“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23
Jesus prayed that his disciples would be one. And profoundly one, as he and the Father are one! Can we pray for anything less? Can we doubt that the Father will hear and answer the Son’s prayer?
This is why we are so serious about Christian unity. It flows from the heart of the Father and the Son and is enabled by the Spirit. What is at stake is the world’s understanding of Jesus and the church. Is there anything that discounts Christ in the eyes of the world more than the strife and division among Christians? We cannot create unity by our efforts. We need the Father to answer the Son’s cry and to let the love he pours into our hearts flow out to our brothers and sisters.
Not only are we seeking to walk out unity across denominational divisions within The Word of God, we are an active part of a network of churches and other ministries in our County called the Pastors Alliance for County Transformation (PACT) who are ‘Building Unity to Reach the Community’. You can find out more about what God is doing locally at their web site www.pact-washtenaw.org .
All across the country and around the globe the Lord is stirring his people in cities and regions to prayer and cooperation in his mission. This work is taking many forms under the moving of the Spirit. Do a search and discover what is happening in your area and join in the answer of the Father to Jesus’ prayer!