THE CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN UNITY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 14

THE CHURCHES AND CHRISTIAN UNITY

James

Milne,

By Rev,

M.A.

Text: Our Lord's Prayer. Matthew 6; 9 to 13 — 'Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed he thy. name." The opening words of the -prayer our LOrd taught his disciples come as a challenge to the churches to-day. HOW at tjmes we in the various churches must feel our unworthiness to use this prayer 1 We allow our differenceis, which are as nothing compared with our points of agreement, to keep us so far apart at timea that to our brethren outside our walls we can scarcely seem as a united family owning a common and living fatherhood. The wonderful com-munity-foxming influeiioe of a broadcast church service coming, say, from an Anglioan or Methodist Ghurch is kppreciatedi by "listeners^in" of any other Church. Yet the churches do not so readily meet together for any Christjan effort or cause as to suggest their common Fatherhood with Him and in Whom, in unity among themselves, they should meet. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."' This prayer in the providence of God has not yet been fully answered. While injustice, cruelty, and unrighteoUsness are known upon the earth, until war is exorcised from Chxistendom, Jesus Ghrist cannot sefe of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. Yet it is generally agreed in Christendom that should the churches within that realm but determine that this -prayer of the text should be fulfilled in their coming together for such glorious endi and cause, then might we have some prospect of a warless world. Should not this failing to get together be increasingly regarded as a manifestation of the lack of that Christian unity aynong the churches, the presence of which amOngst His followers our Lord prayed for as -a testimony for the world to believe in Him! Never did the world need more this testimony than it does to-day. "Give us this day oUr daily bread." A needful prayer this, for not a few both within aud without the churches at present, when work is ocassionally hard to find for the workless, aiid when parents with large families, through stress of ecbnomic cii'cumstances, find it hard to live. It js just such conditions which give birth to such extreme forms of militaut Nazism and Fascism or to economic Communisto. This last — Communism — is not as much to be feared as to be considered, for there are two forms of Communism, economic and Christian. It is the latter — Christian Communism — which is ripe for consideration by the churches. A reading of the Sermdn on the Mount will greatly persuade us of this, whereas a study of the tenets of economic Communism largely fails to do so. Economic Communism overmuch places the hand before tlxe heart, almost scorning the "Thou slialt not steal" of the decalogue. Christian Communism ever places the heart before the hand. "If any man will come after Me," is the. call of the Master and Saviour of us all, "let him deny himself, take Up his Cross, and follow Me," "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Sucb sayings, with many others from the same source and like spirit, may be regarded as the ethics of Christian Communism. If the churches eould but get together in Christian unity to coUsider its appeal, the State eould scarcely fail to gain inspiration from such delibefatioii when called upon to deal economieally with the matter in time. "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them who trespass against us." There is the utmost wisdom in the disposition of the clauses of this prayer, for until we a,re, through the grace and mercy of God, made conscious of His forgiveness, we are not readily placed to be able and willixxg to forgive any who may be in need of our forgiveness. Can the churches to-day, lacking Christian unity, largely by aloofness from eaeh other, pray this prayer ? They may, but think what a testimony to grace and forgiveness should be given to Christendom and the world to learn that the churches, overlooking their differences and exalting their agreements, had met together in Christian unity to -pray together unto God the Father through this same prayer. What a beginning it should be for the churches in need of the consciousness of conviction of sin, for evangelism amongst themselves and throughout the length and breadth of Christendom and the world, this sliould bef "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Here is another peti'bion of the prayer which tlie churches use for intercession with the Heavenly Father. It is an appeal for this divine guidance whereby we are led away from temptation and deliver ed fx'oiu the power of sin. Surely, considering wliat man is by nature, yet what by grace of God he may become, this should be esteemed an all-important petition. Even more clearly is this revealed when conditions as- tO public morals and decehcy in our communities are considered to-day. Were the churches in a spirit of Christian unity, lieedless of tlxeir points of difi'erence, yet united on their points of agreement, to get upon their knees in eai'nest prayerfufness over Such matters, tliere might be hope of the coming of that revival of religion so much needed in our day. No great need is there for consideration of the exact form revival should take. "The wind bloweth where it listetk." The great ueed is for the wind of the Spirit of God td blOw and quicken into flame the red but dying embers of faith in whai must now be the comparatively few men and women in the 'various churches who dare to believe that notliing is impossible to God, and that more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. We have bnt to look through nincteen conturies oi time to remember the Almighty never leaves without witnesae#. It i« foi'

these, then, from all the churches, scorning their points of difference, yet rejoicing in theii', points of agreement, to meet together in Christian unity to pray for revival. "For Thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever. Amen." Thus ends the -prayer with a veritable cliallenge to faith in God, an appeal to His aU-victorious power, a declaratxon of His glory for time and eternity. The Kingdom itself is declared to be God's, His vxctorious power is proclaimed, His glory triumphant will endure thfough tiine and eternity. (iNotes of sermon preached in St. Andrew's Cliurch, Henderson, Auckland.)