The service was simple. No accompaniment. No fanfare. Simple stories were shared of three movements separated. Stories of communion tokens tossed aside. It was a setting that anyone from my community of faith would have been comfortable. There were 40+ people from my faith community who experienced this worship.
Sunday evening at a Dallas church building, Christians from the Disciples of Christ, Churches of Christ and Christian Churches came together for the first time in 100 years. These were once united by a clarion call to be "Christians only, but not the only Christians" almost 200 years ago. However, about 100 years ago these believers were divided from one another by their differences. Lost was the focus upon Jesus as the King.
On this Sunday evening, the name of Jesus was exalted over the differences. Will the differences disappear? No. But neither will Jesus disappear. Jesus will outlast our differences into eternity.
Different ministers from churches with different names stood together to share words of about the breaking of bread and friendship. Different scholars from schools with different affiliations read from the same Bible. Different believers with difference experiences sang the same songs. We all prayed through Jesus to one God, enabled by one Spirit. It was one special night.
2 comments:
Amazing what can be accomplished when the name calling and finger pointing are absent.
CAT
You are so right. In marriage, guiding children, working with people at the office, in politics and of course at church. Do we point fingers and call names? Nah.
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