I'll be preaching about Christian Unity...but we have to be honest. We as Christians aren't very united right now. I chose the theme in the wake of the United Methodist General Convention (a denominational church meeting that nearly ended in a complete split of a mainline protestant denomination; one that has "United" in the name, nonetheless). And unity seems even further away in the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting at Pulse gay club in Orlando last weekend.
Let me state unequivocally that I find it deplorable that Christian pastors would stand up in their pulpits and say that this manner of violence and brutality was some how "the will of God" or "a purifying fire" or "God's punishment being doled out against homosexuals." That is not the God of love, grace, and forgiveness that I know that Jesus Christ and it is not the good news that we preach here at First Christian Church Scottsdale.
So we are left at a crossroads. Or is it an impasse? Or a decision point? Or some other level of metaphor? The question becomes: How do we live in unity, when we are facing difficult and divisive issues?
Come joins us this Sunday as we wrestle with this important subject, and as we seek and celebrate the God who loves us and the Christ who sets us free.
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Galatians 3:23-29
Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
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