This is a response to Ali Baba's demand for a further essay into "orthodox Christian unity" following Global Review's post on the Anglican resubmission proposal last week.
"When Christ returns it will be to a bride, not a brothel."
This is my misquote, of forgotten origin, which I heard more than once from my priest, to whom is due much of the distillation of these thoughts.
Christ is the head of the Church - His church. When He consummates all time, that Church - that Bride - will be One and headed by One. There will be no division in the Church Victorious.
Today, Christianity is not one. It is splintered into countless pieces. Wikipedia attempts something of a listing of Christian denominations, but even this does not capture the atomization of Christ's church. How do we account for this flagrant discrepancy? Muslims cite it as evidence that Christianity has corrupted God's truth. Atheists cite it as evidence that Christians have created God in our own various images. Westerners cite it as evidence that Christians are independent thinkers, children of the enlightenment. Are these outsiders correct?
God says that His church is One. The world says the church is splintered. Likewise, God says that His children are pure, forgiven, immortal, holy, children of God. We look in the mirror and see corrupt, sinful, selfish mortals. Part of the process of sanctification is to recognize our identity before God and, humbled by the discrepancy between that identity and our daily filth, to conform our attitudes and actions to the former. We should act likewise toward the church.
The Church is One, as God is One (John 17). To the extent that we recognize and practice this, we validate God's view over that of the world. In light of this, we should strive for the unification of the Church however we can within the bounds of orthodoxy.
How is the Church unified? This may be an administrative and authoritative act, as the Anglican proposal would be. More deeply, however, it is a revolution of attitudes and actions at every level. Christians are one when we pray and worship together, when we support one another's efforts, and when we give to those parts that are in need. This begins with a heart attitude of humility. If God has not rejected a fellow believer, who are we to reject him? Too many churches pride themselves on the arcane detail of their theology. But will they not 'know we are Christians by our love'? For 'knowledge puffs up, but love edifies' (I Corinthians 8:1). Our unity is of love, not of theology.
Unity occurs in the context of orthodoxy. Orthodoxy has been defined (again, a misquote) as "what was believed by most Christians at most times". This is not really a definition, though; it is a litmus test. A truer definition is, that which is Biblically grounded and essential to the Christian faith. Pragmatically, an adherence to orthodoxy allows us to distinguish between those who are Christians and those who are not. Any group that rejects the divinity of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the trinity of God, and the inspiration of scripture, inter alia, is not orthodox. We do not seek unity with those who reject the fundamental doctrines.
If unity and orthodoxy are indeed so vitally important, how can a Christian continue to worship and serve in any denomination? As it is written, "what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Mark 10:9). Why did God allow denominations? Because, and here I quote Peter Kreeft, God is good. God loves the church too much to let her languish under corrupt Popes or agnostic pastors. Unity qua unity is not the virtue we seek, but unity under Christ. To be unified apart from Christ is the arrogance of ancient Babel and apocalyptic Babylon.
A central and indispensable aspect of Christian worship, therefore, is the unity of the Bride of Christ. Unity is of love, not of imposition; it comes from humbling oneself before other believers. Unity is an act of worship, and must be under the One Head. Unity is a fact, not a goal: we were saved into one faith, we are One in our worship of Christ, and we will be the one Bride He claims.
7 comments:
For a better essay into the topic, listen to Peter Kreeft's sermon, Ecumenism, available from his website.
Oh, and Ali Baba - now you owe me the breakdown of the Supreme Court decision, before it gets stale!
Excellent thoughts, Chops.
It seems to be that such unity can only be found when one views the church as a gift from Christ that allows us to serve and honor Him better. Unfortunately it seems that many in the modern church believe the Church exists for them. It exists to meet my needs, make me feel better about my self, and to provide an place where I feel comfortable, happy, and nice on Sundays. This selfish, misguided, and wrong approach contributes to Christian disunity because the justification for leaving ones church and joinind or founding new denominations is not the escape from "corrupt popes and agnostic pastors" but rather one's own personal comfort and fulfillment.
The key for Christian unity is to remind ourselves that the entire reason we are Christians is that Christ in his amazing love for us degraded himself by appearing on our world in our form and took the punishment of death for our sins which enabled us to return to our original state as children of God. This understanding should inspire a compelling need to worship alongside those who believe the same regardless of the form that worship takes. It is when the Church loses sight of the centrality of the sacrifice of Christ that its focus switches to its own selfish desires which is the main source of division in the church today.
That big comment was me.
ali baba
Excellent observations, Ali.
Ali & Chops the future of Christian Theology. I for one, feel like we are in good hands...
'ppreciate it
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