Maundy Thursday, when we remember Jesus’ last night, and for Good Friday, when Jesus offers himself for the sins of the whole world, which includes, of course, his fractured body the church, let us also prepare for Easter Sunday, when we can celebrate the resurrection, knowing new life, transformed life, is possible—even in the church.