ZonderFann

my wife and i have been reading through the bible this year using youversion.  we try to then talk about our reading at least a couple of times a week and have really found that it not only helps our understanding of scripture, but has really helped foster closeness in our own relationship.  this morning i was reading in ephesians 4 and thought it correlated with a meeting that i will be having later today with an author.  john h armstrong is coming in later today to talk with zondervan about his upcoming book with us (april 2010) entitled Your Church is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ’s Mission is Vital for the Future of the Church.  while this book will look at Jesus’ prayer for unity among all christians regardless of denomination, ephesians 4 also speaks to unity within the church, though primarily through spiritual gifts.

what struck me was the tie-in between disunity and immaturity.  many people see that the Church is broken when it comes to unity.  i never thought about it before, but maybe that points to our immaturity as christians.  early in our marriage, my wife and i went through some things that could have easily torn us apart.  but we made it through that time and have been stronger because of it.  we both freely admit that we would go through that again because of the unity we share now between the two of us now.  too often, it seems that people will leave a church and find a new one if there is something or someone they disagree with or do not like.  sometimes this goes so far as to cause a church split.  if we could try to persevere through the disagreements and such and strive to unify, God can make us stronger in the end.

having a 20 month old, i’ve seen the mindset of infants.  if jack doesn’t get his way, he whines and sometimes throws a huge fit.  how often do i do this in my church life?  if the songs aren’t to my liking or if i feel taken advantage of when i offer to serve, why is my first reaction to bolt?  i love my church, but too often my immaturity shows and i throw a fit and wish it was all about me, much like jack does.  what ways have you been able to unify within the church rather than drift or tear apart from christians?