A new year is upon us. Whereas people often think of New Years as a time to make new beginnings in life, as Christians we know that each day we are called to remember our baptism, to die to our sinful selves, and to be raised to newness of life. Daily means daily, but generally, we wake up and go about our same old routines in our same old ways as our same old selves, even if we are not old.
The same is true in the church, and although Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), God does not want us to be the same because being the same means being lost in sin and death, alienated from God, each other, and ourselves. Sin manifests itself in all manner of overt and covert ways, but creating divisions in the body of Christ is a most recognizable way. Paradoxically, despite all the talk nowadays about ecumenism and church unity, the ways in which most “churches” attempt “unity” is contrary to the gospel because they seek unity through legalistic contracts rather than relying on the unity which already exists in Christ.
Luther writes:
It is enough now that we know that a Christian people is undivided, without any distinctions of sects or persons, a people among whom there is to be no layman, no cleric, no monk, no nun—no differences at all, all being married or celibate as each one pleases. There is also no essential difference between bishops, elders, and priests on the one hand and laymen on the other, nothing to distinguish them from other Christians except that the one has a different office which is entrusted to him, namely, to preach the Word of God and to administer the sacraments; just as a mayor or judge is distinguished from other citizens by nothing except that the governing of the city is entrusted to him. The same persons who have introduced such sects among the Christian people and divided them into clergy and laity so that some are tonsured and some are not, and the tonsured are partly monks and partly priests, and the monks are even divided among themselves according to a variety of garbs and diets; the same persons who invented these things have severed and cut to pieces the unity of the Christian people (LW 36:159).
In short, divisions often happen in the church, too frequently for seemingly good or religious reasons. Our human sin works in such insidious ways that we ourselves are unaware that our “good intentions” might not be as good as we think, and sometimes they are not good at all, except to us. Recall that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which St. Luke’s left, engages in all manner of chicanery in the name of God, except that God does not need underhanded ecumenical accords or other shenanigans to accomplish his will, to unite his people, or to advance his mission. In fact, such deeds are contrary to all three.
Whether national church or local church, however, sin works the same. To help ensure that we sinners at St. Luke’s work together as harmoniously as possible, we seek to create constitutionally sound system for decision making with checks and balances in order to make our decisions together and to move forward together. In other words, my mantra of “no unnecessary conflict” is not just a buzz phrase. Sometimes conflict is necessary, and times arise when doctrinal issues regarding salvation are at stake. Most other “human” concerns are in comparison completely irrelevant. Jesus did not die on a cross for church social activities, personal preferences, decor, flags, etc., etc., etc., He died to set us free from sin and death. Until we are dead in the flesh, however, our sin can make such mundane things very divisive and destructive to the church. As Luther reminds us, we all want God not to be God and want ourselves to be God.
To help avoid such divisions, we have both regular council and congregational meetings. We seek as many solutions to concerns as possible from the congregation to draw upon the expertise of our members. We collect and pass ideas around for questions, consultation, and critique. All of this is important not simply for interpersonal peace. St. Luke’s mission depends to a considerable degree on our ability to live the life of the gospel which we deliver in so many ways to the community. Conversely, a harmonious congregation is both a place and an environment where people can find “sanctuary” from the toil, trauma, and tribulations which so often divide our lives, families, and society.
Unity and harmony in a church is built upon the unity and harmony of our relationship with God in Christ. So, how do we seek to strengthen that? Quite simply, we are called to hear God’s word as often as possible. So, at the beginning of a new year, ask yourself a few questions? Do you read your Bible every day? Are you a member of a weekly or monthly Bible study? Did you know that you can learn biblical material by being in the choir? Are you aware that being a Sunday School teacher is also a great way to learn the Bible? Have you attended one of St. Luke’s Theological Academy’s courses? When was the last time that you attended adult Sunday School? As the new year begins, turn a new leaf in that same old Bible, each and everyday. It is part of remembering our baptism daily. Happy New Year!
