Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Beauty of Unity

This morning I joined the Karagoulis family in Lansing for the service at a Greek Orthodox church. I was able to follow along pretty well for the most part, and I enjoyed testing out how much I remembered Greek. There was a lot of the service that I didn't understand or participate in, but the parts that I did, I really appreciated. Not just for the personal value I received from them or the worship I gave to the Lord, but for the fact that I can go to a church service that is completely foreign to me and acknowledge the same Lord and Father of us all. I was able to recite the Nicene Creed and the Lord's Prayer with my brothers and sisters, and drink in the richness of the Christian tradition that spans thousands of years, hundreds of nations, and a multitude of denominations.

This is something that I always enjoy learning again and again: that I love the Body of Christ. I love the Church which comprises every person who has ever called on the name of Jesus for salvation and sought to live a life of discipleship. I marvel in the Grace of the Lord which is as broad as it is deep. I rejoice in the Lord who accepts and cherishes people of all nations, races, and backgrounds.

And I celebrate the incredible opportunity I have this year of being part of a community that celebrates and practices and works really hard at Christian ecumenism, in order to unite the Body of Christ as one. There is no Protestant, Orthodox, or Catholic. There is no Jew or Greek, no slave or free, no male or female, but we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). There is one body and one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all (Ephesians 4:4-6). And it is truly a beautiful thing. It's not perfect, and won't be until Jesus returns. But I feel so blessed to be a part of this, where we get to actually practice Christian unity on a regular basis.

With all that divides us, may the bond of unity that binds us be stronger still. May it be the blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins that reconciles us not only to the Lord, but to each other. And this Advent season, as we await the Lord's return, may we pray and look forward (while also working toward!) that day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, and we will be as one in our eternal worship of the King of kings.

3 comments:

  1. Too beautiful for words. Very well said Ben.

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  2. Love it! so much actually that I might just pull some stuff for a paper I am writing on ecumenism! Do you mind if I quote you?? :D

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