It’s always nice to be prayed for. I think most of us have had an occasion to hear from someone that we were included in their prayers for one reason or another. It always means a lot to me when I realize I’ve been on someone’s mind and on their lips before God, which is how I felt when one of my colleagues on the Island stopped by this week. Pastor Rob James, who joined First Baptist, St. Simons last year, stopped by to let us know that his congregation prayed for our congregation on Sunday. I was sincerely touched that they would do such a thing. They have begun praying for other congregations on St. Simons each week.
I should clarify that they aren’t doing this with some secret agenda, like, “Please God, turn the hearts of those sinful Episcopalians!” On the contrary, they prayed for us and are praying for others in a sincere effort to recognize that we are all in this together as different parts of the Body of Christ under one shepherd. I have enjoyed getting to know Pastor Rob since he and his family moved here, and I count him as a friend, as I did his predecessor. I relate more to the Cooperative Baptist side of their dual affiliation (Southern Baptist being the other) and appreciate their ecumenical mindset over the years. I think their inclusion of Christ Church in their prayers (and their worship bulletin) is one of the most hopeful signs I’ve seen in a while about the future of Christendom.
This visit came the day after our Diocese joined the Diocese of Atlanta, the GA Synod of the ELCA, and the GA conference of the United Methodist Church to announce a joint read-the-bible-in-a-year program we are calling “Walking With the Word.” Such a simple idea, and yet so powerful to think that we’ll do it together across three denominations, hopefully drawing closer in tangible ways as we do. I look forward to Christ Church’s involvement in this initiative, and how we might localize it within our own Saint Simons Island community.
Some of you have heard me say before that there are more denominations, independent church bodies, in the United States than anywhere in the world or at any time in history. We have perfected the art of breaking apart from one another when we disagree. We have it down to a science. And that reality grieves the heart of Jesus, I have no doubt. Our Lord yearned for the unity of his disciples and acknowledged his role as one shepherd with many flocks. That restoration of unity in Christ is THE hallmark of our mission as Episcopalians, although we don’t lead with it the way we might.
Episcopalians tend to play well with others, and at Christ Church we certainly strive to do so. We work hard to have real partnerships with the other Episcopal Churches in our County, our friends at Lord of Life, with whom we work for Shrove Tuesday, and we are also regulars in whatever the Island churches do for Holy Week and Easter. All of those experiences are gifts and worth every bit of investment we can give them. I don’t think we need to all be the same. I appreciate that we have different ways of understanding and worshipping God, and it’s worth remembering how much we have in common. Too many times, Christians choose to point fingers at each other and focus on differences, which keeps us at odds with one another and selfishly distracted from the core work of proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ and being Christ’s hands and feet in the world. MMy bold statement of the day is that I think our efforts to work together are what will revive the Christian tradition despite its accelerating decline.
Thank you, First Baptist, for praying for us. We’ll be sure to find a way to return the loving gesture and pass it forward. God is already at work!
