| So then, remember that at one
time you Gentiles by birth, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by
those who are called ‘the circumcision’—a
physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands— remember
that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God
in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were
far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups
into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that
is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law
with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might
create in himself one new humanity in place of the two,
thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to
God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death
that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed
peace to you who were far off and peace to those who
were near; for through him both of us have access in
one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers
and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and
also members of the household of God, built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ
Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure
is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the
Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually
into a dwelling-place for God. |
|
| Ephesians 2:11-22 |
| One new humanity. After I typed this phrase into our prayer
of confession in Microsoft Word that green dotted editor line
appeared under the phrase. My curiosity got the best of me
so I right clicked my mouse on the editor line and found this
advice, “Number Agreement (consider revising)”.
Apparently English grammar stands ready to remind us of what
we already know from life experience; humanity united as one
appears to be impossible. One new humanity—quickly we
see the need for our own editing line. Surely we are not supposed
to be one with them, him or her! How could we be expected to
live in unity with them? |
| Can we be one? We, who divide, create lines, and build walls! |
| Maybe the author of Ephesians, either the apostle Paul or
one of his associates, was simply off his rocker when he proclaimed
that we, Jews and Gentiles, are made one new humanity through
Jesus! The state of the world, the state of the Christian church,
even the state of our own personal relationships show plenty
of dividing walls, lines, fences, even blockades that we’ve
built. The truth is we are often comforted that the walls and
divisions exist. |
| A Methodist minister in North Carolina reflects, “We
need walls: walls in our homes to protect us against wind and
rain; walls to keep livestock safely in and predators out;
walls to help us separate spaces and improve organization and
efficiency. But one does not have to be a sage to comprehend
how walls, both literal and spiritual, can lead to grief, division
and even violence. All walls serve a purpose, but not all walls
serve the purposes of God.” (1) All walls serve a purpose,
but not all walls serve the purposes of God. |
| The New Testament claims over and over that we are reconciled
to God and one another through a gift we had nothing to do
with: the person and work of Jesus our Christ. God’s
fidelity to us is what makes our formation into one new humanity
possible because God has chosen to dwell within us. Without
our attention to God’s indwelling Spirit, our chances
of living into Christ’s call to unite in him are nonexistent. |
| Throughout the scriptures God has always made a way for community
and reconciliation. At best, we follow where God is leading
us. The author of Ephesians writes that the call of God for
Jew and Gentile live as one in Christ is only possible because
we have been “brought near” to God by Jesus’ incarnation,
life, death and resurrection. We were aliens from God’s
promises to Israel, outsiders…the uncircumcised! It
was the people Israel alone who received God’s covenantal
promise “I will be your God and you shall be my people.” God
kept that covenant throughout time, though the people continually
broke it. When David declared he would make a house for God
to dwell within, God told the prophet Nathan to inform David, “Are
you the one to build me a house to live in? ... the Lord will
make you a house.” Jesus’ work fulfills God’s
promise that humanity will be made into a dwelling place for
God. Only with God’s Spirit working within us can the
dividing wall between our neighbors and us be torn down. Without
Christ’s peace, we are far too full of fear to let peace
reign in our own hearts. |
| “Unity, peace and hope are not things at all; they
are a person. Christ is our peace. In Christ’s death
on the cross, peace has been achieved and hostility has been
crucified. Jesus is the singular, God-human wrecking crew that
demolishes division and gifts us with unity, peace and reconciliation.
It is this gift and its givenness that create a scandal. It
is hard to receive a gift when your hands are not open. It
is even harder when your hands are clutching bricks for personal
building projects that have nothing to do with the inbreaking
kingdom of God. …It is an extravagant gift, one must
put away pride and clothe oneself in humility…one must
put away closed-fisted objections rooted in dogged self-sufficiency…one
must be willing to let go of self-centeredness.” (2) |
| Grace alone frees us to let the peace of Christ work within
us. Grace releases us from our own egos and needs to enable
us to follow the will of God, to be one new humanity. |
| The history of Central Presbyterian Church bears witness
to the divisiveness of wall building and joyfully to reconciliation.
Our church’s dividing wall went up in the 1850s. Presbyterians
in Geneseo became caught up, a bit late, in a controversy that
split the General Assembly we were under in 1837. The dividing
line arose out of differences of opinion over theology, polity
and mission or revival endeavors. Those who believed as the
New School did in “moderation in thinking” stayed
at First Presbyterian Church of Geneseo, or the White Church
down on Main Street. The Old School adherents organized the
Central Presbyterian church of Geneseo on our current site.
Through the Years, written for our 150th celebration states, “So
pronounced was the difference that a division occurred, in
our own church, in 1858. From that year until 1880, a period
of 22 years, two Presbyterian churches were functioning in
the Village of Geneseo, almost within sight of each other,
the New School followers worshipping in the old White Church,
the Old School adherents establishing a new place of worship...” Imagine
the tension as the congregants passed each other on the streets! |
| The name Central Presbyterian Church and our current location
mark our 1858 split. The denomination reconciled in 1861 but
our new division took longer than a few years to heal. From
1869-1877, the Rev. Isaac Newton Sprague who served as the
New School minister of the White Church promoted and held union
services of the two churches where the congregations finally
worshiped together again. The White Church and the Central
Church were reunited in 1880 due to the foundation he laid
and the diligent work of the Rev. Charles Stoddard Durfee who
served the Old School Central Presbyterian Church from 1874 – 1880
the year we reunited. Through the Years states that Durfee “devoted
himself untiringly to the cause of uniting the two Presbyterian
churches…he willingly, but not joyfully, resigned his
position as pastor of the Central Church so that there might
be a reunion” under the White church’s minister,
the Rev. Josiah Edwards Kittredge. The wall between the two
congregations came tumbling down as reconciliation was pursued!
Revs. Sprague, Durfee, and congregation members of both churches
believed in unity in Christ and opened themselves to the Spirit’s
reconciling work within them. We wouldn’t be together
today if they hadn’t proclaimed their belief that a wall
of hostility, which they had built, could come down. |
| As Christians, we believe that eventually all hostility and
division will be brought to an end by God. In the meantime
we proclaim the good news that God’s Spirit within us
allows us to work for peace and reconciliation first in our
own lives and then in the world. Thanks be to God for the assurance
that we can live as one new humanity because of the power of
God dwelling within us. May the Spirit embolden us to live
as disciples of Christ who broke down all dividing walls. |
| Amen |
| Beth E. Godfrey - July 23, 2006 |
| Central Presbyterian Church, Geneseo, New
York |
| (1) “Living by the Word” by Kevin Baker in
The Christian Century, July 11, 2006, p. 21. |
| (2) ibid. p 21. |
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