Our congregation celebrated the art of quilting last February. Sanctuary pews were draped in their beautiful array of textures, patterns, and colors. Quilts told stories of families, places, loves, losses, hopes, and dreams. Whether sewn in community or in solitude, the unique works of art shared a common composition – the sewing together of diverse pieces into one. It got me thinking about the Church of God and its struggle for and with the ideal of unity throughout its history, so I pulled an article my father wrote in 1986 to share with you. It is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago. (Sherilyn Beverly Myricks, Arlington Church of God, Akron, OH)
Who’s Calling Us Together?
by Rev. Dr. Sethard A. Beverly
Director of Urban Ministries, Board of Church Extensions and Home Missions
Church of God Anderson, Indiana
Originally printing – Metro-Voice Newsletter, Summer 1986
Who’s Pulling the Movement Together?
A group our size naturally has plenty of seams, but where are the seam sewers among us? Dare we leave it to the Holy Spirit to do? Are we not mandated to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)?
Someone or office in the church should be about the task of sewing us together, programmatically; across continents, country, cultures, colors, caucuses, and let’s not forget, across town!
The biblical witness is clear: being true to the nature and mission of the church requires unity. Disunity denies the nature and threatens the mission of the church as the body of Christ in the world.
Hispanics, Indians, Asians, Arabs, Blacks and Whites within the church all need calling together. Leaders with differing views, emphases, and styles need calling together. Interest groups need calling together. Local pastors and churches within metropolitan areas need calling together. To be Christ’s church we must love one another and find ways to work together, supportively and accountably.
Since it appears that no one in our structure carries the assignment of calling us all together in fellowship and ministry, let’s do it ourselves!
Do It Yourself Unity Assignment (Some Suggestions)
1. Proclaim Unity: Theologize it, preach it, dialogue about it – at our home churches, and especially at ministers’ meetings.
2. Practice Unity: Personally model it in our local churches and with pastor colleagues and sister congregations in metro areas. Let’s not just talk it.
3. Promote Unity: Pray for it and lend our energies to cooperative efforts rather than to divisive efforts.
4. Program Unity: Creatively address and plan for unity in our local churches and in our metro area church calendars.
5. Celebrate Unity: Applaud and award persons who show moral courage to model unity heterogeneously – across class and cultures, and with people of language and color.
Let Brotherly Love Flourish
Away with distrust, ego tripping, jealousy, and competition! Away with careerism! Away with individualism, institutionalism, and isolationism! Away with racism, classism, sexism and ageism! We have an ideal to live up to and a job to get done!
The world is tearing itself apart at the seams. “A united church for a divided world” is yet the need of the hour. Let’s get with it. They’ll know we are Christians by our needle and thread!
