{"id":9971,"date":"2024-10-10T15:55:08","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T15:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/news\/?p=9971"},"modified":"2024-11-27T16:06:20","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T16:06:20","slug":"that-we-may-be-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/10\/that-we-may-be-one\/","title":{"rendered":"That We May Be One"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the church is indeed to be a long table with a seat for everyone, then people of all lived experiences must feel deeply the inclusion<\/strong> promised to them by Jesus.<\/p>\n

Jesus prays three times in John 17 \u201cthat they may all be one.\u201d In the climactic conclusion of his last supper with the disciples, he speaks extensively and in great detail about how we are to live with one another.<\/p>\n

Jesus makes us one in this supper, this communion. When we partake in Jesus\u2019 meal, we collectively bear witness to God\u2019s insistent vision of inclusion: a community that renounces dominance and makes room for all. This meal always calls us to those not yet seated at the table\u2014those on the edges of our communities, those most in need of true inclusion. In the Lord\u2019s Supper<\/strong>, the living Christ hosts the table, welcomes all, and leaves none hungry.<\/p>\n

Across the Gospels and the Apostle Paul\u2019s writings, it is clear that unity is a gift that we receive from the Spirit and then give to one another. Unity doesn\u2019t happen when we agree with like-minded people. It is a gift of the Spirit often born out of difficult journeys of faith and hope. God promises to be present with us as we walk with those who are different from us, listening to their perspectives and honoring their stories.<\/p>\n

A recent episode of Luther Seminary\u2019s Pivot podcast titled \u201cUnity in the Church When It Feels Impossible<\/a>\u201d asks whether Christian communities will reflect the wider culture or challenge it with a message that transcends division. Jon Anderson, the seminary\u2019s director of rural ministries and a guest on the episode, observes that \u201cin this overheated political environment, we actually are much more interdependent between rural and urban people than we often notice or pay attention to.\u201d He goes on to discuss the deeper source of unity we share in Christ Jesus and how this overcomes discord in our churches and discord in our culture. This fantastic podcast also includes insights from Pastor David Anglada, who talks about the impact congregations have on cultures of division when they step out courageously in faith.<\/p>\n

God\u2019s unconditional love\u2014expressed in Jesus\u2019 giving of self in the bread and wine\u2014changes everything. When we share a table, space opens up all around us for engagement with those who are politically, socially, theologically, or culturally different than we are. Despite our differences, God\u2019s love in Christ gives us a unity that will never pass away.<\/p>\n

As Jesus prayed, so we are made anew in our Lord\u2019s supper: a community unified in and by God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n

Peace,<\/p>\n

Robin Steinke
\nPresident<\/p>\n

Read other installments in our Fall 2024 series on Luther Seminary\u2019s commitments to\u00a0accountability<\/a>,\u00a0belonging<\/a>,\u00a0inclusion<\/a>, diversity<\/a>, and equity (ABIDE<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If the church is indeed to be a long table with a seat for everyone, then people of all lived experiences must feel deeply the inclusion promised to them by Jesus. 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