You recognize the title of my sermon as the motto of our nation, E Pluribus Unum, meaning, “out of many, one.” It is inscribed on our coins and in many other places in our government expressing who we are. It is a wonderful idea and our nation is about bringing many diverse people, races, from all over the world and trying to form them into a oneness called The United States of America. As noble as that ideal is, we also realize it is not true. We are not really one as a nation, except in name .

However, the church is where that motto, e pluribus unum, should find its best expression. It is miraculous when it happens, as Jesus indicates. It is a product of His life within us–
I have given them the glory that you gave me,
that they may be one as we are one:
 I in them and you in me. (22-23)
At our invitation, Jesus enters into our lives through the Holy Spirit, so He does indeed live in us. One manifestation of the life of Jesus within us is the kind of love Jesus expresses. That love is beyond our human capability and will witness to the world that we have Christ living in us.

While all of Jesus’ words are essential and important for us, this is the only time Jesus specifically speaks of his heart’s concern for those of us who would come to faith later through the witness of the disciples. So I think it’s fair to say this is really, really important. Living in unity with other believers, then, is not just some nice ideal, but a core issue.

Also, by praying this way, Jesus knows where we’re going to have problems, and where we need a lot of help. Getting along with one another is never easy! All the letters in the New Testament, written to churches, to some degree address this problem of loving one another and living in unity in the church. Some letters are almost entirely dealing with this. And, of course, you can look out at the current church landscape with our multitude of denominations. I think there’s in the neighborhood of 7,000 different Christian denominations. While being together in organization and even in doctrine is not essential, working together in unity and loving and caring for one another across denominational lines is essential because it is the heart of what Jesus calls us to do. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, who affirms Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are part of the Body of Christ along with us. We must never put-down, reject, or in any way fail to love another Christian.

The big picture of the unity of all believers in all churches is important. But we need to start where we are, in our church family. I know I am easily infected by the rampant individualism of our day. It seems like one theme in our culture is for everyone to be independent, live unto themselves. We don’t want to wait for anyone, adapt to anyone else’s needs, or share what we have. Even if it’s an item we use just once or twice a year, we all want our own so we don’t have to ask someone else to help us out. Our communities contain less and less community. In his book, Bowling Alone , Robert Putman notes changes over in the last 25 years that denote a decline in community:

1. Attending club meetings, down 58%

1. Family dinners, down 33%
2. Having friends over, down 45%

The church is where true community should be exhibited to the world. Let’s look at some ways we can all grow in this area.

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
First of all, it means we need to be together in the church to develop community. Being one with each other is not just sentiment, theory, or some ethereal ideal. If it is to have any depth and meaning, it means getting close to others and learning to love them within the church. Many today feel they can be a “good Christian” without being involved with a church family. Now I’m not going to pass judgement and say everyone outside a church family cannot be a Christian. But, Biblically speaking, and in Jesus’ clear teaching, a crucial part of being a Christian is our connection to the church. I will admit, in many ways, it is far easier to be a Christian without the church. It spares us a lot of inconvenience, commitment to things we may not feel excited about or really feel like doing, the relationships we don’t choose that can sometimes be messy, and occasionally, it can spare us from being hurt by others. But, staying away from the church or keeping it at arms length denies us the opportunity of the most profound character changes and learning to love like Christ. You see, church and family are the only places we don’t get to choose who we live and work with. And that is what makes the church so valuable in knocking off our rough edges and shaping us into expressions of Christ’s love.

Craig Barnes notes that at the height of the Protestant Reformation, a great debate broke out among reformers about the best model for the church. Some maintained the church should be a school for saints. With this model, there was great emphasis upon the purity of the church. Members of the church should be articulate in their faith and obedient disciples of Christ. Anyone else should be kept out. Both Martin Luther and John Calvin rejected this model and suggested instead a better model would be that the church is a hospital for sinners. According to this model, every member comes to the church for the same reason– healing of a sin-sick soul.

“The hospital model” is helpful in dealing with all the imperfections and faults we find in the church. The very things we felt we had to hide with the “school of saints model” to be accepted become invitations to enter the hospital. Our failures, sins, and hurts are all reasons to come to the church. One doesn’t enter the hospital because they are so healthy. They come to get well. We are in the church not because we deserve to be there but because we need to be there.

Of course, any model pushed too far breaks down. This is not to suggest the church should have no concern for purity, faithful discipleship, and growth into the likeness of Christ. But, remember we are part of the church because of our common need and thirst to find God. Our differences are absorbed by that common need.

A couple of weeks ago, on 60 Minutes, there was a refreshing segment on the major, most sophisticated hospital in the Middle East, located in Jerusalem, run by the Nation of Israel. This is a hospital where Israelis and Palestinians work side-by-side. Everyone who enters is welcomed and treated equally. The terrorist who has been responsible for killing many Jews is treated just as well as the Jews injured by his bomb. Their one agenda is healing and health. That reflects the spirit in which the church is called to serve.

Being together in a church is not enough to create oneness and unity. It takes considerable effort on our part. James 3:18 puts it well:
You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (The Message)
“The hard work of getting along with each other” tells it like it is. God places us in community for our growth. If you like everyone and they are just delightful people to spend time with, how does that develop your character? It is the people that irritate us, who are boring, who have a few personality flaws, are inconsiderate, etc. that give us an opportunity for growth in love. But if love is the most important thing in our lives, as I suggested in the beginning and as Scripture affirms, then shouldn’t we be grateful for such opportunities to grow in love? If we associate only with people who have similar interests to ours and agree with our ideas we miss out on something that would develop our souls and have eternal significance. It is good that we don’t all like the same music or the same kind of liturgy. It is good that some want a more intellectual approach and some want a more emotional approach. It is good that some are careful and deliberate in their following Christ and some are spontaneous. It gives us a chance to learn from one another, appreciate our differences, and grow together.

Sometimes I meet people who stay away from the church because they’ve been hurt by the church or someone in the church. I too have been hurt by the church and people in it. Most of you here today, if you’ve been very involved have been hurt at sometime or other in the church. But staying away is not an option if we want to follow Jesus. Have you ever been hurt by your family? Have you been hurt by your spouse? Of course we all have. But do we just leave because of hurt? While some do, mature people stay in there and work it through. AND in the staying and working on relationships, some of the deepest growth occurs in us. Leaving is easy. Staying and learning to forgive, relinquish control, and let go of our judgement is the only way to wholeness.

Usually, when there is conflict, it is a sign our focus has gotten onto less important things. The Bible calls these “disputable matters.” This includes issues of personality, preferences, styles, methods, and interpretations that aren’t really core issues. One small denomination that was fairly prevalent in the part of Ohio where we were last, had a split a number of years ago over baptism. They all agreed baptism had to be by immersion. And, they agreed the person should go under three times– one each for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the split as I understand it, was over whether they went under the water backwards or frontwards. To me that is a disputable matter.

Our focus must always remain on Christ. He is the head of the church, His body. Forget our preferences. He must be exalted and His purposes fulfilled.

 

The most essential quality we need to cultivate to fulfill Jesus’ prayer for unity is humility. Again and again, through the New Testament humility is lifted up as the key element we need to create true community. Phil. 2:3,  admonishes, Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. It goes on to mention the example of Jesus.

At the beginning of this last night with his disciples, Jesus models the road we must follow to humility– serving one another. These disciples are full of one-upmanship, jealous, quick to blame each other, and arguing about who is greatest. What does Jesus do? Does he lecture them or scold them? Listen to how John tells it in chapter13:1-6 and 12-16.

All things are under Jesus’ power. Yet, He humbles himself, taking the role of a slave to serve His disciples. In so doing, He models the road to healing their differences and forming community. Then Jesus goes on and gives his disciples a new command.
            "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
                                                                                                                                      (John 13:34‑35)
Jesus is saying love is more important than who is right, who is wrong, who is most important here, or who is going to control things and get their way. Through the humblest act of service, laying aside His power, Jesus breaks the power struggle and demonstrates the way to come together and build unity.

Foot washing is symbolic of humble service. It is the key to bringing us into unity. If you’re having trouble in your marriage, washing your spouses feet would be a great first step to restoring unity. Not necessarily literally (though I do love a good foot massage), but in finding some humble way to serve the other, to honor the other, and it will break the logjam of our hearts. It brings us to humility that can bring healing. This applies to every relationship in our lives, especially the church family.