Unity as Witness

John 17:20-26

Rev. Stephen H. Wilkins

Georgetown Presbyterian Church

May 20, 2007

We say it every time we say the Apostles’ Creed. It’s a phrase that comes and goes so quickly that maybe you don’t even think about it. "I believe in the holy catholic Church." Have you ever thought about what that means? "I believe in the holy catholic Church." Of all the things about our faith we profess in the Apostles’ Creed, that line is one of the two that causes the most confusion or consternation, the other one being "he descended into hell."

People are confused, especially protestants, about why we profess belief in the catholic church. "I’m a Presbyterian," some will say, "Why should I stand up at Georgetown Presbyterian Church on Sunday morning and pay tribute to the Catholics?" The confusion is understandable. But the true meaning of the word "catholic" is "universal". And so when we say we believe in the holy catholic Church, we are affirming our belief in the universal body of people, both past and present, who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

I believe in the holy catholic Church.

The Nicene Creed, which is also part of our rich heritage dating back to the 4^th century, says the same thing, only it gets even more specific: We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. Aside from the words "catholic" and "apostolic" (which, by the way, means we can trace our roots back to the teachings of the apostles), the key word in that phrase is "one." We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

One Church.

Isn’t that what Jesus was praying for in the upper room in John’s gospel? "My prayer is not for them alone," says Jesus, referring to the disciples gathered in the room with him. "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that they may be one." Two things here: First, Jesus is praying for us, because he’s praying for everyone who will believe in him through the message of the disciples, and that would include us; and secondly, Jesus is praying for unity among his believers, that they may be one.

…that they may be one.

Isn’t it strange what Jesus doesn’t pray for? He doesn’t pray that his disciples will grow into large numbers. He doesn’t pray for success. He doesn’t pray for the health and wealth of those who believe in him. He doesn’t pray for fancy buildings or million-dollar audio and video systems. He doesn’t pray for organs and neither does he pray for guitars.

He prays that they – we – may be one.

Jesus is praying for one holy catholic and apostolic church.

And we say we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.

So, why is it that we tend to focus more on the things that divide us and set us apart from each other, rather than on celebrating those things that unite us and draw us close to one another? We say we believe in the holy catholic church, but why is it that followers of Christ are always looking for ways to differentiate ourselves from other Christians?

I’m reminded of the story of a pastor who was traveling on the plane. He loved the Lord, and he enjoyed being in the presence of other Christians. So he was excited when he saw that the man sitting next to him on the plane was carrying a Bible.

"Are you a believer?" The pastor asked the man.
"Yes," said the man.
Well, the pastor had learned that you can't be too careful. He needed to ask a few more questions, just to be sure that the man was, in fact, a Christian.
"Virgin birth?" He asked.
"I accept it," came the reply from the man.
"Deity of Jesus?"
"No doubt."
"Death of Christ on the cross?"
"He died for all people."
The pastor thought to himself, "Could it be that I am face to face with a Christian? Perhaps." Still, he continued his checklist, as he resumed his grilling of the man sitting next to him. "Status of man," the pastor demanded.
"Sinner in need of grace."
"Return of Christ?" asked the pastor.
"Imminent," replied the man without hesitation
"Bible?"
"Inspired. Infallible"

At this point, the pastor could feel his heart start to beat faster. Had he come across a kindred soul?! He continued his line of questioning: "Conservative or liberal?"
The man was also getting interested in the way the conversation was moving. "Conservative."
"Denomination?" asked the pastor.
"Southern Congregationalist Holy Son of God Dispensationalist Triune Convention," said the man with tremendous pride.
The pastor couldn’t believe his ears! That was his denomination, too!
"What branch of the denomination do you represent?" the pastor asked to the man.
"Pre-millennial, post-tribulation, non-charismatic, King James Bible, one-cup communion, immersion baptism – believers only."
The pastor’s eyes started to well up with tears. He had only one other question to ask the man.

"Which hymnal—red 1954, or blue 1995?"

"Blue" came the response of the man.

At that, the pastor felt his neck stiffen up and the blood rush to his face. "Heretic!" he yelled to the man, and they didn’t speak another word for the rest of the flight.

Why is it that believers in Christ can have so much in common, yet still look for that one thing that will divide them or set them apart from the others?

You don’t have to look far. The world in which we live encourages individualism. Our culture is so competitive, so highly individualistic that unity is a value with a low priority. Our culture is so immersed in me, me, me, that unity among many is completely foreign, even something that makes us feel uncomfortable. Everything in our culture revolves around the individual, and so it’s difficult for us to learn to set aside our own needs and desires for the common good. We are surrounded by messages that reinforce the expectation that each of us just has to watch out for ourselves, because nobody else will. Everyone wants to be different. Everyone wants all the attention upon themselves. And so in such an individualistic society with everyone absorbed with their own needs and wants, community is virtually impossible.

Yet that is what Jesus prays for us: that we may be one, even as he and the Father are one. It is strange math, in which 1 + 1 equals 1. It is a unity modeled after the unity within God, that Jesus prays for us.

Whenever I counsel with couples before they marry, I emphasize the biblical teaching that in marriage the two become one. That is not a physical unity in which the bodies are simply joined together; it is a unity of spirit, a uniting of souls, a joining together of hearts. One of the great challenges in marriage is to be able to set aside the "me" for the sake of the "we," where "we" is not simply a matter of one spouse imposing his or her will upon the other. One of the most difficult areas for husband and wife to adjust to this new dynamic is in the area of finances. So often I hear people saying, "I make more money, so I get to spend more, or at least I get greater control over how the money is spent." And again I say, in marriage both spouses must be willing to set aside the "me" for the "we." It’s not yours. It’s not mine. It’s ours. Two become one; it is a melding together of heart, soul, mind.

That is the kind of unity for which Jesus prays, that the many believers will be one in him. It is a prayer that we come together as one in spirit, that we join our hearts, souls, and minds as one.

But unity does not mean uniformity. Unity does not mean that we look alike, act alike, think alike. Unity does not even require that we agree with one another. But it does require us to treat each other with love and respect.

For believers to be one in the way the Father and the Son are one—even more, unity in the same way that the Trinity is three-in-one—this kind of unity allows for, even calls for, us to be different. There are three persons in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we acknowledge that each is fully God, yet only as they are in relationship with one another do we see the true essence of God. This is a great mystery—don’t expect me to tell you how that works in three short steps! But there is both an individuality and a unity within the Godhead.

And that’s the kind of oneness that Jesus prays for us. Not that everybody be the same, but that in all our individuality and uniqueness, we come together as one. It is a bringing and offering of ourselves for the sake of the whole. It is a joining of hands and hearts over our common faith in Christ as Savior and Lord.

That’s the reason that the Presbyterian Church has only one basic requirement for membership: Faith in Christ as our Savior and acknowledgment of his Lordship over our lives. That’s all it takes. Because you see, when you are joining the Georgetown Presbyterian Church, this church is nothing more than the door through which you enter the holy catholic church, the Body of Christ. And the only requirement for belonging to that Body is faith in Christ as Lord and Savior.

In all of this, the unity for which Jesus prays has a purpose: that through our Christian unity, the world may know who Jesus is and that God sent Jesus as our Savior.

That the world may know…

The unity we nurture in the life of the Church is a visible manifestation of the kind of God we serve. You see, how we act as Christians says something to others about who Jesus is. And so the unity we demonstrate with one another in the body of Christ will serve as a witness to who God is—One who gives himself for our sake.

But the converse is also true, for again, how we act says something to others about who God is. If Christians are divided, if Christians build walls and define boundaries to keep others out, then what does that say to others about our God?

When Jesus prays for his believers to be one, that the world may know and that the world may believe, it is a reminder that our unity has a purpose, that our coming together in love and self-giving and service and mercy is about more than what we do for ourselves. We are the body of Christ, the holy catholic Church, and in being the Church we witness to the world just who God is.

There are hundreds of millions of Christians around the world. But the only number that matters is 1.

After all, we do believe in the holy catholic Church, don’t we?