Maintaining the Unity of the Spirit

The People of God Set Priorities
Living as a Community of Believers
A Call to Unity

Ephesians 4:1-6

The Message

To Be Mature

4 ^1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

^4-6 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

 
For Reflection

Sometimes when people of faith work together on a project the differences in dogma, theology and worship style become subordinate, invisible in the collaborative action the project demands.  What does this say about the relative material value of philosophy of worship to the practice of fellowship?

 

Pray

Pray that the uniqueness of God's intentions for human kind will override our meager attempts to define our relationships to God.  Pray that in our practices of faith we will show each other the nature of a loving, compassionate, forgiving God.