Romans 1210

WEEKLY REFLECTION | Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, August 21, 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

My big farm family had seven children.  A number of us also have several kids. By this time, some of us have grandkids. So when I think about my family, there are a LOT of people to take into consideration. When there are that many people, there is always **something** going on—usually multiple somethings.

A few years ago, two of my sibs were feuding.  Oddly, it was over the Lord’s Prayer.  One conservative, Evangelical brother sent an email with the Lord’s Prayer to a brother who is only vaguely churched. That brother took great offense at the implication that if you were not a believer who prayed the Lord’s Prayer daily, there was something wrong with you spiritually. The unchurched brother called the churched brother and told him off. Then the wives got into it and the two parts of the family were off and running. They mutually agreed “never to speak to each other ever again.”  And for a year or two they didn’t.

Naturally, each called my mother and complained about the other. My mother, wise woman that she was, let them talk, but refused to take sides.  I happened to be visiting when a couple of the “can you believe what he said…” calls came in. After she hung up, she said to me, with tears in her eyes, “The most painful thing for a mother is when her children dislike each other. I love you all and so want you to love each other.”

This week’s collect made me remember that time and wonder how hurt God must be when the various churches work against each other. You could hardly get 7 people more different than my sibs and me. Our commonality is that we are all children of the same mother. In the same way, you could hardly find organizations more different than some of the Christian churches. But our commonality is that we are all brothers and sisters of the same Savior. How it must sadden the One who gave his life for us to see members of the churches squabbling, backbiting and disrespecting each other. 

I don’t see that there is any possibility for unity with each other, even though Jesus prayed that we would all be one, unless we are prepared to let the Holy Spirit gather us together and change our hearts. Without that change our power to make an impact on the world is dissipated.  And instead of saying, “See, how much they love each other,” as the early Romans said about the early Christians, the world will say, “See how much they bite each other. Why would we want to join them?” So let us pray fervently….

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Joy to you **all** as we **all** continue to worship and serve together!

Mo. Laura+


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