In Unity, God Commands a Blessing - John 17:11b-19

In this “high priestly prayer”, the longest recorded prayer of Jesus (this is just a portion of it), Jesus gives us his vision for unity as he prays that the hearts of those who follow him will be as one as he is one with the Father. When we come together in unity, the scriptures tell us that God will command a blessing on us. As it says in Psalms, “How good it is, how pleasant, when the people dwell as one.”  

If we examine the scriptures, we find that there are over 30 times where we see the combination of two words, “one another”. “Encourage one another. Love one another. Serve one another. Comfort one another.”  The pathway to holiness is through “one another”. There is power in connectivity. We draw strength from one another.

Nothing derails Christ’s vision more than disunity in the ranks. It’s true in business, a hockey team, a family and a church. How many times have we seen a movie where a less talented team pulls together and topples the more talented, better financed, more popular, but ego-centered team?  It’s been such a popular idea that it has become a cliché: from the Mighty Ducks to the Bad News Bears to the Pittsburgh Pisces (from that classic, The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh).

In his prayer to the Father, Jesus says, “I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.” If Jesus prayed for unity in the church, then it must be important. He prayed that the whole church be unified around the mission of spreading the Gospel.

Unfortunately, our human condition has us at times being rather tribal, provincial, sectarian or factional, falling short of the example set by Jesus.

We’ve all been guilty of this, or a victim of it, at some point in our lives. Once upon a time years ago, I worked as a consultant in the banking industry, visiting with a variety of banks in a territory that covered the whole Mid-Atlantic portion of the country. Travelling as much as I did, it was an interesting study in human nature to get the lowdown from the locals as to the different factions of people in their region. One lady said to me, pointing out the window, “You see that mountain over there?  People on that side of the mountain never come out of their houses and on the other side, beware, you have to watch your pocketbook over there.”

Of course, we’re not like that in Pittsburgh, are we?  I remember our own Bishop, who grew up in Ambridge, speaking of how people who lived in that area were looked down upon by some as “river people”. 

As tribal as we are at times, we know that we were created for one another. And the great diversity that we are is what enriches our lives.

In this factious world, where the lens of the media focuses on what separates us rather than what unites us, each of us has a choice, to be an agent of unity or an agent of disunity. Our collective choice for unity will, as scriptures tell us, command a blessing on all of us from God, as we follow his vision, developing harmonious relationships.

What are some ways that each of us can commit to that will allow us to grow a more harmonious church and harmonious nation?  Let me list three commitments that each of us can make to help us grow in unity:
                                                                                           
The first commitment is to build each other up. What a difference it can make if we leave self-interest behind and commit to encouraging those around us, especially those who differ from us, with affirmation and support. If we’re not doing that, we’re not fulfilling an important part of our responsibility. Jesus didn’t seek to please himself. He didn’t limit his associations to only certain groups of people. In fact, we see repeatedly that he went out of his way to associate with those outside his circle.

The second commitment is recognizing the value of every person. All churches, all peoples are made up of a broad range of personality types. Inevitably, people will sometimes see others as obnoxious or immature. But the value of a loving community is that while we may disagree with others, or have different traditions, as we have seen with merging parishes, we must never forget that Christ died for those outside of our group too. 
                                                                                                                              
The third commitment for growing a unified church or neighborhood, community or country is keeping our focus on what’s really important, the mission of the Gospel. Jesus asks that we become one as he is one with the Father. We can easily be split over trivial things. We all need to, as Pastor Rick Warren says, “emphasize what is eternal, not external.”

How about if we use rooting for the home team at a sporting event as a metaphor here?  Think of the times that you might have been at a Penguins hockey game and Sidney Crosby scores an unbelievable, game tying goal. What do you do?  You jump out of your seat and celebrate with high fives with everyone around you. Some of those people you may know, many you may not. Do you stop in the middle of the celebration and assess their ethnicity or political affiliation before celebrating with them?  No, we’re drawn together by our common mission, to bring home a victory. Sports, when done right, is a great unifier.

Similarly, Christ as the head of the Church is the great unifier. The second reading says, “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in Him.” We must keep Christ at the center. My plans, my desires, my preferences, my agenda, and my feelings are nothing compared to fulfilling the Gospel. When we become unified around that mission, it changes everything.

In his book, “The Pursuit of God,” AW Tozer said this: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?  They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to the standard to which each one must individually bow.  So, one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking to Christ, are in heart, nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to come in “unity” focused not on God, but on trying to “work things out” on their own among each other.”

What a compelling argument that makes for a Christ-centered spiritual revival in our country to help mend its discord. It needs to start with us.
               
God does command a blessing when we come together in unity. He rewards our collective efforts to 1) build each other up, to 2) value every person, and 3) to keep what’s important, Christ’s mission at the center.
   
Just as a mom rewards the efforts of her children, when for example, her daughter Sally compliments brother Joey, or when her oldest son Paul stands up for his little sister Cindy who was just picked on by a bully, or when any of her children put away their video games or other less important activities, and instead, honor their mom by cleaning off the table or simply asking her how she’s feeling, God rewards us similarly for our loving actions, honoring him and caring for each other.

We’re here today from all walks of life, different social standings, political affiliations and ethnicities. We’re rich, we’re poor, we’re young, and we’re old. Despite all our past or present associations, when we gather at his church, we put all that aside and come together as one family to worship the God who spoke our world into existence.

So, let us pray in thanksgiving that we can once again gather in this space to worship.  Let us pray that we never lose sight of the vision that Jesus has for each of us that we may be as one, perfected in him, as one Body of Christ.  And let our prayer then become, "Lord, Heal all divisions among Christians that we may rejoice in the perfect unity of your Church, and help us move together, in service to each other, as one people, to eternal life in your kingdom.  Amen".