Unity
I have a love-hate relationship with Vacation Bible School week. I love seeing the children enjoy songs and crafts that tell the Old, Old Story, but I hate the exhaustion of trying to keep up with them. I am both in the afterglow of last week’s camp experience and wiped out from the exertion. Yet, as I reflect on all that God did in and through Lenape Valley last week, I am thankful once more for the reminder of how simple the good news of Jesus really is. Jesus loves me this I know…
On April 23, 1962, Karl Barth, the renown Swiss theologian, spoke at Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago. During the Q & A time, a student asked Barth to summarize his theology in a single sentence. The question seemed like an impossible challenge to the theologian. Barth was not known for brevity in his writing. His seminal work- Church Dogmatics- remains incomplete with 13 volumes and over 9000 pages of text. So, that day the audience was surprised by the simplicity of his answer. Barth said, “In the words of the song I learned at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’â€
The music that Group Publishing created for our Vacation Bible School Scuba adventure this year was poor at best. Our students struggled to master songs that held little in the way of Gospel content. One night, our VBS worship leader invited our children to sing one of the old standards of children’s ministry- Jesus Loves Me. Our children sang a robust rendition complete with sign language and a bit of humor. Imagine how we might sign the word “but†that left our whole VBS gathering surprised and laughing. What a joy to hear the sweet voices of our children singing: Jesus loves me this I know…
One VBS song did capture the attention and enthusiasm of our students this year: One Big Family. This song offered two minutes and thirty-six seconds of simple, repetitive lyrics that had our children jumping up and down, arms pumping in the air like an 80’s aerobic exercise routine.
On April 23, 1962, Karl Barth, the renown Swiss theologian, spoke at Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University of Chicago. During the Q & A time, a student asked Barth to summarize his theology in a single sentence. The question seemed like an impossible challenge to the theologian. Barth was not known for brevity in his writing. His seminal work- Church Dogmatics- remains incomplete with 13 volumes and over 9000 pages of text. So, that day the audience was surprised by the simplicity of his answer. Barth said, “In the words of the song I learned at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’â€
The music that Group Publishing created for our Vacation Bible School Scuba adventure this year was poor at best. Our students struggled to master songs that held little in the way of Gospel content. One night, our VBS worship leader invited our children to sing one of the old standards of children’s ministry- Jesus Loves Me. Our children sang a robust rendition complete with sign language and a bit of humor. Imagine how we might sign the word “but†that left our whole VBS gathering surprised and laughing. What a joy to hear the sweet voices of our children singing: Jesus loves me this I know…
One VBS song did capture the attention and enthusiasm of our students this year: One Big Family. This song offered two minutes and thirty-six seconds of simple, repetitive lyrics that had our children jumping up and down, arms pumping in the air like an 80’s aerobic exercise routine.
I gotta Friend in Jesus… You’ve gotta friend in me…
Let’s have some fun with each other…
cause we’re all one big happy family
Let’s have some fun with each other…
cause we’re all one big happy family
The truth declared in this song is so simple, so basic, so important, but too often gets lost in the chaos of our world today. If the Bible tells us that Jesus loves me and you, then we must be one big family. And shouldn’t we be a happy family? What a simple- Jesus loves me- call to unity.
After shots rang out across a Pennsylvania farm field ten days ago, a yearning cry for unity was heard across our nation. We are tired of the rancor… tired of the nastiness… tired of the back biting and name calling. The world may be at war, but we yearn for our nation to live at peace. So, the cry arose for our politicians to sound the clarion call to unity. But we know from experience that our politicians will fail to unify a nation that is bitterly divided. Their efforts toward unity will focus on unifying their party and their base of support. I would judge our politicians and find them wanting, but we ask of them what politics is not designed to accomplish. Politics is all about competition… my idea over yours… my party, my vision, my claim to control our nation’s direction. “One nation under God†is a line in our pledge that our politicians ignore in a struggle for dominance. Our hope for true unity vanishes before the rallies and speeches are over.
Yet, as those who sing Jesus loves me this I know, we cannot ignore His call to unity. His love calls us to love each other, to live in the sweet unity that comes when we belong to Jesus. Our unity is not based on our agreement, or the doctrine that we believe, or the politics we claim. In a Jesus loves me fellowship, the definitions of the world fall away. We are not Red or Blue, not Democrat or Republican, not Progressive or Conservative. We are only His, marked by His name, saved by His blood, loved by His grace, and called by His Spirit. We stand united not because of who we are, but because of whose we are. In the months ahead, our fellowship must be a safe haven, a peaceful refuge where all are welcome with arms open wide. We must check the world’s segregating differences at the door. Only one definition matters when we cross the threshold- Jesus loves me this I know. I belong to Him and Him alone. I will live for Him. I will honor Him. My speech and my actions will show His love. Because He loves, I will love. May the Jesus loves me (and you) unity that we are called to offer a blessing to our community. The Psalmist reminds us:
After shots rang out across a Pennsylvania farm field ten days ago, a yearning cry for unity was heard across our nation. We are tired of the rancor… tired of the nastiness… tired of the back biting and name calling. The world may be at war, but we yearn for our nation to live at peace. So, the cry arose for our politicians to sound the clarion call to unity. But we know from experience that our politicians will fail to unify a nation that is bitterly divided. Their efforts toward unity will focus on unifying their party and their base of support. I would judge our politicians and find them wanting, but we ask of them what politics is not designed to accomplish. Politics is all about competition… my idea over yours… my party, my vision, my claim to control our nation’s direction. “One nation under God†is a line in our pledge that our politicians ignore in a struggle for dominance. Our hope for true unity vanishes before the rallies and speeches are over.
Yet, as those who sing Jesus loves me this I know, we cannot ignore His call to unity. His love calls us to love each other, to live in the sweet unity that comes when we belong to Jesus. Our unity is not based on our agreement, or the doctrine that we believe, or the politics we claim. In a Jesus loves me fellowship, the definitions of the world fall away. We are not Red or Blue, not Democrat or Republican, not Progressive or Conservative. We are only His, marked by His name, saved by His blood, loved by His grace, and called by His Spirit. We stand united not because of who we are, but because of whose we are. In the months ahead, our fellowship must be a safe haven, a peaceful refuge where all are welcome with arms open wide. We must check the world’s segregating differences at the door. Only one definition matters when we cross the threshold- Jesus loves me this I know. I belong to Him and Him alone. I will live for Him. I will honor Him. My speech and my actions will show His love. Because He loves, I will love. May the Jesus loves me (and you) unity that we are called to offer a blessing to our community. The Psalmist reminds us:
How good and how pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.
Psalm 133:1
Psalm 133:1
With you singing Jesus loves me (and you) for the world,
Anita
Anita
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1 Comment
Unity as applied to the church will always be a difficult ideal. In John 17. The pastoral prayer of Jesus in the Upper Room. The specific term he used as applied to his church and disciples is "oneness". As in may they all be one. Different from Unity. The Greek and Hebrew rendering of the term Unity speaks to this oneness. Of heart and spirit. Jesus was well aware what and where he was sending his followers out in the world. He knew his church would be messy chaotic diverse. At times broken split factions. Who is of Paul who is of Apollis and alike. Who is PCUSA. Who is ECP ECO PCA ARPC OPC. You get the point. Unity is an ideal a place we all wish to get to and will not on this side of his Kingdom. That day will
nCome. It's what we do here and now that counts.
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nKris and I go back over 20 years of LVC. From my NAS Willow Grove days. 4 pastors counting the interims. Days when I was pariah associate with Doug doing adult Ed marriage retreats preaching etc. Walked in the front door maybe 1000 times. I have never been asked to show an ID. Whether I was legal. Whether I was married whether I was D or R. Red Blue etc. We open our doors every day and we don't screen for politics ideology theology or any "ology". Is that unity. Doubt it. Folks will always disagree about something hot button May be closer to oneness though
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