Saturday, October 17

There's a pattern. Do you see it?


God is the uniter. People are the divider. God uses whatever he can use, including the cross, to draw us back together. We use whatever we can use, including our "best intentions," to keep us apart.


The text in Acts shows Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, attacked by other Jews. They should be speaking the same language, working towards the same goal, and agreeing on the same mission. However, there is a wedge driven between them, creating a chasm. God is trying to unite them with Stephen's message. People are trying to divide them with slander.


See the pattern? From divisive politics to family conflicts to votes at Churchwide Assemblies, we will find anything that highlights our differences. Congregations are notorious for latching on to one issue and using it to draw a line in the sand. That's why at CLC we have worked hard at listening to the Spirit, working together and maintaining unity because we know that if left to ourselves, our natural inclination is to divide.

That's why is is important first to discern whether or not The Master's Plan is our vision or God's vision. The proof will be in the effect it has on the church. If it is of God, it will unite and empower this congregation even more. If not, and it is our own vision, it will divide us.