I have a great appreciation for my Pastor. I appreciate his perspectives on most issues, and I appreciate his leadership within the church. However, for the last two years we have disagreed quite strongly on one particular significant issue. What that issue is, is not important to the topic at hand, but suffice to say, it is an issue that has divided many churches in the past, and had the potential to cause much dissension or division in our church as well.
But it didn’t.
The previous church that we attended closed because of divisiveness in the Elders Board. In my own life I have seen several churches struggle or fail because of church division. I never want to be the source of division like that. The Apostle Paul didn’t like division either. His command in Ephesians 4:3 really jumped out at me, as I was reading it, and I have kept coming back to it time after time.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Make every effort. That didn’t mean trying to resolve things once and then giving up. It meant trying and trying and trying again. It meant keeping on trying until there was no other option, and then trying some more.
Every effort.
Well, somehow through all that trying we managed to resolve the issue. For me, it meant saying that being a part of this particular church community was and is more important to me than being right. Being right is not always the most important thing, especially if it divides churches.
How would our churches be different if we “make every effort”? How would church history have looked? Would the Catholic and Orthodox churches still be one? Would the North American church be splintered into so many denominations?
What about truth you ask? Surely that is important?
I like what Rupertinius Meldenius (previously attributed to Saint Augustine) had to say about that:
In essentials, unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things charity.
Perhaps that can be our guiding principles for when we need to stand up for truth. Perhaps that would quell some of the “Worship Wars” that affect so many of our churches, maybe end some of our squabbles that in the grand scheme of things really aren’t that important.
If the Pope today can recite the Nicene Creed without the Filioque clause when in the presence of the Orthodox Patriarch, then maybe that maybe that difference wasn’t so great after all.
Sometimes being right is wrong. Not only if divides churches, but also if it ruins relationships, or breaks up marriages.
It is in the context of “make every effort” that Paul says in Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
This was a self-sacrificial love. A love that says I don’t put me first. A love that says I don’t have to be right even when I am!
Their was a comic in our newpaper recently where a young woman is interviewing a man for a possible dating relationship. She asks him, “What would you do if you found irrefutable proof that you were right in our disagreement?” He replied, “I would ask your forgiveness for doubting you in the first place.” Or in other words, I am a guy who doesn’t have to be right, even when I am.
So here is what I would like to ask our readers: What has “make every effort” meant to you? Can you think of times where you have “made every effort” and had it result in a positive outcome in your church or relationship? Have you seen the converse happen as well? I look forward to your responses.
Michael Bell
Joshua Hearne
Tim Melton
Joel Black
Hi!
Thank you for your article. I am still trying to define: “eclectic christian” and so far what I think I am hearing is you believe in Christ and he died on the cross for us, etc, however, also believe in other “religions” belief also. Not described very good, but hopefully you get the gist.
“Make every effort” to me brings me to my marriage of 38 years. Marriage is an ongoing difficult,pleasurable, peaceful journey in a nutshell.
I have learned that sometimes “my every effort” flat does not work and I must rely on God and TRUST that he will work things out according to HIS plan on a particular situation. “Let Go and Let Him” trust and believe and keep being the person I am called to be and that is Love, Peace, Kindness, patience, etc and work hard at being that person and let God do the rest.
Kinda rambled but hope you understand.
Hi Carolyn,
You didn’t get the correct understanding of what I mean by “Eclectic Christian”. I am a Christian, through and through. The eclecticness comes from looking at the good things that come from other Christian traditions that are outside my own. It does not come from belief in other world religions.