Unity in the Body of Christ

Transcription

1 August 5, 2018 Proper 13 Semicontinuous 2 Sam. 11:26 12:13a Ps. 51:1 12 Complementary Exod. 16:2 4, 9 15 Ps. 78:23 29 Eph. 4:1 16 John 6:24 35 Unity in the Goal for the Session Adults will reflect on the need for unity in the church in the context of great diversity. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Ephesians 4:1 16 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Jaime Clark-Soles Through the cross, Christ has unified ethnic groups so that peace should ensue and hostilities cease (v. 14), creating one new humanity (v. 15), which has access to God through one Spirit (v. 16). The author borrows liturgical language to express eloquently this unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God who is the parent of everyone. The author insists that mature Christians understand that they have been especially equipped for ministry. There is no reason to compete. Our job is to recognize our gifts and use them for the development of the body. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, G. Porter Taylor While this passage affirms the diversity of individual gifts, it asserts that these are always to be used for the good of the whole to equip the saints for ministry. This equipping is not about accumulating skills or knowledge. Rather, the word equip comes from a Greek word meaning the setting of a bone. Its verbal form also means reconcile, restore, create, prepare. To grow in one s ministry, therefore, is to align oneself with God s intentions, both individually and corporately and to avoid being tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine (v. 14). SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Paul V. Marshall Ephesians assumes and addresses the human tendency toward division by using the word one seven times in two verses. The sevenfold emphasis on oneness which the text speaks of as a foundational work of God, not a human construct is a given to which we are called to yield. As churches work toward (or around) the realization of the unity that God has created, the question repeatedly arises: which of our own preferences do we value more highly than the experience of this God-given unity? NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Richard F. Ward Unity is not just a given but is also a goal for the community in living out its ethic. Unity is not just something Christians passively accept or reject it is something we choose to do. The maintenance of unity requires every effort (v. 3) on the part of the baptized to create spaces of grace where diversity in life and practice is honored. Diversity here is not just a slogan or catch phrase. It refers to recognition, acceptance, practice, and celebration of gifts given to the community for building up the body of Christ (v. 12). 1

2 Unity in the FOCUS SCRIPTURE Ephesians 4:1 16 Focus on Your Teaching Most people choose friendships with those who hold similar beliefs and values and choose churches for the same reasons. Few of us choose relationships or churches where discord and conflict reign. Even so, friendships can change and situations arise that threaten unity. Today s text offers guidance and perspective during times of discord, especially in church communities. Be aware of situations of disunity that may be affecting members of your group. Encourage all to focus on ways to build up the community rather than tear it apart. Holy God, thank you for the teaching gifts you have given me. Give me wisdom to lead this class. Amen. YOU WILL NEED Bibles board or newsprint, markers writing paper, pens colorful markers or oil crayons; drawing paper copies of Resource Sheets 1, 2 copies of Resource Sheet 1 for August 12, 2018, unless it will be ed to participants For Responding: option 1: colorful markers or oil crayons; drawing paper option 2: board or newsprint, marker option 3: writing paper, pens n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, arrange drawing paper and markers or oil crayons on a table. Greet participants upon arrival. Introduce any new members. Ask people to think quietly for a minute about their experiences with groups that worked well together and groups that did not work well together. The groups need not be from a church community and could be sports teams, school clubs, work teams, or social groups. Ask: P What characteristics of the groups made them work so well or so poorly? Form pairs to tell about their experiences with the two types of groups and to discuss characteristics of groups that work well and those that donn t. Reconvene the whole group and work together to list characteristics of groups that work well and groups that don t. List these on newsprint or the board. Finally, ask for brief ideas the group has about what works to hold a group together when there is disagreement among group members. Tell participants that today s focus scripture offers a vision of the unity of the church. Pray this prayer or one of your own choosing: Gracious Creator, open our minds and soften our hearts to study your holy Word. Amen. 2

3 Unity in the EXPLORING Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Background to Ephesians). Have a volunteer read it aloud to the group. Point out that Ephesians has an introduction (chapter 1), followed by two major divisions: Chapters 2 3 contain doctrine and theology; Chapters 4 6 offer practical applications of doctrine and theology. Invite everyone to find Ephesians 4:1 16 in their Bibles. Form two groups and read the passage in unison, alternating verses between groups. The gifts distributed by Christ in today s Ephesians passage are not to be confused with the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12, although both passages describe gifts to be used for the good of the church community. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Ephesians 4:1 16) and have a volunteer read the What? excerpt aloud. Explain that the next three sessions will focus on chapters 4 6. Encourage participants to read chapters 1 3 this week at home. Form groups of two or three persons. Tell the groups they will have fifteen minutes to do the following three things: P Read the Where? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1. P Review Ephesians 4:1 16. Select one or two major themes or ideas from this passage. P Using the art supplies on the table, create a symbol for one of the themes you identified. Be prepared to tell about your symbol in one or two sentences. After fifteen minutes, invite each group to show its symbol and tell about it. As a group, look at the symbols and discuss how you might combine all the symbols into one symbol that best represents the focus passage. Arrange the papers and add to them to create this symbol. Invite comments about how the individual symbols changed to become something new, yet contributed to the new unity. Ask: P How can the church live out this symbol of unity? EASY PREP RESPONDING Choose one or more of these activities, depending on the length of your session: 1. The Ideal Church Form pairs or groups of three. Give markers or oil crayons and a sheet of drawing paper to each group. Encourage groups to refer to Ephesians 4:1 16 and draw a picture of the kind of church community they would want based on that Scripture. Instruct them to draw everything in the picture they believe to be important, even if that is currently not part of your church. When groups are finished with their drawings, gather the large group and invite participants from each small group to present their picture of the ideal church community. Consider hanging these pictures on the wall of your classroom for the next four weeks of the study of Ephesians. Discuss: P How might you contribute to this vision of the church? P Where do you see glimmers of this unity within the diversity of our congregation? 3

4 Unity in the 2. Unity in Diversity Invite participants to brainstorm some of the issues surrounding unity and diversity in your church or community. List them on the board or newsprint. Discuss ways the church can respond to these issues. Highlight those that your church is already addressing and share information about how members can become part of these efforts. Next, invite participants to spend a few minutes answering the following questions to themselves: P What gifts have you been given for the work of ministry? P How have you used these gifts for building up the body of Christ? After a few minutes, invite two or three volunteers to tell what they see as gifts they have been given. Affirm those willing to speak. 3. Rewrite Text for Today Distribute writing paper and pens to participants. Encourage them to imagine themselves a as modern-day authors of a letter like Ephesians, writing the same message for a divided Christian community they know, perhaps even your own community. Encourage creativity and directness. They do not need to cover everything in today s text, but they should repeat the concepts in the text that they find most important for that community. After five or ten minutes, invite one or two volunteers to read aloud what they have written. CLOSING Gather in a circle. Invite participants to spend a moment in silence thinking about the symbols they created and some of the important lessons about unity discussed today. Explain that there will be moments of silence when they can add their prayers either aloud or in silence. Join hands and pray aloud: Merciful God, we thank you for leaders like Paul who taught the church about your vision of unity. Today we remember the task to which we are called to be one body. We pray for humility and gentleness... For patience... For the ability to bear one another in love... Lord, you have given the members of this body all the gifts needed to be a faithful witness. We give you thanks for apostles... for prophets... for evangelists... for pastors... for teachers. To whom much is given, much is expected. Give us all the maturity to recognize our gifts and appreciate the gifts of others. Direct us to use our gifts for the good, the unity of your church. Amen. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 for August 12, 2018, or plan to it to participants during the week. Encourage them to read the focus scripture, Ephesians 4:25 5:2, and the resource sheet before the next session. 4

5 August 5, 2018 Unity in the Adult Resource Sheet 1 Focus on Ephesians 4:1 16 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Jaime Clark-Soles Through the cross, Christ has unified ethnic groups so that peace should ensue and hostilities cease (2:14), creating one new humanity (v. 15), which has access to God through one Spirit (v. 16). The author borrows liturgical language to express eloquently this unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God who is the parent of everyone. The author insists that mature Christians understand that they have been especially equipped for ministry. There is no reason to compete. Our job is to recognize our gifts and use them for the development of the body. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, G. Porter Taylor While this passage affirms the diversity of individual gifts, it asserts that these are always to be used for the good of the whole to equip the saints for ministry. This equipping is not about accumulating skills or knowledge. Rather, the word equip comes from a Greek word meaning the setting of a bone. Its verbal form also means reconcile, restore, create, prepare. To grow in one s ministry, therefore, is to align oneself with God s intentions, both individually and corporately and to avoid being tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine (v. 14). SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Paul V. Marshall Ephesians assumes and addresses the human tendency toward division by using the word one seven times in two verses. The sevenfold emphasis on oneness which the text speaks of as a foundational work of God, not a human construct is a given to which we are called to yield. As churches work toward (or around) the realization of the unity that God has created, the question repeatedly arises: which of our own preferences do we value more highly than the experience of this God-given unity? NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Richard F. Ward Unity is not just a given but is also a goal for the community in living out its ethic. Unity is not just something Christians passively accept or reject it is something we choose to do. The maintenance of unity requires every effort (v. 3) on the part of the baptized to create spaces of grace where diversity in life and practice is honored. Diversity here is not just a slogan or catch phrase. It refers to recognition, acceptance, practice, and celebration of gifts given to the community for building up the body of Christ (v. 12) Westminster John Knox Press

6 August 5, 2018 Unity in the Adult Resource Sheet 2 Background to Ephesians As the writer sees it, the situation of the fledgling church is precarious. There has apparently been a takeover movement by Gentiles who neither know nor care much about Israel and her place in salvation history. Her traditions and practices are odd and strange to those of pagan heritage and are being dismissed as archaic and increasingly irrelevant to real life. Moreover, these new Christians are (in the eyes of their Jewish brothers and sisters) too enamored with the easygoing morality of the dominant culture, calling it freedom in Christ and citing the rabbi and Christian apostle Paul as their justification for offensive practices. To address this, and to correct misinterpretations of Paul, this writer presents a vision of what God is up to in the community. Something new is clearly happening in the convergence of radically different traditions of religious experience that can be attributed to the ongoing work of Christ. The writer of this epistle aims to spell that out. God is at work in Christ throughout the first three chapters, revealing, choosing, adopting, sacrificing, and blessing in order to bring differing communities together into a new, unified body in the face of pronounced and pervasive evil. The claim is bold and remarkable, that through the death and resurrection of Christ warring religious cultures, passionately divided by heritage, traditions, moral codes, and behaviors, have collided and now converged into a newly created order, a community that knows no barriers of race, class, or gender. Excerpted from Richard F. Ward, Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 3 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), Westminster John Knox Press