The CROSS and Church Unity

So...I'll be honest - I'm behind, but wanted to get some thoughts out from the Section 1 reading.

Leading up to reading the whole section on The CROSS and Church Unity, I was talking with some other leaders from my church about this very thing - UNITY. It's always funny (read: intentional) when God melds two seemingly different worlds together at the same time. It sends my brain and heart on high alert - because I know He's trying to communicate something important.

And really, what is more important to the Father except his Bride (the church) living in unity with one another? Paul talks about it a ton in his letters to the early church - Jesus talked about it - heck, even the Trinity modeled it.

When I think of believers living in unity like Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians (and many other places) - I picture two experiences of mine: Sonshine and my current church (Active Church). There's been other ministry experiences where unfortunately, I don't believe there was this kind of unity. As I thought about this recently, I asked myself "what's the common theme between Sonshine and what I'm experiencing in ministry right now?" (Quick backstory - I helped launch a church last year, and have been a part of the leadership team for a little over a year now. We've been able to build a culture from the ground up and it's been one of the healthiest experiences I've had in ministry in a while!)

Common themes:

1. Self-giving sacrificial servanthood - "Authentic Christian leaders are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (145) The leaders I've had the privilege of serving alongside at Sonshine and currently am serving with at Active have given themselves unequivocally to radical service. There's something about doing it together, working for the same mission, and seeing lives change because of what God is doing that unifies a body of believers.
2. Preaching Christ crucified - "Christian unity flows from Christ crucified." (101) At Sonshine and Active, the gospel is preached through both word and deed - and it's straight Jesus. Nothing frilly, nothing sugar coated, but Jesus on the cross. Everyone knows the same Jesus - the one who bore the sins of the world on his shoulders so that we could all have life.
3. Complete and utter neediness for the Spirit's leading and guiding. I think we can all relate to this from a Sonshine perspective - there's a point in the summer where we know it's not us anymore (if we ever believed it was in the first place!). As a church planter - man, we had no idea what was going to happen. Was anyone gonna show up? Is this thing gonna last? Are people going to experience life change? Is the sound system gonna work today? These are all questions we asked ourselves over the past year. All we could was trust that the Spirit was leading, and that if we followed - as a unified team - that he would move. And without fail - He shows up, every time. Every Sunday. Every Wednesday/Thursday night program during the summer.

All this points me back to Paul's writing to the Philippians (emphasis mine):

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

I think God smiles when he sees people running after Jesus together as a team. No, I know He delights in seeing his Bride pursuing Jesus and people in unity.

As I get the opportunity to continue to help build the culture of a brand new church, and the culture within ministries inside that - UNITY will remain central. Because I know the thing the enemy wants the most is to divide and conquer. And the thing that Jesus wants the most - might just be his ONE bride that he's coming back for.

Reid & Steve - thanks for facilitating, for so many years, a UNIFIED team under a UNIFIED vision to run after the Person who matters most in this world - Jesus himself.

-Red Shark 

*for those not aware of the context for the nickname: here's a quick link for all your future tubing needs https://www.amazon.com/Island-Hopper-Banana-Passenger-Towable/dp/B005DRTIE4