I will be preaching on this passage as I have just started an Interim at a church which had experienced a very high level of conflict over the past two years. What intrigues me about this passage is Paul's request of the members at Corinth to "be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you." Complete agreement in the church is neither possible, nor desirable, in my opinion. It is out what each of us brings uniquely and the give and take of our varied perspectives that wisdom and creativity comes. Being united in purpose however, is a different thing. For me there is a difference between "unity" and "uniformity," and I belive Paul is asking for "unity" which is a gift of the Spirit. Other comments? Fran in Stockbridge
Fran,
Wishing you God's presence as you preach to a church where conflict and division have occurred.
A couple of thoughts.
To the average parishioner, unity and uniformity could mean the same thing. You'll have to expound clearly on what you believe those differences are.
Paul's call to unity ought to be juxtaposed with verses 10 and 18. He calls for unity in terms of being of like mind and in terms of purpose. And he specifically points out how the message of the cross can seem foolish to the misguided.
Within today's Church, there are those leaders who rationalize away the message of the cross. This was touched on briefly at the end of last week's DPS gospel discussion.
And there are those who diminish or negate the purpose of the Church, which I believe Paul clearly defines as the proclamation of the gospel.
I believe that a pastor/preacher must teach these truths, and lovingly rebuke those who insist on denying them. Unity will flow from this God-centered view. Either those who dissent will be moved by the Holy Spirit to agree or they should decide to worship their individualized concept of God elsewhere.
This sounds harsh, and in this pluralistic and realtivistic age, will be labeled as mean-spirited, close-minded, etc.
Nevertheless, it seems clear that these two things are what Paul is calling for unity on. The proclamation of the gospel and the centrality and necessity for an understanding of the message of the cross.
Rick in Va
A good read through 1 Cor. especially Paul's understanding of Spiritual gifts will show that diversity is a key to unity within the Body of Christ. Look at Chapter 12. In the Church - diversity? yes, disunity? no!
I'm thinking of ways that people label themselves, e.g. clothes, cars, music, etc. In today's society, image is everything...substance is irrelevant. Gee, and some think the cross is foolishness? What a reversal...the church is associated with an image of defeat and public disgrace. But what substance!!!! I find it interesting that some in the church have resorted to fighting the world on the world's terms, i.e. through Christian t-shirts, WWJD bracelets etc. Would that the substance of our walk with Christ speak louder than our t-shirts.
John near Pitts.
I have this Sunday listed as Ecumenical Sunday. This text seems very appropriate for this theme; I think that instead of saying "I was baptized by so and so" we often make comments about our church vs another (in the small town I am in the hottest rivalry is between Catholic and Protestant).
Paul challenges us by saying "Is Christ divided?" He calls us to recognize the way in which we often divinize our particular faith experience. --JS
John in Pitts,
I hope you don't mean to imply that we shouldn't be wearing the t-shirts and wwjd bracelets. I've found them to be great evangelism tools in that they work as conversation starters very effectively. I'll agree that the pressure is on for those who publicize their faith in this way to walk the walk but hey, isn't this a form of accountability? Are we to simply live it and not speak or proclaim it?
Rick in Va
Fran, Grace to you and Peace.
I am a career interim and consultant specializing in "troubled" congregations. You are exactly right. Unity with diversity is the only way for the church to be healthy. You may want to contrast this passage with the "Body of Christ" image that Paul uses later.
I like to think of uniformity as a microscopic view of unity (unity from a human point of view) and unity of purpose as a macroscopic view (unity from a cosmic point of view, God's point of view.)
In the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (I know, I'm dating myself) there are three people who become obsessed very differently. One has a cumpulsion to make models out of everything that he can get his hands on (mashed potatos, clay, etc.) One is obsessed by a series of tones. I can't remember the third one. The point is, that the three obsessions, manifested entirely differently, draw these individuals to one place, the place where they meet visitors from heaven. (No, I don't believe God rides around in a saucer.) The greater vision unites them.
In conflicted churches they usually have lost sight of the greater vision, and so in defense of their "micro-vision" they act in ways that are inconsistant with the "macro-vision", God's vision for his people. We all belong to Christ.
At the Fifth Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Nairobi, 1975, the world's best known anthropologist, Dr. Margaret Mead, looked over the gathering of two and a half thousand people "You people," she exclaimed, "are a sociological impossibility. You have absolutely nothing in common- except your extraordinary conviction that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world." (Editor's Clip Sheets MediaComm. Australia)
Here's a story I plan to use that perhaps some might find helpful. Comes from a colleague who gives somebody named Ivan Emke the credit for it. Anyway, there was a congregation that decided to celebrate its anniversary by having t-shirts made with the slogan, "50 Years of Unity." Then an argument developed about whether the t-shirts should be a cotton-polyester blend or 100% cotton. The first group cited "waste not, want not" as a Bible verse and argued that blends last longer. The second group cited Deuteronomy, "Thou shalt not wear a garment of diverse sorts," as evidence against blends. So finally, the church split in two with each group holding its own 50th anniversary celebrations with its respective kind of t-shirts emblazoned with the words, "50 Years of Unity." Don't we love to major in minors!
PT in NH
I would respectfully argue that at the World Council of Churches some 23 years later, there would be many that have no such conviction. Don't take my word for it. Research and read the very words of many who attended the WCC gathering. Margaret Meade may very well have been booed by many for making such a narrow-minded statement.
Check it out for yourselves.
Rick in Va
"...but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom...." What is it to which we have been called, brothers and sisters? Is it not to proclaim the gospel? And what is the gospel? "For the message about the cross...is the power of God." I understand why we are drawn to the mystery and difficulty of the "unity" of all Christians -- the "one holy catholic and apostolic church" -- yet I feel much more compelled to find a way to proclaim the cross of Christ on this Sunday.
I have been intrigued lately by the notion that the spoken (proclaimed) Word holds immense power. Certainly I would never argue with James when he rightly says that "faith without works is dead". Yet is not our preaching a work of faith? I don't want to get fancy with this; I simply want to plainly expound on the power of God made known in the cross of Jesus.
It's very early yet so I don't have much more than that. Any thoughts?
Also, I was directed by a friend to faithcomesbyhearing.com. Interesting program. They are making available audio tapes of the New Testament. They are either read in a straight forward manner or dramitized (your choice, I guess) and are also available in manner different versions (NIV, NRSV, etc.) As it has been explained to me, if one listens to the tapes for 20-30 minutes a day, they will have heard the entire NT in 30-40 days (by the way, how long does Lent last?). It can obviously take a person much longer than this (perhaps through both Lent and Easter seasons?), but the idea is to have people HEAR God's word on a daily basis. The scriptural reference is Romans 10:17.
Let me know what you think.
Darby
P.S. Why does Paul go directly into a reference to Baptism (which is not a baptism into the one who presides at the baptism, but into Christ) and then into the cross of Christ? Remember what Paul says about baptism (this is quoted at the beginning of our funerals) "When we were baptized into Christ we were baptized into his death...."
To be in unity and of one mind is to die to oneself and to live to Christ.
I don't know exactly where this is leading, but there you have it. Sometimes I feel like I might be pointing out what is obvious to everyone else. Yet, if the goal is to preach Christ crucified "not with eloquent wisdom", perhaps the obvious is where we need to go.
Darby
Rick in Va,
Nope, don't mean to imply not to wear the shirts and bracelets, but to have substance rather than just form.
John near Pitts.
Rick in Va,
Nope, don't mean to imply not to wear the shirts and bracelets, but to have substance rather than just form. I guess I'm saying not to expect the t-shirt to do all the talking. I also worry when the Church becomes "cool" or in-fasion from the world's perspective.
John near Pitts.
Thanks for the Close Encounters and Margaret Mead references. Since 1 Cor. is a letter sent to address specific situations in a specific church, I have often used it to correlate to similar situations in churches where there are similar conflicts. Paul addresses (among other things) several issues in the church all of which are creating divisions between the members: differing values regarding spiritual gifts, differences between rich & poor, and attachments to various leaders. This passage is concerned with the attachments to various leaders - Apollos, Cephas, Paul, Christ - something that often happens in churches, especially those where there has been a change in pastors. I think it should speak to us - pastors who sometimes relish our own following within a congregation and/or resent parishoners who miss the ministry of previous ministers. I have seen a lot of damage occur when ministers do not find ways to value those pastors who have gone before -- valuing their ministry even when there are significant differences with what we would do. We also have diversity and unity issues to face. Sometimes our pleas for "change" and "moving on" have at their base our own need to be accepted. JS - thank you for expanding my vision of this passage past local congregations to the larger church. AJM in PA
Interestingly enough, I just happen to be reading Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Church" -- at the same time meditating on this passage regarding unity and singleness of purpose. Rick is the exceedingly "successful" pastor of Saddleback Church in California. (Baptist, I think) -- The thesis of his book is primarily that the individual congregation has to be united in one, clear single purpose in order to reach those to whom God has called them to minister. Discovering that purpose is a process that calls for the congregation to be in unity of mind and spirit -- Wow. sounds like a miracle is needed! I can't even figure out what direction to go in all by myself sometimes! Focus. Direction. Purpose. Maybe that's not really what the passage is about. But it raised those thoughts for me. REv kk
Darby,
I propsed to my 2 small UMC congregations that we try "Faith Comes by Hearing." I left the lectionary for 60 days while we listened to the tapes, and preached from what we listened to. I was very satisfied with the company, and with the results in our congregations. You may want to investigate it for your congregation.
On dying to self and living to Christ: I think I will go along those lines. It has something to do with putting aside some of our desires for a greater good. But, I haven't done much with this yet, so I am not sure where I am going beyond that.
D in NE
I just saw the movie "The Thin Red Line". Sort of a nifty image from the film comes in one of several narrative interludes. The quote (if memory serves) goes as follows: "Every man seeking salvation by himself is like a burning coal pulled from the fire." This doesn't strike me as being of any spectacular worth, but it seems to fit well with the unity of purpose theme in this text.
To Fran in Stockbridge
Good points about uniformity and unity -- form vs. function. I am an student intern in a "vacant" parish that has had its own share of conflict management problems, and I think I too will use this text for similar reasons as you will.
Even in ecumenical discussions, we are often pointed to the part of Jesus' High Priestly prayer where he prays that his disciples might be one even as he and the Father are one. That reference is used to say that all Christians should be one, big, happy family.
Well, of course, we are all one family (form) but even the Father and the Son are not revealed to us as having the same role (function). So if we are to one like they are one, it seems that we can be united in purpose while not having to be united in function.
Martin in Sioux Falls
To Darby,
Besides our preaching being a "work of faith" it is a means of God's graciousness (my Lutheran roots are showing, I know!). That is, our preaching is a matter of God's proclamation -- "So faith comes by hearing and what is heard is the Word of God."
Just a thought as you continue in your deliberations: the ancient Hebrews counted the power in the proclamation. Hence, God spoke and it happened, like in the creation story. "God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light."
The Greeks, however, valued thoughts and ideals first, over words. The conflict between Hebrew thought and Greek thought can easily be seen in the Gnostic controversies that plagued the early Church.
Perhaps this is why the evangelist John opens his Gospel the way he does. He reinterprets the Greek ideal--words represent thought--in light of the Hebrew understanding: thoughts are not the ideal, but God is, and the Word was God and the Word was enfleshed.
To Darby,
Sorry, forgot to post my name. Martin in Sioux Falls
I would suggest that this site and the dialogue which sometimes occurs is illustrative of Paul's challenge here. Contributions to the Gospel readings for this week are a case in point. Contributors base their opinions on different premises; the inerrancy of scripture, the cultural context, the original Hebrew or Greek, their own faith journey and Spirit direction. This can lead to lively and beneficial dialogue until it begins to seperate us from our basic unity in Christ. When we begin to question the faith or calling of others because they do not hear or understand the Scriptures as we do. I am certain that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but I do not believe that our human understanding of the Word is always equally inspired. Paul calls us to remember that it is the power of the cross and the Christ that is important and not our own message or our desire to have others to believe like me. Bob in MI
I will laugh with just about anyway, even strangers on an elevator. But I will not share my pain and tears with just anyone, nor will I trust just anyone with a confession of my sin. Just so, it is our pain and brokeness which can truly forge strong bonds (and "binds", i.e. shame based relationships) between people.
The cross both confronts us with our sin (yes, it is even worse than we thought) and with God's great love. Perhaps Paul points to the cross because it embodies all that we would wish to keep hidden (yet will eventually come to light) and those things which all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve share. Communities which gather around Notre Dame football or the Chicago Bulls are like grass. But those who saw active duty in WW II are bound together in a strong way. And even though they may joke about all the good times, it is the utter terror, loneliness and vulnerability they experienced which truly forges the communion.
Darby
Fran in Stockbridge: I think what Paul has in mind when he speaks of being "in one mind" is not agreeing, but having the same attitude. He certainly recognizes that people are going to have different approaches, which is fine as long as they all have the same mind/attitude. In other words, having an attitude of selfishness would be out of line. Also, acting not out of love but out of hatred or self-centeredness would be contrary too. This is a radical model that Paul is offering, one which was probably controversial then as it is now. I have seen so many people leave churches over things such as not getting their way, not liking the minister, etc. It seems that more often than not we act out of individualism with which we try to retrofit the gospel. I'm not saying we all need to be alike. What I'm saying is that too often we allow our individual likes and dislikes dictate how we respond to the gospel. Neow in Maine
It is interesting to me that the same GK word for the disciples "mending their nets" in the Mt passage is the same Paul uses for "end your divisions" -- according to a couple of commentaries I read. Their division was "tearing" at the body of Christ, and made them incapable of fulfilling their primary purpose of evangelism. Even if the writers of the gospel and epistle didn't intend the comparison, perhaps it is the work of the Holy Spirit making scripture the Word of God for us. RevKK
Thanks for all of you contributions. Some of you got me thinking about Paul's reference to the cross in this passage. One thing that occured to me is that conflict is always about power. It is about power struggles and one party trying to win out over another. This is the way of the world. But the cross represents power, not in power over others, but the power in humility and self-giving. It is the power of love. It is power that is found in weakness - somewhat of an oxymoron by human standards. Fran in Stockbridge
As usual, though late in the week, I'm still struggling to get my thoughts and ideas together... for that wonderful "Aha!" moment that sometimes/usually?/always? comes in sermon prep. I've entitled my message "The Mind of the Cross"... My thought right now is that I'm going to try to start with the notion of "being of one mind" ... and what that means (including the importance of diversity within that. But to look at the pain of conflict and differing agendas. (Why do we really come to church on Sunday morning... and do what we do?) And hopefully come around in the end to the idea that we must be in and of the mind of Jesus Christ in our like mindedness. But I think it's still easy for us to easily think that we know what Jesus felt/thought/would do without wrestling with the radical nature of Jesus' life and message. That's why I'm going to try to take my message to the mind of the cross... united in the ultimate symbol of broken, pain, shame and suffering... and the ultimate symbol of love, wholeness and meaning. I appreciated what you had to say in your most recent posting Fran. Anybody with anything else to offer or throw into the discussion, I'm still game. I thank God for this ministry and for each of you. And I am truly reminded and humbled by the amazing ways that God makes sure God's message is heard and proclaimed and shared. Thanks. RevAmy
RevKK I just wanted to "sharpen" your mention of the Greek used in Mat 4:21 and 1 Cor 10. The GK is "katarizo" (Strongs # 2675 for those ofus who need that!). It is the "mending" word in Matthew, the "perfectly joined" word in Corinthians. The Strongs entry in Quick Verse says:
2675. katartizo, kat-ar-tid'-zo; from G2596 and a der. of G739; to complete thoroughly, i.e. repair (lit. or fig.) or adjust:--fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect (-ly join together), prepare, restore.
I like and will use the concept that in Matt. the fishermen knew what they were doing - perfectly repairing their nets. There is a competence involved in this activity. Paul calls the church in Corinth to the same kind of competence - a "perfect restoration" of the community. However, just as all fishermen do not fish in exactly the same way, a "perfectly restored" community is not necessarily homogeneous - but like the repaired fishing nets, it is effective in use toward the goal.
sk in ca
Thanks, sk for giving us the scoop on net mending. And Rev. Amy -- I really appreciated your comments on the cross. I'd like to hear your sermon! RevKK
I have been reading here for a while, but have not posted. Finally, I feel that I must thank all of you for this marvelous discussion. It is nearly always helpful. I usually check in on Saturday, when I write my sermons, and I'm pretty clear where I'm going, but you all spark my energy and drive my creativity in unexpected ways...surely a sign of the Spirit!
Thank you. This week the discussion moved me from simply proclaiming our common life in Christ as the source of our diversity and relief from conflict to recognizing that our most common experience in life is brokenness...and that is perhaps what Paul calls us to recognize when he repeatedly moves to the cross as the center of all.
While we are so often united around celebration of achievement, our true human common experience is that of suffering and brokenness. If we began with that as the source of our unity, perhaps we would bring greater compassion to our conflict resolution. Our culture, and even our piety, encourage us to deny suffering. I want to be "up" about life as much as the next person, but my son reminds me that a lot of what passes for authentic joy is really what he calls "happy bejappy;" i.e. a denial of what is really risky and scary and painful about the situation.
The cross is risky and painful and scary, if we are truthful about it. One of my guiding credos is to remember that Easter could not have happened without Good Friday... it gives me courage to enter into Good Friday and authentic joy in God's power on Easter. I think that fits somewhere into this sermon on the common source of our life being the cross.
Sorry to go on so much...but you all got me thinking in a different way, and I think, a deeper way, about Paul's imagery.
By the way, I am female, and a United Methodist Pastor serving a small church.
DKS
One Mind: Faith in Christ Alone One Purpose: To spread the Gospel (make disciples)
Tim in WI
reading these comments I am taken aboout how many of us have churches with conflict histories. ut aside for a moment oour different faith expressions my sermon is about math teh math in paul a church devided has fractions how can we mend our fractions to equal the one body of christ. rev ed in ct