“WE” vs “THEY”

Philippians 2: 1-11

 

Many months ago, our church was in turmoil over choices/decisions being made which were unpopular (not unbiblical) leading to some dissention, adversarial confrontations and lack of trust.  I found myself thinking and commenting (a more civilized term for “angrily spewing”) about others who did not agree with me and were being “so negative.”

 
One day, right in the middle of another one of my tirades about “them,” shaking my finger at an invisible, mostly unknown group of “They,” God quietly asked, “Who are ‘They’?”  And answered the question Himself in a way that made me stop mid-sentence: “Don’t you and “they” attend the same services?  Belong to the same body of believers – My body? Want the best for my Church?”  The light dawned in my brain – in the body of Christ, there is no “we” and “they” – it is all “we.”

Live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you. [vs 2, Phillips]

 

Lord, forgive me of my polarizing thoughts, my judgmental statements, my elevated view of my opinion.  Help me, when there are disagreements among us, to refuse to allow my thoughts and communication to disintegrate into “we vs they” camps. Give strength and courage to be able to say, “We together have a problem, let’s work it out together with God’s help.”

None of you should think only of his own affairs, but should learn to see things from other people’s point of view. [vs 4, Phillips]

 
There’s an older contemporary song that says:

            We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Can we be one? Can our unity be restored? Can we come together to solve our differences?  Can we do it?  Only as we allow our Mighty God to guide us and have His way in our midst.

 

Dear, Lord Jesus, help us listen to You and to one another as we seek to live well together as Your Church. “Above all things [help us] be loving, humble, united”*

 

*from the introduction note for Philippians 2: 1-11 in Phillips translation

Congregations Are Like Sports Teams

Occasionally we read in the newspaper about a losing sports team that has dissension among its players. It could be that a player says something negative about a teammate in public, suggesting the teammate caused a loss, or worse, is the reason for several losses. Such behaviors and attitudes can divide a team.

Teams have goals. Each member on the team is expected to work hard to achieve them. Teams that let squabbles take precedence over team goals often do not do well.

 

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. The congregation at Corinth had a lot of assets and opportunities. The congregation lacked no spiritual gift. Further, Corinth was a major port city and many of its residents were very wealthy. Port cities attract many visitors, and the Corinthian Christians had the potential to spread the Gospel to many foreigners without ever leaving the city.

 

Unfortunately, as Paul tells us, there were divisions in the congregation. There were many leaders, and each had his followers. Further, there was a divide between the rich and the poor (1 Corinthians 11:21). Finally, members of the congregation were suing each other instead of working out their differences outside the pagan court system (1 Corinthians 6).

 

Paul scolds the Corinthians and tells them to work together and be united around Christ.

 

What do sports teams and congregations have in common?  Quite a bit, actually.

 

Like a sports team, congregations have tasks. These are Christ given tasks, and they include caring for each other, worship and administering the sacraments. Perhaps the most important tasks are evangelizing and teaching.

 

Sports teams have athletes with different abilities. Congregations are comprised of people with various spiritual gifts.

 

Sports teams plagued by dissension may perform poorly. Congregations with divisions may likewise have difficulty getting its job done.

 

When a sports team is pulling for the same goal, they may not always win, but they will be fun to watch. A congregation that pulls in the same direction will be more effective.

 

Yes, a congregation is a lot like a sports team.