My passion

This week I began working on a new approach to my quiet time with God. Several weeks back a guest pastor suggested that our group try something new and yet very simple. Our instructions included reading Scripture until we felt God pressing into us a specific verse. God seemed to be pressing me to start with 1 Corinthians and read the letters of Paul with fresh eyes. So that's what I did. And this first time, it sure didn't take long to get that verse that the Spirit was emphasizing.

I Conrinthians 1:10 "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought..... Is Christ divided?"

With all of the external pressures that the church in Corinth was struggling with from their surrounding culture - corruption, idolatry, sexual immorality - Paul first addresses the division in the church in Corinth. He's calling for unity. And this hit a chord in me. I see markers in my life over the last four years where God has been softening me. I spent a good portion of my early Christian years concentrating on what separated my beliefs from others. Then things started to change. Those issues that seemed so critical weren't in areas that were primary to faith and relationship with God. So God started showing me how we were more alike than different. Not only was I beginning to see bridges across denominations, but I was starting to travel them regularly with joy and love in my heart.

God is giving me a passion for unity. Disunity and casual comments about why ours is better than yours or sarcastic or joking remarks about other practices in other churches are hurtful and damaging. And I've been on both sides of that. Learning and respecting each other will breed something special and vastly powerful. Can we use the best of what we do to teach others across denominations? Can we build relationships past larger organizations? It's happening. I know some of you are doing it regularly.

Jesus gave us an enormous job to do as his hands and feet with the Great Commission. It seems very clear that we should be in lock step with other followers. I will be praying that the Spirit shows me where to go next with this passion for unity. What about you? Are you with me? How can we do this better? What barriers will we face?