Unity: The Series
I’ve written several posts on the topic of “unity.” In fact, there are 138 posts on this blog with the category “unity.” And, one of those posts, “When Disagreements Lead to Disunity,” is one of the most read posts over the last six years of blogging.
However, I have never written a series on the topic of “unity.” I’ve written some two-part posts on “unity,” but never an entire series.
So, this week, I’m going to write a week long series on the topic of unity – specifically, real, relational unity among those who are in Christ, that is, unity among those who are God’s children.
As I begin this series, I want to ask a few questions. And, with these questions, I would like us to start with positive aspects concerning unity about the body of Christ. I hope you will consider answering one or all of them.
1. What is the best example of unity among the body of Christ that you have ever experienced? What made this experience memorable?
2. Is there someone in your life who is very different from you and yet with whom you share a special bond of unity and fellowship? How do you maintain that unity in spite of your differences?
3. Have you ever been in a situation where someone handled a disagreement in a way that maintained or fostered unity instead of damaging unity? What did that person do?
4. Do you have any other positive experiences with unity among the body of Christ that you would like to share?
Again, please keep your responses positive on this post. We’ll have time to examine other aspects of our experiences with unity (or a lack of unity) in later posts.
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1. Probably when I was in college, there was a group of us that shared a unity that was memorable. The unity lasted until we were out of school and went our separate ways. I think we were young and idealistic and didn’t have a lot of baggage.
2. Maybe. One friend has some different ideas about certain things, but we are in unity about organic, relational christianity. That is what drew us together. We don’t fellowship on a regular basis because of geography, but when we see each other there is a special bond. We look past differences and respect and love one another.
3. Yes. They looked past the situation and focused more on the big picture of loving and accepting one another.
4. I think I have a lot of positive experiences to share. At this moment I don’t have time to articulate them. 🙂
Good Morning Alan,
I would love to answer a couple of these questions, as best as I can. Good questions by the way.
1. What is the best example of unity among the body of Christ that you have ever experienced? What made this experience memorable?
Just over one year ago two important events happened in my life. One, after being divorced and being led by the Spirit into a new town, in a new state. The Lord supernaturally led me to my new wife to be. The Lord had told me bout her and her family, and their need for me to serve her and and her family, many months before I ever meet them. The second event was we were kicked out of the very cool, hip, cutting edge church we were attending. My wife’s family were wounded believers, and half of them accepted my family into their family right away, and the other half not so much.Watching the Lord, bring real spiritual koinina, into this group of wounded soldiers (her family and mine), has been nothing short of a heavenly miracle. We are from very diverse backgrounds, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit, supernatural unity has come. Conversely, the Lord has brought a supernatural separation (we did not intent or want) from our former church pals.
2. Is there someone in your life who is very different from you and yet with whom you share a special bond of unity and fellowship? How do you maintain that unity in spite of your differences?
Alan, You fit the bill perfectly! We are very different, from different spiritual emphasis, but I admire and respect you immensely. It is because, I hear a voice in your writing that I am very familiar with… the voice of the Father. Glad to be on the journey with you my friend.
1. What is the best example of unity among the body of Christ that you have ever experienced? What made this experience memorable?
LOVE UNITY OF LOVE, SEEING IT IN THE EYES THAT ARE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL. NO MATTER WHAT IS AGREED OR NOT ARE ALL DOUBTFUL THINGS, LOVE REGARDLESS GOES ON FOREVER. LOVE IS THE CONNECTOR, GOD’S LOVE
2. Is there someone in your life who is very different from you and yet with whom you share a special bond of unity and fellowship? How do you maintain that unity in spite of your differences?
ABSOLUTELY, I DO NOT GOD DOES IN AND THROUGH ME.
3. Have you ever been in a situation where someone handled a disagreement in a way that maintained or fostered unity instead of damaging unity? What did that person do?
YES, JUST LOVED BACK REGARDLESS, SHOWED LOVE IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY
4. Do you have any other positive experiences with unity among the body of Christ that you would like to share?
THE UNITY IS IN THE SPIRIT OF LOVE PERIOD, GOD’S, AND LEAVING OUR OWN BEHIND, AND BEING ATTACHED TO GOD’S.
Jack and Marc,
Thanks for the examples.
Howard,
Are there any personal examples that you could share?
-Alan
Personally, yes, there was a person that knew the word showed forth it, seemed to just love love and love again and again, seemed to understand. Got involved around in my personal life between my wife and I. Then one day jumped all over me about submission, and that I was the one submitting. I did not respond to this well and walked in my flesh. Told that person that we were done. I was surprised at this person doing this out of nowhere. I tried calling emailing and even asked this person about what they had done and said, as well as aopologized to that person if I had done anything wrong. This person told me straight out that this is what God had told that person to say to me that I was being controlled by my wife that I am a bitch.
Well I carried on witth this person through texting over the phone. Never once hearing from that person as in an apology, and it is not that I needed one. At one point this person did say through a text that that person really wanted reconciliation from my wife. I said it will take him to do so. He never did. Now also during this whole time he was showing up at my garage on Sunday mornings, to have fellowship and whomever shows is whomever shows, no chasing no calling to remind, it is nothing more than a get together. This person brought his wife and there was another couple there at that time. The next Sunday this person started on me again about Submission. that I had said in front of his wife and the other couples wife that if my wife called me a bitch that this is okay, because we are free, everyone has been given free choice.
Well this person again had a complaint and started doing to me off the wall things, and I said leave.
So this is how I handled it and am sure in my own mind that God does not go to his other Son and say go to my child and tell him that his marriage is ___________ up. God himself will tell his Son directly what God wants his Son to know and do. I know that I would not go to my daughter and tell her to tell my Son what I want my Son to know and or do. God’s will is love, renounce this worldly submission garbage, love her, love her. love her
I really did not want ot put this out anywhere but this is where the answer looks as if I am a good person, and this is not my purpose to look good, for there is only one good and that is my Father one and the same as Jesus’s Father.
1 – Yes, two examples.
I have four close friends (two couples) with whom my wife and I had the most sweet and deep oneness for a season. We would all openly share whatever we were given in the moment – a picture, a Bible text, a prayer, a prophecy, a tongue, an interpretation, a song. Silences were OK too. They were awesome times when we were palpably in heaven. I’ve experienced nothing like it before or since. I have been ruined for anything less.
And an experience a friend shared on my blog – http://jesus.scilla.org.uk/2011/11/simple-gathering-of-believers.html
2 – Several friends come to mind. Love is the bond of peace between us. Accepting that our views are different without the need to press one another to change. Knowing that Christ loves us both and is in us both and guides us both is more than enough to keep the friendships sweet. So love and acceptance.
3 – Applied plentiful grace and found some positives for both sides of the argument.
Chris,
Thanks for the examples! I hope to be able to read the post soon.
-Alan