What is “unity”? According to dictionary.com, it could be:
- The state of being one; oneness;
- A whole or totality as combining all its parts into one;
- The state or fact of being united or combined into one, as the parts of a whole; unification.
They list four more answers, but I think you probably get the picture by now. I prefer the third definition because it carries with it the thought of continual formation which Paul urges us to seek as those called with grace by the Gospel into the body of Christ, having “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4); Peter commends it to us (1 Peter 3:8); and the Psalmist exalts (Psalm 133). Unity is exactly what we think it is—but it is a whole lot more than meets the eye. Sometimes it helps to think of a concept in relation to its inverse. Unity is powerful, disunity is weak. Unity is elusive, disunity is easy to come by. Unity requires intentionality, disunity arises from apathy. Unity is not just something that can be talked about, but it is something which comes from shared values, goals, and vision.
But this blog is not about how to achieve unity; indeed, there are numerous books to that extent. Instead, I want to consider what benefits we can receive from congregational unity. But first, a story for illustration. As you may know, one of my gifts is athletics, especially football, so reaching into the community as a football coach was quite natural for me. In my first season as a coach, we had a pretty good team. We went 6-3 and won two playoff games before losing to the eventual state-runners up. One play really sticks out from that season, in a game against a team considerably inferior to ours. We called a simple running play, “Red 30 Trap.” On this play, the left guard was supposed to pull (on the snap, immediately run) right, and block the first guy he saw in the other uniform. For some reason, both of our guards decided to pull—the left guard running right, the right guard running left. They were destined to meet head on.
Unity is tricky—we love to talk about it, but it is difficult to maintain it around fallen humanity. As with a football team, it can be easily disrupted both by external forces (the other team) and internal ones (a player who makes a mistake). It does not take much for humans to let a little disunity spiral out of control, and alliances to form which threaten unity. Sadly, there is an old joke that “Where two or three Lutherans are gathered, there a new synod is formed.” The biblical imperative to unity is easy to recognize, but the present reality is much harder to realize. When a congregation is unified, however, incredible things can happen, and that is the point of this blog: to encourage you toward unity because the benefits are well worth the battle. In fact, I urge you to take a moment to read Psalm 133, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 3. Don’t they describe the kind of church that you want to be a part of?
I see three distinct benefits to congregational unity, and having seen times of both unity and disunity, I can say that the blessings of unity are a far healthier way for both congregations and leaders!
1. Unity in the congregation brings clarity
I have learned that unity does not come from clarity, but rather the other way around. We can all be clear about our mission statement, but that does not mean we are unified behind it. On the other hand, when we are unified as a congregation around the important things (Jesus, our redemption by His cross (i.e. the Gospel), and our living out our faith (i.e. our sanctification)), the road to accomplishing our mission becomes clear. It also allows us to see, clearly, how each ministry and each member of the congregation functions together to accomplish what we are striving for. When we are in a state of disunity, everything becomes an either/or decision and opinion: either you are for a specific ministry or objective, or you are against it. This is evidenced by the disunity of major political parties in America—two distinct visions produce a model whereby you are forced to choose one or the other. The church is called to be something greater than American politics; it is called to unity in the faith for the sake of the world.
2. Unity in the congregation positively impacts the community
Speaking of the above, unity in the congregation is a benefit to the entire community. When considering a ministry, a course of action, or whether an event fits within the scope of our ministry, it is important to keep a variation of this question in mind: “If our church ceased to exist (did or did not do this ______), would the community notice?” Whether you realize it or not, the community that you serve has an opinion about your congregation—even if they do not know you are there. (Side note—I think it would be interesting to take a video camera around town, ask people what they think about our church, then play the video back to the congregation on Sunday morning.) If the congregation is unified, it is less likely to fight, bicker, or have an inward focus. In other words, the church is more likely to have a positive perception within the community, and to be doing things to impact the community.
3. Unity in the congregation heals all who are part of it
This element alone should be enough for congregations to strive for unity—because we are all broken sinners who need to be healed by God. I know that I have been hurt by disunity in the congregation, and I’m sure you have too. Isn’t it amazing what having a little unity can do for your spirit? Church workers will be happier and more effective when they are able to do their job—the thing that they were called into ministry to do—rather than trying to fight against disunity. Church members who see the congregation living out the things they claim to believe in on Sundays will be much less likely to leave for calmer waters somewhere down the street, or give up on faith altogether. Finally, the community who sees a unified church will realize that there is something important going on there—namely, the Good News of Jesus—and will want to know “the reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Remember, one key component to ministry is reconciliation, unity.
One ministry story sums up how congregational unity can have a worldwide impact. A few years ago, our congregation was somewhat split over whether to keep our Lutheran Day School or shut it down. There were some members who, while valuing Lutheran education, thought the cost was not justifiable. Others thought we needed the school no matter the cost. People on both sides threatened to leave if they did not get their way. During National Lutheran Schools Week this year, Trinity’s congregation came together at the school, with people present who were on both sides of the debate, to package 15,120 meals that we are sending to our Lutheran brothers and sisters in Liberia. We were on the television news with this, and on the front page of the local paper and, although our Gospel proclamation was somewhat censored, folks have come to know that Trinity is not closed, but indeed very alive and active! This has had an impact on the workers, the congregation, Jackson County, and even folks across the world in Africa.
Remember the play I spoke about earlier—two offensive linemen running right at each other? It still baffles my mind, and I enjoy going back to watching that play on our highlight film, but the two guards did not notice each other wearing the same colors, and they blocked each other. Well, that’s putting it mildly. They ran full speed into each other, and both were knocked to the ground. The disunity of our line on that play could not be overstated! Thankfully, we were still better than the other team, and the play made the highlight tape because the running back was able to make a defender miss and run for a touchdown. The good news for us is this—even when we have a little congregational disunity, we still have a real God Who gave a real Savior Who gave a real Holy Spirit to us. A little disunity can be overcome, and the benefits to the workers, the congregation, and the community (even the community worldwide) are astounding, because it is God’s work.
What other benefits to unity have you seen? Please share them here!
Photo (c) OJO_Images
