Unity in Community
By Mike Sanders
The concept of living in Christian Community i.e., living, working, eating,
sharing, growing, failing, and ministering together on the same land in
preparation for the coming kingdom of God is foreign to most if not all of us.
We have adopted the church-going paradigm of weekly worship, attendance,
programs, adherence to a particular agenda, etc…Some of the more dedicated
spend hours laboring with their brethren only to find the deep longing for true
covenant fellowship unsatisfied. Let’s face it---weekly attendance, a retreat,
or a reunion during the summer does not produce the necessary bonds to achieve
deep fellowship. The kind of common life can only be obtained through a shared
life as we see our brethren in all facets of life---both good and bad.
Numerous examples come to mind of difficulties we encounter trying to operate on
this level of response to the gospel call. Stay with me, I know this type of
thinking requires growth to even admit it as a possibility, let alone the call
of God all along. Community requires transparency and sacrifice. There is no
hiding in community, unfortunately when we only bump into each other a couple
days a week---we can hide ourselves (our sins, our desires, our longings, our
needs, our gifts, etc…) We all need multiple sets of eyes upon us to help us
to see where we really are in relation to God, to help perfect us.
One area that we have all witnessed men struggle in---is in the area of trying
to reach unity. Trying to achieve unison and common purpose in this or that. To
come to agreement in a thing. What follows is taken from the book, "Living
in Christian Community" by Arthur G. Gish. There is much wisdom in this
mans words and his years of experience living in Christian community have
revealed to him many precious truths. The idea of true common consent and unity
is beautifully portrayed here.
UNITY IN COMMUNITY
One of the most precious gifts we can experience in community is unity.
Community implies a common-unity. The deeper our commitment to Jesus the more we
are drawn together in unity. If we are being led by the Holy Spirit, we will be
led together, not apart. God is not a god of confusion, but of unity and
clarity. The Holy Spirit does not point in many directions at once or speak with
conflicting voices.
The New Testament emphasizes the importance of this unity for the Christian
community. There is much stress on one spirit. Much of the material in Paul's
letters concerns division and unity. Nearly all the references in the New
Testament to the church being a body are related to the problem of disunity in
the church. The very idea of being members one of another implies unity. Paul
wrote to the Romans concerning their disunity (Rom 14:1-15:13) and told them of
a power that creates a covenant so deep that it overcomes all divisions,
bringing even Jews and Gentiles into the same community (15:7-13). Paul laid it
right on the line when he wrote, "Complete my joy by being of the same
mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind" (Phil
2:2; also see Eph 4:3-6, 13-16). In His high priestly prayer Jesus stressed the
importance of unity when he prayed for his disciples, asking
That they may be one even as we are one. I in them and thou in me, that they may
become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast
loved them even as thou hast loved me. John 17:22-23
Jesus prayed that the same unity would exist among His followers as between Him
and the Father. Wow! We are to be "perfectly one." This is based on
God's love for us. Love seeks unity. Love and unity go together and become
visible. Jesus also makes it clear in this passage that unity is related to our
obeying God, just as Jesus obeyed God. Sin and disobedience destroy unity. There
can be no true unity where God's will is not obeyed.
Unity can never be imposed or created by ourselves, but is a gift of God to us.
This unity is the living presence of God with us. There is unity in an ice cube,
but it is cold. There is unity in a cemetery, but that is death. We do not want
the unity of the false prophets who call for tribal unity by rallying around the
flag of nationalism and support for the nation state, or the unity of a cultural
consensus. Our unity must not be racial, cultural, philosophical, or even
theological. Concern for unity may never replace concern for truth. It is the
power of the Holy Spirit which creates a unity beyond anything we could ever
build, a unity that breaks through all our efforts and struggles and makes us
one. Any other unity is only partial and incomplete. We can have true unity only
as God unites us.
If a community is the body of Christ, then there will be visible unity among the
members. When this unity is given, the presence of the Holy Spirit is known in
power and clarity. Sins are forgiven, demons cast out, sickness healed, and
lives turned around. When we are given unity, then the world can know what God
can do among his people. The church is to be a sign of unity in a fragmented
world, a sign of the coming unity of all humanity. Whether the world believes or
not depends greatly on the unity that can be seen among Jesus' followers. The
problem today is not that the gospel is unbelievable but that the church is
unbelievable.
When there is a lack of unity and morale is low, then in prayer and brokeness of
spirit we need to seek the mind of Christ. There needs to be a hunger for unity
and a clearer understanding of God's will for us. When we are not in unity, then
more than ever we long and pray for unity and the power of the Spirit. Lack of
unity only makes us desire it all the more. The desire for unity must be a deep,
burning desire, an unquenchable longing.
In times of disunity, it is important to keep in sight the unity we do have and
daily praise God for it. We also should be sure that we seek unity in our own
hearts and desires, and not only in the community. As we pray we will remember
the promise that the Spirit is given where people earnestly seek the Spirit,
always keeping in mind Psalm 133:1,2. "Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running
down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron."
In our longing for unity, it is not so much to seek people of like mind, but
diverse people seeking one mind. In this prayer and search we need to remember
that God is able to bring the most diverse group of people in the whole world
into perfect unity. God could take the most divided and broken congregation and
bring healing and unity if the people would allow it. At this point we have a
deep crisis of faith in God. Many of us do not believe that God is able to bring
us into unity and so we accept our alienation, thinking that this is normal.
It should be noted that unity does not mean uniformity. No two people are alike.
We do not think or act alike. Individuality may never be denied. But there can
be no diversity of commitment, vision, belief, or spirit, Diversity has to do
with different gifts and functions within the body. The different parts of the
body do not mean conflicting ideologies and commitments.
Many people question whether it is even desirable for the church to have unity
or speak with any voice that has authority. Some argue that we should all just
accept each other and be friends. Some argue that the church cannot and should
not speak with one voice, that the church will speak with many voices. We are
even asked to celebrate our diversity. But diversity is not good in itself. We
are not asked to seek diversity. We are to seek unity. We are to have one
Spirit, proclaim one gospel, serve one Lord. This call for diversity is actually
an escape from real dialogue and the need to really listen to each other and
take each other seriously. It may also mean a lack of seriousness about truth
and the demands God puts on us. In reality this philosophy is divisive. It
points away from unity.
Some will argue against the importance of unity, feeling that there needs to be
tension and conflict within the community for there to be life and growth.
However, this in no way negates the importance of seeking unity. There is always
enough tension between what the community is and what God calls her to be to
provide for plenty of growth and life for a long, long time. In addition, there
is the diversity of experience, personality, and gifts. Add to that the tension
that exists between a faithful community and the pagan world, and you will soon
see that we do not need to seek or create tension so that we can grow. If we are
faithful, tension will be there.
In reality, living in community involves a daily struggle, a continual process
of dealing with conflict. Where there is no tension or struggle there is death.
True peace never means an absence of conflict but a way of dealing with
conflict, a reconciliation of conflict. It is precisely in our conflict and
disagreement that we daily seek unity. That is where the real tension, pain,
growth, and life should be found. The more stable a relationship is and the more
unity we have the more able we are to deal openly and freely with the conflicts
and tensions that are with us.
In making decisions in community it is essential that the majority not rule
through voting, but that we study, pray, and wrestle with each other until we
come to unity. All decisions in community must be unanimous. We seek the will of
God for the whole community and do not act until it is discerned by every
member, until all hear the same voice. Taking votes which overrule minorities
has no place in Christian community.
Apparently, the early church made decisions by unanimity. Repeatedly the Book of
Acts tells us that they were of one heart and mind, and various decisions are
reported as having been unanimous (Acts 6:5; 15:22, 2 . Edward Schweitzer argues
that in the New Testament church there were no majority decisions. They sought
together to understand God's will. This has been true of many believers churches
since then, including for a time the Mennonites and the Brethren. Sometimes we
too quickly accept the idea that "there are two sides to every
question" and so expect everyone to be either for or against. We then
respond in this way, lining people up on sides instead of listening to them.
Voting may force people to make a choice they should not need to make.
The decision-making process is vital to any community and is the point where
many break down. Many communities have learned the importance of making
decisions by consensus or unanimity. This can take several forms. One is that a
decision is made at the point where there is no objection. Thus after full
discussion, a few who still disagree but feel their concerns have been heard may
withdraw their objections in order not to hold back the rest. This is the method
still used by the Quakers.
A more radical form is to not make any decision unless there is wholehearted
agreement on the part of all. This is the practice of many Christian communities
like the Hutterian Society of Brothers. This approach reflects a deep uneasiness
with moving ahead when some are not in full agreement, recognizing that
something is wrong. When some lack enthusiasm, the Spirit may be saying
something to the community. Some communities operate by the less radical
consensus on issues that are not important and by complete unanimity on all
important decisions.
Decision making in Christian community has little relation to democracy, a
process of competing interest groups seeking either victory or compromise.
Discernment is not each one having some power in the group and some say in
running things, but rather all being sensitive and open to what God is saying
and all obeying that. It involves coming to a "sense of the meeting."
This is so often forgotten in the political world where decisions are based on a
majority rule. Freedom requires an ongoing dialogue among those who disagree. In
fact, a test of how well a democracy is functioning is how well the minorities
are being treated.
The Christian community can never be guided by majority rule, what most people
want, but by the Holy Spirit and what is right. The hierarchical and
authoritarian method of discernment has not done very well, but the more
democratic churches have not done much better. Often it is the minority which
will see the truth most clearly. We are not self-governed, but ruled by the
Spirit and the Word. The voice of the people is not as important as the voice of
God. We are not a democracy in that we merely share our opinions and best
insights, or even choose the best insights. There is a big difference between
making prudent and rational decisions with religious influence and discerning
God's will in making our decisions.
Compromise must also be rejected, for we seek not the lowest common denominator,
but the right decision. All too often compromise is a convenient way of not
taking the other person or the issue seriously. Unity cannot be the result of
compromise, for this implies no real unity but a disunity which will be the
basis of continuing disagreement in other areas. Rather than compromise, as all
opinions are taken seriously and out of the process of sharing, searching,
struggling, and praying together a new answer can be given which is not only
much different than conceived of before the discussion, but which is agreeable
to all. How often in thinking through a decision we begin with a
well-thought-out opinion, but because of the discerning together, we come to a
totally different conclusion, realizing how far off our original opinion had
been. By one person speaking the truth, the whole conversation may change
directions. It is truly a miracle how God can work among those who seek him.
A group should never be in a hurry to decide anything. Decisions made in haste
are often not wise. What is desired is not consensus which comes through
submitting to pressure, but a deep unity freely accepted by all. Even if there
is no objection, but some are not wholeheartedly in agreement, at the very least
the community should be sensitive to why all are not excited about the decision.
This may be a sign that the decision is wrong. Sometimes it may take years to
reach unity, but then this decision is of so much more value than resolutions
which are passed but never supported. The Quaker decision to reject slavery in
the United States is a good example, a decision which took more than a century
to reach. But when they did come to unity on this in 1776, there was a power
there that tremendously influenced the abolition of slavery for the whole United
States in the next century. They certainly could have voted through a resolution
on slavery much earlier, but they still would not have the unity and their
witness would have been weakened.
Some may object and see this way leading a group to an intolerable conservatism,
that things would move and change so slowly that stagnation would result. They
see it meaning a guaranteed victory every time for the conservatives who support
the status quo. How can anything ever be changed if everyone must agree? The
witness of groups like the Quakers who still operate by consensus points in the
opposite direction. There is nothing radial in following the majority opinion,
for the majority is usually more conservative than the minority. Only a
continual search for truth is radical. When people are open to each other and
the Holy Spirit, change can and will come much more easily.
In many groups some people are defensive and conservative because they do not
feel accepted of listened to. To maintain their integrity and commitments, they
feel the need to be defensive and stubborn. This can be broken down by love and
trust and making sure everyone is heard. One reason why many have a fear of
unanimity being too slow and conservative is that their experience has been in
groups where people are not open to each other. If they would experience what
God can do in a community of love and trust, they could be given a new
understanding of how God wants to work among his people. Some argue that this is
impractical. But Quakers have been just as able to develop programs and operate
institutions such as schools as anyone else. In fact, they have done much better
than most. In the short run it may be quicker to have the majority decide, but
in the long run this is the slow way when one considers all the resentments,
hurt feelings, mistrust, lack of commitment, and policing that are connected
with majority rule. How much more God can do with those who are in unity.
THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
The process of coming to unity assumes a prior common commitment both to truth
and to each other. Both of these are essential throughout the whole process.
Without either one the process soon breaks down. Unless all are believers, there
already is a deep disunity and insufficient basis for coming to a deeper unity.
Unless we are totally committed to seeking only God's will in our decisions, the
community will repeatedly go in circles around our own petty concerns. If we
have divided loyalties, how can we all listen clearly to the same Spirit?
Inability to clearly discern God's will often results from a duplicity of
commitments, desires, or fears which would prevent us from being open to God's
will, but that we be totally open to what God wants to say to us. This points to
the importance of being in a right spirit before we may rightly participate in
any meeting. Being in a spirit of rebelliousness, stubbornness, pride, or hate
can have no place in seeking God's will, for whenever we are not in a right
spirit, we lose our ability to think and perceive as clearly as we should.
Again and again in the process of discernment we are confronted with our
commitment to Jesus and have to decide whether or not that commitment is total,
whether self will be crucified. One of the most serious sins one can commit in
the church or Christian community is to go to a decision-making meeting with
one's mind made up, with a determination to push through one's own idea or
program. That is a sign of being closed to the Holy Spirit and that is serious.
We should be more eager to find the Lord's will than to express our own.
Whenever we have an important decision to make, God has a will for us and our
task is to find that will, that answer which is what God wants rather than what
we want. That means giving up our will in order to seek God's will. Another
essential ingredient for the process to be valid is a readiness to act on what
God wants. For us to be able to hear God, we must be prepared to do whatever God
tells us to do.
Usually, the problem is not with God's speaking to us, but with our listening
and hearing. This points to the importance of patient waiting, silent listening,
and prayerful seeking. Discernment needs to be done in prayer, searching, and
opening ourselves to what God wants to give us. This includes, of course, faith
that God will guide us. Prayer is important to us, both as a whole community and
as individuals. We cannot discern God's voice either communally or individually
if we are not in tune with the spirit. We must be sensitive to the movement of
the Spirit in our souls. Prayer is essential in helping us to be open. Sometimes
our prayer will include fasting, and important but largely neglected aspect of
prayer.
Usually what we receive in prayer is light and clarity of sight rather than
specific answers. Through prayer we are given the clarity to better see things
as they are, to better understand our own motivations. Any specific answers
received in prayer must be carefully tested. Meetings for discernment can be
among the most profound worship experiences in the Christian community, for here
we gather to listen to what God has to say to us. Thus all decision-making
meetings are meetings for worship, and any meeting for worship can become a
decision-making meeting. Whenever God speaks to us, we must respond.
There is another part to this, for we will never be able to hear the voice of
God if we cannot listen and be sensitive to our brothers and sisters. Part of
the process of hearing God's Word is hearing what our brothers and sisters are
saying. Dialogue has great theological significance, for it is an essential
aspect of the search for truth. The possibility that God may be speaking through
the other person makes that person's words precious and to be taken seriously by
everyone. The voice and concern of each person is taken seriously, for what any
person says may be the Word of the Lord for that occasion.
True dialogue can take place only in a relationship of trust in which others are
not seen as a threat and in which we feel no need to be defensive. Dialogue
implies relationship in which everything that is said is accepted as sincere and
properly motivated until there is clear evidence to the contrary. Trust and
unity go together. If there are unresolved tensions, how can people openly seek
together? Negative feelings will get mixed up with the issues. This must be
straightened out before the people involved are ready to discern together. There
needs to be a spirit of trust and unity for us to genuinely seek God's will
together. Before we go to any meetings we need to ask ourselves if we can go in
that spirit.
In many Christian communities it is understood that one must be in a right
relationship with everyone, including God, before coming to important community
meetings. In New Covenant Fellowship at various times people have left the room
or asked someone to go with them rather than continue in the meeting with any
alienation. This process may seem to take allot of time, but we have found that
it actually saves time, for when relationships and feelings are cleared, then we
can be most open to God's leading. By the way, Jesus commanded this very
approach in Matthew 5:23,24. Discernment is best done by a people who share a
braid spectrum of their live together and know each other well and are thus able
to relate the gospel to the needs or questions that arise out of seeking to live
Christian life together. This means more than a group of people who spend an
hour together on Sunday morning. A group of people dressed to give each other
the best possible impression in hardly the context for discernment.
Another factor in decision-making is to gather and carefully analyze all the
available evidence that relates to the issue. Discussion is not a pooling of
ignorance, but involves considering every angle and fact which is part of the
context. As Christians, we will not fear thorough analysis, but neither will we
take analysis and facts too seriously. They are, after all, only one aspect of
the whole process. How we feel is also significant and may never be ignored.
Intuition, inner sense, subjective feeling, and human emotions are ever with us
and God can speak to us through them. We must never confuse the Spirit with how
we feel, but carefully test all our feelings. It is especially important to
recognize how our feelings can become intertwined with the "after
glow" of an experience with God in prayer. As we grow in Christian
maturity, our lives are shaped and bent toward God. Our lives and inner feelings
can become more and more integrated and harmonious with the call of God.
Discernment is a process of dialogue and therefore much different than debating.
In dialogue the objective is not to win an argument, but to find the truth
together. In this process eloquence and persuasive speaking are of little value.
All must search deeper than persuasive arguments. We must even be careful in
appealing to outside authorities, including the Bible, for these appeals can be
a tool to avoid dealing with the other person's insights and the real issues.
Not that these are unimportant, but bringing in an outside authority or expert
can depersonalize the issue and can make it more difficult to hear the Holy
Spirit. Neither may the issue or other person be avoided through administrative
or parliamentary maneuvers.
Disagreements should not be seen as two sides competing with each other, but
rather as open, honest sharing done in a spirit of seeking. Competition has no
place in community. When dialogue becomes a struggle between two groups, then it
is time to stop. Sometimes it is helpful to have a period of silence and prayer,
or a time of reflection before the issue is discussed at a later meeting, or
maybe to change the subject and begin to deal with the real problem that is
dividing the two sides. Sometimes a point is reached where more discussion will
be of little value. All points of view have been expressed and further
discussion would be repetitious and could even harden positions. At that point
the discussion should be stopped. A committee representing various views might
be appointed to study the matter further or plan for more discussion later.
In working through a particularly difficult decision, sometimes it may be
helpful to separate the discussion of the positive aspects from the negative by
dealing with them at different times. This can be an aid in listening to all
sides, since one will not feel as much need to form counterarguments and may
help move the discussion from debate to dialogue and allow all the issues to be
focused more clearly.
Not only is it important to give up my selfish will and to listen to my brothers
and sisters, but it is equally important that anything that I think or feel be
expressed to the community. Everyone must speak what he/she thinks, even if it
is contrary to what everyone else is thinking. It may be that the one person is
right. Expressions of disagreements are to be welcomed, for that may be God
wanting to show us another alternative or saving us from a serious mistake.
Great care should always be taken to be sure the prophetic voice is heard. There
must be a total rejection of the attitude so common in the schools, business,
and government that one should not rock the boat, that to speak up is
disrespectful, that one should fit into the way things are. We might note here
that the so-called "low churches" often are more authoritarian than
the "high churches." All too often the style of pastors and Sunday
school teachers has been monologue with a deep fear of dialogue.
We need to be free to disagree with any other member, including a person who has
been given a position of leadership. Frankness and complete honesty are
imperative. There is no place for flattery, pretense, or dishonesty. Any
disagreement or uneasiness must be expressed. One must not hold back what may be
the voice of the Spirit. Say what is on your heart and let the community test
whether it is of God. Expression of disagreements after the meeting is not
helpful, unless it is part of the decision-making process. Sometimes, though,
ideas can be better clarified in a private conversation than with the whole
community. One should not necessarily speak the first thing or everything that
comes to one's mind. Before we speak we must weigh and test our thoughts. This
means neither blurting out the first thing that comes into our minds nor holding
back what we need to share. What we say should take into consideration what has
been said before and be an evidence of dialogue rather than monologue. In fact,
the more we listen, often the less words we will need to speak. We especially
need to listen to discern who has been given the most light on a particular
issue.
Disagreements need to be voiced and should be expressed as clearly as possible,
but should also be expressed in a humble attitude, with a readiness to be shown
that one is wrong. The critic is always to be accountable for what it is said.
We need to hear Paul's advice: "Do nothing from selfishness of conceit, but
in humility count others better than yourselves" (Phil 2:3). Rather than
violently objecting, one should state the concern in a humble and tentative way.
Too forceful expressions of disagreement may be signs of a lack of trust. When
we know the community will seriously consider anything we say, we can say it in
a quite humble and tentative way. If we feel threatened or angry, we would do
well to consider why. We would do well to remember that anger and defensiveness
are signs that we are trying to justify ourselves, rather than being justified
by God's grace.
When we oppose what the group wants, it is good to have a reason for our
opposition and maybe even a better suggestion. Never should we oppose for the
sake of opposition. However, sometimes we may not be able to give a good reason,
but simply have an uneasy feeling about what is being discussed. This must be
respected by all and the community will seek to understand more about why this
uneasiness exists. Sometimes in working toward a decision, people will say one
thing with their words and the opposite with the tone of their voices. This is a
sign of something deeper. With much sensitivity the community needs to help
these people work through their ambivalent feelings or help them understand the
contradiction that may not be conscious. Sharing decisions with the community
involves counseling and helping people work through their own feelings to
achieve clarity concerning God's will.
Prolonged minority resistance to a certain suggestion must be taken seriously.
It may mean that the issue has not been adequately discussed, that the majority
has been pushy in its concerns, or that God is speaking through the minority. It
may be a symptom of a deeper disunity that needs to be dealt with. Unanimity is
easy in a group that has unity, but if the unity is not there, then there is
always a struggle to reach a decision. Sometimes someone needs to point out what
is holding people back from unity.
We do need to ask whether any disagreement we have is important or whether it is
a matter of taste or cultural difference. No serious disagreements should exist
on matters of taste. These can soon be resolved by overlooking the matter or
maybe even by giving up one's own personal preference for the sake of the
community. This may not be done on important matters, however. Sometimes
cultural differences may point to more fundamental differences which may not be
overlooked. Neither may diversity ever be allowed to stand in the way of the
Holy Spirit bringing us together. All must be surrendered. When we say that
certain things are unimportant, we need to examine ourselves carefully and test
whether this is just an excuse for being unwilling to let go of something
unimportant that in fact is very important to us and we do not want to give up.
Forgiveness is an important part of the process. The ability to leave some
concerns to individual taste is rooted in a loving and reconciling relation to
others. The more forgiving we are toward others the less their peculiarities
will bother us. We are much more critical of others when we have not forgiven
them. In fact, it is difficult to agree on anything with a person whom we have
not forgiven.
If a person appears stubborn or defensive this may be a sign of some deeper
conflict in that person's life which first must be dealt with. In this case
people should visit the person and talk frankly about what they see. Through
listening to the person they may find that the reason is that there are still
hostile feelings about something that happened in the past, maybe even relating
to a decision which was made ten years earlier in which his/her views were not
taken seriously. Or it may be some other problem that needs to be confessed and
resolved so that there can be unity and all can respond freely to God's will.
There is always a real danger of stifling dissent or pressuring people to
conform. This can be so subtle at times. Actually even the most anarchistic
group cannot completely avoid group pressure. What others think and say does
influence us. The question is whether these pressures are properly recognized
and controlled. We especially need to be sensitive to the subtle pressures that
affect different people in various ways.
The process of consensus actually gives everyone the power of veto and is a
guard against forced conformity, although one should never think of having the
right of veto. Actually giving each member this power itself can be a way of
discouraging rather than encouraging disagreement and dissent. A lot of pressure
can be felt by the lone dissenter if his/her dissent is holding back the whole
community, but this can also be a way of ensuring that each person will be heard
and no one run over. It is important that every community be especially aware of
this danger and be careful not to pressure anyone into conformity. People need
to be reminded constantly not to agree unless they really do and never to try
and convince themselves that they agree when they do not, nor to feel guilty
about disagreeing. It is essential that one always remain true to what is in
one's heart, unless what is in the heart is not of God.
When there is disagreement care must be taken to determine whether there is a
substantial disagreement or merely a misunderstanding. When there is clear
disagreement, deep patience and understanding are needed and faith that God can
still His will through that discussion. Sometimes hostility and negativism will
need to be confessed. But grace can be given, even and especially then, to come
closer together. The more difficult a decision is, the closer together the
community can be drawn. Leadership is a vital part of this process. Leadership
does not mean convincing or imposing one's will on others, but helping the
community come to unity and clarity. One kind of leadership is to articulate a
concern clearly. Another kind of leadership is for someone to be sensitive both
to all the members and the Holy Spirit so that after many opinions have been
expressed, he can suggest a solution which takes into consideration what has
been said and meets the approval of all. When there is unity someone will put
into words what expresses that unity and captures what is being felt by the
whole community. This task includes summarizing, but it is much more than this.
It is also to sense what the Holy Spirit is saying to the whole community and to
articulate it.
A decision has been reached at the point where a deep peace and easiness exists
within the whole community regarding a particular decision, when there is a
"sense of the meeting." It occurs when all want to say
"amen," when there is a deep sense of gratitude towards God. It is
achieved when everyone can say, "It has seemed good to the Holly Spirit and
to us" (Acts 15:2 . The quiet and contentment that is experienced comes
from knowing that we have correctly heard God's call and responded faithfully.
This peace is not to be understood passively, for it will include a clear call
to get on with the decision and live it. It may even include great excitement
and eagerness to get started. Although this process is not perfect and the
community will often err in her understanding, what better way is there for
testing and discerning God's Word? When a unanimous decision has been
prayerfully tested with the authority of the scripture and the presence of the
living Christ, seriously taking into account subjective feelings, factual
evidence, and the testimony of other Christians and tradition, and the result is
a deep sense of peace, love, joy, and humility, we can trust that we have
discerned God's will.
We now come to a crucial point, for although we believe we have discerned God's
will, we must be aware that this decision is not absolute and always open to new
light and further discernment. Never can we say that we have the final light and
that what we have seen never can be questioned. We are always open to new light
and truth, even if that means a contradiction of what we have believed in the
past. Even after unanimity has been reached, anyone must feel free to question
that unity with no fear of rejection. The Christian community is always a human
community and so participates in all the weaknesses and failures that implies.
We need to be aware of how our discernment is always colored by our social
class, culture, history, and the makeup of our community. No group can claim to
have the whole truth, no matter how faithful they may be. Although communal
discernment is the best way we have for knowing the truth, it is not perfect.
Because the believers' church tradition has recognized this and because they saw
the necessity for always being open to new light, they have rejected the
creedalism of the established church. Creeds tend to crystallize the faith into
a hardened system and discourage continue seeking under the Spirit and the Word.
Never may we put ideas into words and claim that to be the truth. Our only creed
can be the scriptures.
Through wrestling with real problems, the community arrives at decisions and
develops a group of testimonies, positions they have come together which stand
as a witness to the larger society. Testimonies are not rules we devise, but
expressions of what we have together discerned to be true and what we are
actually living. It is virtually important that these testimonies be the result
of the discernment of the whole community and that they are lived, rather than
being bold statements made by church leaders which do not represent any
constituency. Testimonies are not statements about the perfection of the church,
but what the church is earnestly seeking to live.
These testimonies need constantly to be tested and reexamined. Each time they
are questioned, the community comes to a new decision either by changing or
reconfirming her stand. Never may we use our interpretations and creeds to close
ourselves to the Holy Spirit or as an excuse for rigidity, division, or
bloodshed. Not only are we open to new light, but we live in the expectation
that it will come. We live with a continual sense of expectancy that the Holy
Spirit will give us new truth out of the Word. The Holy Spirit does not create
finalized dogmas or structures among us, for history is not yet complete. There
is still more God wants to do among us. Since reality is not static, we expect
our views to change. We do no expect, however, that anything new will be given
that will contradict the final norm of Jesus Christ.
But what if the community unanimously says one thing and I still deeply feel and
believe the opposite? I must always remain true to what is in my heart. Since
there is always the possibility that the whole community may be wrong and one
person right we have to leave open the possibility of practicing "holy
obedience" in community, or doing the opposite of what the community
discerns to be right. Never may we say, "My community right or wrong."
Sometimes a person must call the whole community to repentance. To go against
the word of the community is extremely serious, however, and never should be
done without first thoroughly working it through with the community, really
hearing the community out with deep soul searching, prayer, and study. Let us
pray that we will never need to make this decision, but that we can be part of a
community that listens to the voice of the Holy Spirit and discerns together
what is good and right. That is a wonderful gift.
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Do we have it all backwards? Can anyone out there identify with these words?
Mike Sanders
