Unity: One Church, One World


"One Church, One World"; that sounds so ominous. Indeed, haven't the prophecy buffs warned us against such a thing? Isn't the UN a tool of Satan? And the World Council of Churches -- well you know what they say about it?

Unity is for many little more than a conspiracy to undermine God's rule -- a sort of Tower of Babel. For Disciples, however, Unity is one of our central core values. We may not have fulfilled our dreams and calling as a movement -- the Stone-Campbell Movement has at least three major branches, with the Disciples actually being the smallest. That reality hasn't deterred us from keeping the flame burning, at least some of us have.

Michael Kinnamon, who is co-author with Jan Linn of the book under consideration -- Disciples: Reclaiming Our Identity, Reforming Our Practice (Chalice, 2009), has long been at the forefront of the Ecumenical Movement, having been the head of Churches Uniting in Christ, he's now General Secretary of the National Council of Churches. Thus, unity is at the forefront of his agenda.

Kinnamon and Linn take us back to the earliest days of our movement when Thomas Campbell in 1809 declared:

"The Church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things according to the Scriptures." (Declaration and Address, quoted on pg. 65).

As we begin the conversation, we're reminded that unity is a given, a gift of God, that are to receive and then inhabit. Our authors wish to remind us of this inheritance, and the urgency with which we must attend to it.

But what is unity? For many Protestants Christian unity is seen as invisible and spiritual. We assume it but don't pay much heed to it. The founders of this movement embraced a different vision -- one that lifted up a visible unity. It's not hierarchical as with the Catholic vision. They write:

"Disciples have been unusual in insisting that Christians can express their oneness in Christ without a magisterium, standardized forms of worship, or hierarchical decision-making structures (although we have yet to prove that it can be so!) (Disciples, p. 67).


So, what is the program here? The first point is that unity involves freedom -- not uniformity. Second, it assumes urgency. It's not a back-burner item, but at the very forefront of our agenda. Thomas Campbell spoke of division in the most stark terms -- calling it "anti-Christian" and "antiscriptural." It is an evil to be overcome. With unity as our vision, then we have traditionally seen our own community of faith as temporary, not permanent. There will come a day when we will merge into the whole church -- but we exist as long as we have a message to bring to that church.

As noted before, unity is a gift of God. The ecumenical movement doesn't create unity, it works to remove the obstacles. As also noted, Disciples believe that unity is visible. This involves organic union, though we're far from reaching that goal at this point. It is also assumed that this calling involves the whole church -- not just clergy.

What is important to note as the authors lay out the argument for Christian unity is that they have in mind a unity of humanity as well. They write:

The unity of the church is inseparable from, and indispensable to, the wholeness of human society. The church, as a sign and anticipation of what God intends for all creation, doesn't just campaign for peace and justice; it must demonstrate shalom in the way its members live with one another if its witness is to be credible and compelling. (p. 72).

In making this claim the authors remind us that many of the early leaders, including Campbell and Stone were pacifists. Thus, unity is to be seen not as subordinate to peace and justice concerns but the context and support for them. Peace and unity -- two important emphases, the first of which we have not totally understood or embraced.

Unity is at the heart of who we are. It's part of our identity. But there is much complexity to this plea, one that will require much of us. The authors ask whether we're ready to reclaim this heritage?
Can our own history help us to recognize that ecumenism, sometimes dismissed as irrelevant to the social struggles of the twenty-first century, is in fact desperately relevant in this age of seemingly perpetual violence? Can we demonstrate to church and society that it is possible to be both reconciling and prophetic? (p. 78).
Is unity something we can give lip service to, as a vestige of a heritage? Or is it at the heart of who we are, and the driver of our mission? That is the question!

Comments

Rebecca said…
I'm always interested in hearing what Kinnamon has to say because he pushes us to think more deeply about unity as it relates to peace and justice. Not always a message we hear these days. That said, I am skeptical we'll see much change in yours or my lifetime. People are attached to the particulars of their faith group (not just denominations either) and mostly, in my experience, see that as a good thing. Something major would have to happen to create an 'aha' moment, sadly. Until then, we can celebrate incremental change, I guess.

On a related note, John H. Thomas (UCC general minister) gave a compelling lecture on unity at East Dallas Christian Church. I wasn't there - one of our writers covered it. Sounds like his message was challenging. Here is the link: http://www.disciplesworld.com/newsArticle.html?wsnID=15423

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