Christian Unity

Today I had the privilege of preaching at Rosemead Drive United Reformed Church, and we welcomed Revd Ivor Smith to St Paul's. I'm really glad we could do this.

Decades ago, it was quite remarkable to see ministers and congregations from different denominations in the same room. In this country now, there is a greater maturity in the Church of God and a willingness to accept each other and to treat denominational boundaries as permeable. So much so, in fact, that the key question for me in working with other churches is not, "Can we get on?", but "What can we get on and do?"

The fact that we can be courteous to each other and welcome each other no longer impresses those outside the Church. We have therefore made good progress in dismantling one of the powerful objections to Christianity: "Christians are always falling out with each other and don't agree on anything!" So now we need to move forward again and face other questions: What can we best do together and what can we best do independently? The answers to these questions are likely to be more practical than idealogical, so our future ecumenism is likely to be more about doing than talking. Already we have opportunities for ecumenical study and training, for publicity and outreach in Oadby. I am hopeful we can build further on this.

While the ecumenical scene is generally encouraging, there are other issues of unity that concern me.

Because while inter-denominational hospitality has improved, sadly there are signs of a new sectarianism within God's Church. When thinking about Christian Unity this year, my thoughts turned first to some of the tensions within Evangelicalism. Fault-lines have appeared that run through denominations and sometimes within local churches.

Some Christians are finding a new unity in opposing developments in the international and national scene that are deemed unacceptable. They have a point. But around the country, unlikely coalitions are forming and beginning to demand new arrangements that threaten co-operation and partnership across the Church as a whole. This is far from the unity for which Christ calls us to work. He himself warned how a proper concern for righteousness can become twisted into self-righteousness when it is coupled with a willingness to judge, or even demonise, others. Likewise we mustn't assume that every agreement between Christians is a step towards godly unity, especially when the agreement is about who is to blame for all the ills of the Church.

This Thursday, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins. Next Sunday, our sermon is on the theme of "Being Anglican and Evangelical Today". I hope we'll have opportunities to reflect together on the high calling of unity - not the cheap unity of agreeing who our enemies are, but the kind of unity that demands the very best of us in grace, charity and trust.