INTRODUCTION TO THE THEME
FOR THE YEAR 2014
Has Christ been divided?
(cf. 1 Cor 1:1-17)
In the Scripture passage chosen for our reflection this year, Paul
begins his letters to the Corinthians with a powerful opening. Like an overture
to an opera or the opening movement to a symphony, this passage touches on
themes that certainly prepare us for what is to come in these letters. There
are three movements in this text. All three lay a solid but challenging
foundation for our reflections as Christians living and working together in
churches and society today.
In the first movement (1:1-3), Paul, along with his fellow Christian
Sosthenes addresses another larger and
very active community, the Corinthian Christians. He addresses the Corinthians
as the “Church of God,” not just as a local chapter, but as a full expression
of the Church in their part of the world. Paul reminds them that they are a
“called” people: “called to be saints,” not isolated and on their own, but
“together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, both their Lord and ours.” This last expression could also be
translated as “both in their place and in ours.” So, they are authentically
God’s Church but very much connected to everyone else who calls on the Lord,
both in their confession and their place. Then Paul, as in all his letters,
extends his usual and powerful greeting of God’s grace and peace. In Paul’s
language, “grace” indicates God’s goodness and gifts to us in Christ, and is
meant to draw out our gratitude to God and our graciousness to others. His
“peace” for us in all its fullness and mutuality is communion (koinonia)
in God.
Where do you see God’s grace and peace in your local church, in your
larger community, and in your country? How can you move beyond a preoccupation
with your immediate community and attend to the community of all Christians and
the world?
6. While Paul is about to call the Corinthian community to task, he
begins the next movement in our text (1:4-9) by giving thanks for “the grace of
God that has been given” to the Corinthians “in Christ Jesus.” This is not just
a formality, but a genuine rejoicing in the gifts God has bestowed on this
community. He proceeds to build them up: “For in every way you have been
enriched in him…, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift.” They are
assured that they will be strengthened to the end, and that “God is faithful.”
God calls us into the fellowship (koinonia) of his Son with all its
social and spiritual implications for our churches and peoples.
In the third movement (1:10-17), Paul addresses hard words to the Corinthians
because of the ways that they have distorted the Christian gospel and broken
the unity of the community: “I belong to Paul, I belong to Apollos, I belong to
Cephas.” Even those who claimed Christ as their leader were not applauded by
Paul, for they used the name of Christ to separate themselves from others in
the Christian community. We cannot invoke Christ’s name to build walls around
us, because his name creates fellowship and unity, not divisions. “Has Christ
been divided?” Paul does not object to forming communities around strong
leadership, but the community is to find its fundamental identity in Christ:
“Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” Chloe’s
people have seen this development among them and have brought it to light.
Into this state of division comes Paul’s appeal to come together and “be
united in the same mind and the same purpose.” He exhorts his readers and those
in Corinth “to be in agreement.” Does Paul think they should all worship and do
things in the same way? We think not. These verses are not a call to leave
aside the leadership of Paul, Apollos, or Cephas. Rooted in Christ, we are
called to give thanks for the gifts of God that others outside our group bring
to the common mission of the Church. Honouring the gifts of God in others draws
us closer in faith and mission, and leads us towards that unity for which
Christ prayed, with respect for authentic diversity in worship and life.
Paul highlights two central elements of Christian discipleship in which
we are fundamentally bound to Christ: baptism and the cross of Christ. We were
not baptized into Paul and he was not crucified for us; our unity is in Christ
and our life and salvation come from him. At the same time, we all participate
in one group or another, and our local churches nurture us in faith and help us
to walk as disciples of Jesus. The conclusion of the matter, both for Paul and
for us, is not only our sense of belonging to a particular church. Rather, our
purpose is the proclamation of the good news, the very gospel to which we have
responded in faith and joy. Now we must share this message with the world.
Paul’s conclusion challenges us to ask ourselves if we have good news in Christ
for each other, or if we carry division even in the name of Christ, thus, in
Paul’s words, emptying the Cross of its power.
We also hear of Chloe's people. It is under Chloe's leadership that this
group identifies and names the conflicts and divisions in the Corinthian
church. We continue to need such witnesses, both women and men, from all of our
churches, and their ministry of reconciliation and unity. Giving voice to such
witness will draw us closer to realizing Paul's vision of a community having
“the same purpose and mind in Christ.”
How will you and your church discern the same purpose and mind in Christ
with other churches? How will your appreciation and experience of the different
approaches and forms of worship among the churches in your community or country
bear fruit in efforts towards visible Christian unity? What common mission will
you share with other Christians to help make the world a better place for
others?
To conclude, when we consider the many blessings and gifts of God made
manifest in our country and peoples, we begin to recognize that we must treat
one another, and the very land from which we derive our living, with dignity
and respect. This recognition has called us to confession and repentance, and
to the seeking of new and sustainable ways of living on the earth. It has
raised our consciousness about how God has blessed us all, and that no one
group can decide how to use the country’s resources without hearing and including
the voices of our fellow.
Prayers => Order of Service
| In the column on the left of the home page in the section "Prayer and Reflection" you will find the texts and prayers for each day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the celebration for the beginning of the Week. |