February 2007: Unity can make a difference

I told a school speech night last December that the students were MAD! I had their instant attention. Before the students and their parents could react madly, I quickly explained that MAD was an acronym for "making a difference".

That Uniting Church school had instilled in its students the responsibility we each have for making a difference during our time on planet Earth.

Spot the Moderator The Moderator will attend the commissioning of the Uniting Church's Presbyterian Church Archives on February 8, preach for Uniting Church Adult Fellowship on February 14, visit New England North West Presbytery from February 15 to 18 and attend the induction of the Rev. Dr Clive Pearson as the Principal of United Theological College February 19. He will also visit Mayflower Gerringong on February 19 and attend a service and dinner farewelling the Rev. Dr Ray Williamson as the General Secretary of the New South Wales Ecumenical Council on February 24.

If you do not make the world a better place in your lifetime, you cannot join the MAD people.

Have you ever thought what you could do with your God-given talents, abilities and opportunities to MAD-den (to make a difference) in the world?

In am a strong supporter of what I call the unity movement that strives for peace, goodwill and harmony throughout the world. A pacifist, maybe but, far more importantly, I am from the "love your neighbour" mould which sees diversity as a gift from God and unity as our goal, following the example of Jesus Christ.

As "living stones", we recognise our unity in Jesus Christ and our obligation to ensure unity among the many expressions of Christianity.

In 2006 the World Council of Churches 9th Assembly issued an invitation to the Churches "to renew their commitment to the search for unity and to deepen their dialogue".

Delegates "gave thanks to the Triune God … who has brought our churches into living contact and dialogue. By God's grace we have been enabled to remain together, even when this has not been easy … Unity is both a divine gift and calling."

The importance of Christian unity in Australia, through the National Council of Churches in Australia's call to all Christian denominations to work together, has been well supported by the Uniting Church as a "journey together in conversation and common action".

In my travels throughout our Synod, I have been enthused by many examples of Uniting Church congregations enriching ecumenical endeavours.

I recently preached at the East Gosford Catholic Church as part of the annual ecumenical Advent Services organised by the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches. The local churches in Epping and Gosford have regular activities and shared services during the year. Their Christian unity is clearly thriving.

Such contact reminds us that Christian unity is vital to the public's perception of harmony among Christian people - despite our differences, despite some people's unfortunate experiences with the Church, despite their knowledge of Christianity's historic involvement in conflict and division.

We cannot change the past but we can present our Christian unity as a way forward, with churches working together for peace, for the strengthening of community, and for a more equitable world, all of which reflects Christ's requirement that we love our neighbour.

Many people will see our love of Jesus Christ as our spiritual motivation as we represent "church" to the secular world.

Not known to many within and outside the Uniting Church is our working together with other denominations on social justice and government funding issues, joint lobbying of governments, sharing of issues such as taxation and town planning, delivery of services to the community, inter-faith religious dialogue, engagement of speakers at spiritual retreats and workshops, and joint inter-school activities.

Churches can work together beyond our annual combined churches' Christmas carols. Christian unity must be a deeper, far more regular covenanted relationship.

Agreements should be struck between ecumenical partners, fully committed to working with Christian unity in the communities they serve.

Christian unity will make a difference. Try it!