One of the ways we lose our grip on the truth is by allowing it to become commonplace in our minds and hearts, in our families, and in our circles. We take it for granted. The truth remains the truth, of course, but we often live in such a clichéd way that our grip on the truth gets fat and lazy, a little out of shape, and incapable of rising to a real challenge.
Challenges to the truths we hold dear come in two significant forms. The first is the open challenge, coming from the person who says, “No, I don’t believe that is true.” The second, and more common, invites us to live at variance with what we say we believe, and over time the commonly held truth drifts into the realm of an unrealistic but still precious ideal. The variations begin in the little compromises, and ends in great transgressions.
We are worshipping together as two congregations because we affirm the truth that we have one Lord, one faith, one baptism. We affirm the truth of the communion of saints gladly and openly. And it is rare for someone to come along and challenge this particular truth openly. Who have you heard openly arguing that true Christians should be less unified than they are?
So the challenge to our unity as two congregations will come by other means. The little foxes spoil the vineyard. Petty grievances, unkind words, haughty comparisons, pretended theological divergences, real divergence blown out of proportion—all of these will stumble us in practical ways as we strive to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. So let us, therefore, as two congregations, live up to what we have attained, and ask God to preserve us in it.