Dear Christian friends:

Two pastors met while walking down the street in a certain town. One was a Methodist Minister; the other, a Roman Catholic Priest. They knew each other and began to talk. The Methodist Minister was excited and enthusiastic as he talked about the new church his congregation was building. The Priest congratulated him, and the Methodist Minister teased the Priest and asked him if he would like to give a donation for the new building. The Priest answered, "I'm sure my Bishop would never allow me to contribute to building a Protestant Church." A few days later the Methodist Minister received a letter from the Roman Catholic Priest with a check for $100. In the letter, the Priest wrote, "Although my bishop would never permit me to contribute for the building of a Protestant Church, there must be some expense involved in tearing down the old Church. I am sure my bishop would never object to my contributing to that."

This story shows one of the problems of Jesus' Church on earth. The Christians do not show their unity in one Holy Church. There is much quarreling and competition among the various Christian churches and not much love and cooperation. One pastor is jealous of another, and the members of another congregation and the Christians refuse to cooperate and work together. This is a big disgrace. Many unbelievers mock the Christians because the Christians don't show love and help one another.

In our text we hear Jesus pray for His Church that the Christians will be united and love each other as the Father and the Son are united in One God. On the evening before He died Jesus prayed, "Holy Father, keep through Your own name those You have given Me, that they may be one, as we are one."


We see from Jesus' prayer that only God can make the Christians united and have peace and cooperation. Jesus prays, "Keep through Your name those You have given Me."' Only through God's name can we have unity and peace among Christians. Only God's power and life can unite the Christ- ians and help them to show love and cooperation with one another.

We must remember that when anyone believes in Jesus, accepts Jesus for His Savior, he or she is a member of the Holy Christian Church on earth, no matter if he is a Catholic, or a Methodist, or a Lutheran or a Baptist, or some other Christian name. The Holy Spirit has united us into one, Holy Christian Church. We are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. We have accepted God's name and Jesus' name. We are named, "Children of God" and “Christians”.

In His letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul shows that very clearly and beautifully and urges us to show our unity:

"I plead with you...to live a life worthy of the name you have received, with perfect humility and patience, suffering with one another with love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body (Church) and one Spirit, just as there is only one Lord given to all of you by your call. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and works through all, and is in all." (Ephesians 4:1-6)

We need to listen to what St. Paul says here and remember that all Christians, no matter what race, or skin color or church name, are united by God's love in Jesus Christ. We should talk more about our unity in Jesus, and stop talking about our differences. Often we are proud and brag too much about our various names. Forget your name and remember you have taken God's name!

The pastor of a large Protestant Church tells about his experience which shows the unifying power of Christ's Spirit:

"I and ten other ministers were invited to spend several days together at a hospital, in a program sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Our group had two Southern Baptist Pastors, two Roman Catholic Priests, and Episcopal Priest, and Ministers from Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran Churches. The program was called "The Clergy Residency in Cancer". The Purpose was to teach us more about cancer and its various treatments so that we could minister better to our members who become ill with cancer. We were busy from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.: listening to lectures; talking to social workers; talking to parents of children with cancer; talking to patients. We spent hours in the operating room. We even visited the hospital morgue. We eleven clergymen of various backgrounds had a wonderful feeling of being one (united) in Christ. We didn't argue theology. We didn't compare our church attendance. We didn't talk about building new churches. We were kind and humble and loved one another, united in Christ. I experienced this deep unity in Christ also with one of the patients who had cancer. As I visited with him I learned that we two were very different: he black, and a carpenter with little education; I white with much education and a profession; he alone, and I had a family and many friends. Yet we had a common bond. We both believed in Jesus and loved Jesus. My three visits with him were the most wonderful I have ever spent with any person. I was there to learn to minister to cancer patients like him, but he ministered to me. He said, "When Jesus wants me in heaven, He'll come and call my name." Christ's Spirit united us two.

When we remember that we have taken God's name in Jesus Christ, that we are brothers and sisters in Jesus and that God is our Father, then we can begin to show the unity of Christ's Church on earth. And God will receive glory and Jesus also.

Amen.