Text: John 17:20-26
As he said farewell to his disciples, Jesus prayed that his disciples and those who followed “might all be one.” Ever since, the Church has honoured Jesus’ wishes more in the breach than in the observance. Far from disappearing, Christian disunity—for some the greatest scandal of church history—seems to me to be on the upswing. There are positive movements here and there, but it seems to me that the tone of dialogue between Christians has changed for the worse in recent years, even within Anglicanism.
I could dwell on negatives all day, but I choose not to do so. Rather, I want to reflect briefly on two things that happened in my life in the past weeks, which give me new hope for our continued unity.
First, in my homily of two weeks ago, I took the position that questions relating to sexual ethics do not have to be communion-breaking, if we choose to live by Jesus’ new commandment. I acknowledge that this is not a universally-accepted position, and that some people find it difficult to accept. However, the feedback I received on that homily was overwhelmingly positive, from people of St. Matthew’s and elsewhere, some of whom I know hold opposing views on the question of the blessing of same-sex unions. What I heard in that response was a great desire to remain together in this big tent.
Unity in Christ does not mean absolute agreement on all things in all particulars—human life is too complex and messy for that to happen. And wouldn’t it be dull if everyone thought and felt the same about everything? (It would, however, spare us the necessity of the election process.) Creation shows us that diversity is a fundamental feature of life.
To be alive is to grow.
To grow is to change.
To change is to be challenged by new things.
A living Church can never be a static church, but must address the changing reality around it. The only thing more uncomfortable than dealing with some questions is the discomfort of irrelevance. Dialogue builds up God’s people, as we together seek to know a little more of the mind of God. In this quest we may be unified, but we should never demand total agreement in our answers.
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We are speaking of God. Is it any wonder if you do not comprehend? For if you comprehend, it is not God you comprehend. Let it be a pious confession of ignorance rather than a rash profession of knowledge. To attain some slight knowledge of God is a great blessing; to comprehend him, however, is totally impossible.[i]
The desire for comprehension, and the certainty some have that they know the mind of God, has led to many divisions in the Body of Christ. One of the hallmarks of Anglicanism, found embedded in the XXXIX Articles, is the affirmation that churches have erred.[ii] If other churches in the past have erred, then in this age so can we err. This is not a condemnation of the church, but an acknowledgement that the church is a provisional reality, given for our good until Christ comes again.
Real unity is found in talking and praying together with the recognition that none of us have full knowledge of the mind of God. I have heard the desire for this dialogue and prayer expressed here and in the wider church in past weeks, and I rejoice. Many people are walking together on the road to the kingdom.
The second thing that has given me cause for hope was my participation last weekend in our Provincial Advisory Committee on Postulants for Ordination (ACPO). Each year, the Bishops of our ecclesiastical province send candidates for ordination to this conference. After a series of interviews, each candidate’s bishop receives a report containing recommendations about the candidate’s vocational future. It is an intense event, for both candidates and assessors, but the process has proven its worth over the past 35 or more years.
The assessor panels consist of both clergy and lay people. We are not there to “judge” the candidates, but are rather given the privilege of walking with them in their journey, helping them to refine and clarify their own sense of calling to the priesthood. The privilege is not just that of sharing the candidates’ stories, but also in participating in the ongoing renewal and rebuilding of the Church.
The candidates this year were a diverse group in age, occupational history, education, and religious background. There were more men than women, a change from some recent years. Not surprisingly, their gifts for ministry varied widely in nature. Nonetheless, there was something very important that united them: a burning desire to serve God in the church, to use their gifts for the building up of God’s people.
Participation in ACPO, whether as candidate or assessor, is in itself an act of hope, a declaration of one’s belief that God is not finished with the church. Seen up close, the results give me even more hope. God is not finished with the church, and God has great things in mind for us. The quality of our future ordained leadership is not in question. The commitment of these people to this holy enterprise, even when some of them have questions about the future shape of the church, is further cause for hope.
Christ prayed for our unity. Let us commit ourselves to that same prayer—and to faithfulness in working for it. As we walk together, and talk together, and pray together, and eat together, so together we may come to God’s kingdom.
Thanks be to God, who leads us on, giving us faithful companions and gifted leaders as we journey together.