Psalm 133: 1–3, John 17: 20–23

By Revd George Mwaura

Teamwork!

On this Covenant Day, I want us to talk about something that God passionately desires for his Church. It is the one thing Satan fears and works day and night to undo. It is something for which Jesus himself prayed just before he went to the cross. What am I referring to? Church unity, of course. Later in the Service I will invite you to repeat words from our Covenant that goes: ‘Believing that the unity of the Church is the will of God, we, the members and minister of the Church of Christ the Cornerstone, hereby covenant …’

Now, when I speak about unity, I am not talking about union – that is being bonded together without necessarily sharing a common purpose. I am not talking about uniformity either, where everyone looks and thinks alike. Nor am I talking about unanimity, where everybody must agree about everything. God does not demand uniformity or unanimity. What God desires is unity: a oneness of heart, a similarity of purpose. Satan is no match for a united church, however small that church may be. But however large a church is, Satan can defeat it member by member, committee by committee. Why? Because the devil’s tools are division, deception and destruction. But he cannot defeat a church united in Jesus Christ. Even the gates of hell cannot prevail against a church united in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen?

I read a humorous story about a man who couldn’t swim but went fishing with friends anyway: Dah! He caught an enormous fish and, in his excitement, fell overboard. ‘Help! I can’t swim!’ he cried. The captain reached out and grabbed his arm, but it was an artificial arm, and it came off! He grabbed the man’s leg, but that was an artificial limb too, and it came off. Finally, he grabbed him by the hair, only to discover he was wearing a toupee. The captain looked at him and said, ‘Mister, if you won’t stick together, I can’t help you!’

Listen, friends: if we are going to be victorious in our quest to make Cornerstone an Oasis of hope and to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish in this city, we must stick together. It was wonderful for our denominational leaders to sign the Covenant document we reference every year, but that document means absolutely nothing unless we work tirelessly towards the unity it proclaims.

Perhaps the most beautiful prayer ever prayed for the Church is found in our Gospel reading; listen: I do not pray for these alone – who?  but also, for those who will believe in me through their word, – you and me – that they all may be one, as you, Father, and I are one. Jesus prayed that you and I will be one as he and God are one! That is why disharmony and disunity grieves God and his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit flourishes where God’s people seek peace, reconciliation and unity.

You have heard it said that there is strength in numbers. Well, that’s not technically true! There is strength in numbers, yes, only when those numbers are united. One brick cannot make a wall, but a thousand bricks still cannot make a wall unless they are joined together with cement.

So, what is the basis of this unity I speak of? Allow me to suggest three things. The first basis of unity is belief in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ rather than personal agendas or competing human authorities, we can remain a united church. The Lordship of Jesus is not merely the basis of unity; Christ is the bond of our unity.

The second basis of this unity is the life of God’s Spirit. Notice the comparison David makes in Psalm 133. He compares unity to precious oil poured upon the head, running down Aaron’s beard. Why oil? Because throughout Scripture oil symbolises God’s Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the source of Christian unity. Aaron, the high priest, was washed and anointed before entering God’s presence. The fragrance of the anointing oil marked him as one set apart for God. Unity, my friends, cannot be forced from outside – that is uniformity. True unity is generated from within by the Holy Spirit of God. That is why Paul tells the Ephesians: ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’ Notice that Paul does not say create unity. The Spirit creates unity. Our responsibility is to keep it, guard it, and treasure it!

The third basis of this unity is the leadership of God’s servants. Some churches struggle because ministers want to lead but the congregation will not let them. Others struggle because congregations desperately need leadership, but ministers will not provide it.

The relationship between leaders and people is beautifully illustrated in Joshua. The people entered the Promised Land, overcame enormous obstacles and turned vision into reality because they rallied together under faithful leadership. I am convinced that much strife, bickering and division can be overcome when a church makes these fundamental decisions: to pray for, to support and to work with its leaders. And in this respect, I am ever so grateful for the support I have received from you in the last ten years –Thank you!

Then David gives us another beautiful image. Unity, he says, is: ‘like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life forevermore.’ Why dew? In David’s world farming depended heavily upon the morning dew. With little rain and no modern irrigation, dew brought moisture to crops and life to the land. To a farmer, the morning dew meant food on the table and provision for the family.

What dew does for the land, unity does for God’s Church. Where unity abounds, relationships grow. Where unity abounds, ministry flourishes. Where unity abounds, wounds begin to heal. Where unity abounds, God commands his blessing. There is nothing sweeter than when the dew of heaven’s grace and the Spirit’s unity rest upon a church. So, on this Covenant Sunday, let us do more than repeat the words of a historic document. Let us start to live out the Covenant.

Let us refuse the temptation to divide. Let us pray for one another. Let us support those called to lead us. And above all, let us keep Christ at the centre. Because a united church may not agree about everything, but it knows who its Lord is, whose Spirit gives it life, and what mission God has called it to fulfil. May the dew of God’s grace continue to fall upon Cornerstone, and may the Holy Spirit keep making us one, on this Covenant Sunday and beyond. And the church says?

Amen