Dear Christ Church,
Placed in your hand, every Sunday at worship, is bread prepared by one of our volunteer bakers. We “break bread” in this way, together consuming the host from one batch of dough, to express that “there is one body and one Spirit, just as [we] were called to one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6). When followers of Jesus are united we not only glorify one God and Father of all, but also bear witness to the power of the gospel in a fractured world.
This Sunday we begin a new sermon series, “Becoming Builders of Unity.” This is the second of three series under the banner of our “Season of Shalom.” Keep an eye on this page where we’ve put together a few resources (we’ll add more in the coming weeks) to help us in the theology and practice of unity building.
What a powerful counter-cultural presence you can be in your workplace, in your family, in your civic and educational institutions, by bridging gaps and bringing people together. And what a powerful witness we can be, when we the church are truly an alternative society in a world of eroding bonds and, at worst, hostility. This Monday we remember and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., who famously said in a 1964 speech that “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Together with you, called to one hope,
Cliff+
P.S. Note: Our staff will be out of office next week for a staff retreat.