Christ’s Church on earth has always suffered divisions. Cain turned against Abel and nothing has changed ever since. These divisions can be hard and painful. Feelings get hurt. Egos get bruised. We don’t always get exactly what we want. People sometimes sin against us and we against them. St. Paul had to publicly rebuke St. Peter for his error regarding the Gentiles. We simply cannot live in this world and expect that we will never struggle with someone else in our congregation or within our broader church body. That is why it is of the utmost importance to keep before us the one confession that we share “You, Jesus, are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This confession and everything that flows from it is what unites us. Unless our division is over this confession, then we can all yield in humility and love to one another and be reconciled for the sake of this confession and unity in Christ’s Body. Peter and Paul were reconciled. Paul and Mark and Barnabas were reconciled. And we have all been reconciled to God in Christ. Let us rejoice in our common confession and do all that we can to maintain our unity in the bond of peace as with one voice we make the good confession of faith. I look forward to gathering with all of you this coming Lord’s Day.
Pastor Ulmer