PICTURES OF CHRISTIAN UNITY

Aim

·      Examining the metaphors Paul uses when he describes his work and the unified church.

·      Applying 1 Cor 3 to our place as a group on campus.

·      Clarifying the picture of unity with your group.

·      Considering strategies you can use to create unity.

1 Corinthians 3

1. What is the difference between the university’s understanding of maturity of thought and the acquisition of knowledge and Paul’s understanding of maturity?
2. What point is Paul trying to make when he talks about God’s field?
3. How do these 3 metaphors (field, building and temple) add to your understanding of being God’s follow- worker?
4. Contrasts the image of the building with the image of the temple?
5. Do you have any experiences where you have felt foolish for the sake of God? OR Do you have any experiences where you have deceived yourself?

Application within and amongst groups.

1. How would you apply the images of infant food, God’s field, building and temple to the current situation of Christian groups on campus or within your own group today.

2. TSCF groups are intentionally inter-denominational in character. What do you do with disagreements and arguments about God. List what they are. Read this article, evaluate the principles in the light of what you have learnt in 1 Corinthians 3 and consider how to apply what you have learnt to your group.

(Extracts from Deliver Us From Smugness by Cathleen Falsani)

Ah, the life of the church. So many arguments, so little time.

The list of subjects about which the saints disagree is seemingly endless, encompassing both the profound and the woefully mundane.

The ordination of women. The proper role of religion in politics. Climate change. Homosexuality and same-sex unions. Pre-, Post-, or A-millennialism. Biblical translation.  Gender pronouns for God. How best to aid the poorest of the poor. How best to support the sanctity of marriage. Hell. Heaven. Baptism. Which brand of fair-trade coffee to serve. It should come as no surprise to most Christians that the world outside the church looking in sees it rife with conflict, bickering, arguments and castigation — of the “unbeliever” and fellow believers alike. Frankly, it also should come as no surprise to the rest of the world that the church — by virtue of being a community of humans — naturally would have such disagreements and discord. We are imperfect. Our communities are imperfect. And our faith, too, is imperfect. But I would argue that it is not the imperfection or presence of conflict themselves within the Communion of the Saints that too many of those who would not call themselves Christians find repellent. It is how the church deals with them that repels so many.

Jesus said the world would know we are Christians by our love. Not our smug. To be smug is to be excessively proud of your achievements and successes. Conceited. Arrogant. Complacently self-satisfied.

“There is a cultural tendency in evangelical Christianity that does not leave room for ‘evolving’ positions, complexity, uncertainty, or doubt.  Rather the assumption seems to be that every Christian should have a clearly defined position on every social issue and even that for some issues there’s only one acceptable position to take.”

Smugness is immovable. It is a conversation ender, an impasse, an act The Way of Jesus is not the Way of the Smug. When he walked among us in the flesh, teaching his followers about the Kingdom of God, Jesus was patient. He never assumed a posture of “I know and you don’t and you’re stupid for not knowing.” He didn’t roll his eyes, throw up his hands and storm off when his disciples didn’t get it. He didn’t call them names or ostracize them. Rather, Jesus kept talking, kept telling stories and having conversations with them. He found new ways to communicate with his brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.

“In order to cope with fear (and the desire for control), we gloss over the weak points or discrepancies in our own beliefs and focus on the flaws in other positions. Eventually, this can lead to an obsession with proving others wrong and us right. We mask our criticalness in virtue, and become protectors of the truth. We create systems of thought which we dedicate ourselves to defending. Our insecurity and doubt become clouded by overconfidence and defensiveness. The tendency of Christians to go to war with other Christians is such a vivid image of how terribly we can miss the point. This veritable dishonesty of the heart is the very thing that Jesus came to redeem. He saves us not only from the penalty of our sins, but also from ourselves.”

God is much bigger than anything we can imagine. God’s truth is more vast and complete than any knowledge our minds can hold. And yet, we climb what Thomas Merton called the Seven StoreyMountain. We seek to know God, who is the source of all that is true. And God promises to be found.

Give us this day hearts that are humble, minds that are open, and deliver us from all smugness.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

taken from http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/05/31/deliver-us-smugness

*Do you agree with this article why or why not? Is the argument in the article similar to Paul's in 1 Corinthians 1-4?

Re-application in greater detail As a group clarify your picture of unity. Shape some ways of dealing with areas of contention in your group or between groups of faith—avoidance, negotiation, mediation, taking turns, prayer, understanding, structured discussion, conversation, agree to disagree, forum, research …etc. Create your own picture language that would cue each other on how annoyed or frustrated you feel before conflict-arises.