Jesus prayed for us to be unified.

Easter 7, Year C

Jesus prayed for his disciples and for successive generations of believers to be unified. In today’s Gospel reading (John 17:20-26) we hear his pray

"I ask not only on behalf of the disciples, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20-21

Jesus prayed that God’s love would equip the disciples to love others, just as it united Jesus with God and equipped him to serve God. Receiving and sharing God’s love unites believers and the unity of believers draws other people to God.

I was impressed by the unity of the Christ Church Vestry when they interviewed me. Each Vestry member was committed to seeking and serving God, each was eager to renew this parish, and each was willing to spend the church’s saving to call a priest. Since that interview, I discovered the unity of Christ Church members. At first I assumed this unity was a product of agreement and homogeneity. I assumed members had similar understandings of God, had the same expectations for what it means to be church, and held the same political views. I was wrong. The Christ Church congregation, though small in number, is diverse. Some of you prefer traditional expressions of worship while others enjoy contemporary Christian music and inclusive language versions of Scripture. Christ Church members include people whose families have been in Sag Harbor for generations and newcomers (like my family who moved here full time after being summer residence). Some members are year round weekenders. Others make this parish their spiritual home during the summer. Christ Church members are Caucasian, African American, Asian, and Latino. There are neurotypical members (like my son) and neuro-a-typical members (like my daughter). Members are gay, straight, bisexual, heterosexual and celibate. Members are partnered, married, widowed, and single. There are ‘dyed in the wool’ Republicans (like my father) and democrats whose political views are further left than Senator Bernie Sanders. In spite of our differences, there is unity here. Unity is essential for Christ Church members. Unity is needed by all people. Unity helps forestall conflict and war. It can slow the growth of preventable disease. Unity makes access to food, shelter, education, and employment possible. Given the deep divisions in this nation and periodic disagreements in this village, I wonder how Christ Church member have managed to claim and sustain unity? I wondered how this was possible because unity among believers brings others to faith in God. Our unity is an essential resource for growing God’s kingdom and increasing Christ Church membership. How do we find and maintain unity? Jesus’ prayer for the disciples and for successive generation of believers shows us how to claim and sustain unity. He prayed, “As the Father is in me and I am in him, may the disciples also be in us.” John 17: 21 There are times, when the Jesus in Gospel of John is inscrutable. Jesus’ instruction in John 17:21 is hard to understand. John 15 offers a more intelligible instruction from Jesus and a more accessible description of how to find and maintain unity. There Jesus says

“I am the true vine, and, God, my Father is the vinegrower. …Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.” John 15:1-5

This description of a vineyard with its vintner, vines, and branches is clear. In it we learn God’s purpose. God’s reason for being is growing, tending, protecting, and harvesting; God is a vintner. Jesus is the original vine. Paul called Jesus the first Adam. Jesus, the aboriginal being, bears both the likeness and DNA of God and the likeness and DNA of humans. Disciples and believers can be off-shoot branches or grafted branches on the vine, Jesus. Whether believers are off-shoot or grafted branches they can only live, leaf and produce by “abiding” in, being connected to the vine. From an ingrained process, a process native to vines and branches, life, dormancy, leafing and produce come. Though the process occurs naturally, a successful vineyard requires the aid of a vinegrower. The vintner must be committed to growing, tending, pruning, protecting, and harvesting. Without a vintner roaming animals will eat leaves. Without the vinegrower’s intentional planning and working, strong winds will break branches and can uproot vines. Without the vintner insects and frost can destroy produce. Jesus’ description of a vineyard shows us that unity is found through connection (abiding of branchs and vine) and unity produces bountiful harvests because of intentionality (vintner, God). The vines and branches, do what comes naturally, leafing and bearing fruit, but it is the vintner’s intervention and commitment that promote and protect this process to produce bountiful harvests.

Comparing the vineyard Jesus described to Christ Church, we see that connection (or relationships) and intention (commitment) allow us to claim and sustain unity. We see this at play in the partnerships of Christ Church couples: Margaret Hover and John Avalon and Thom Chu and David Perkins. Margaret is a Republican and John a Democrat. Thom is Chinese and David Caucasian. Though they were raised with different habits and values, these couples are united. Their shared experiences, mutual respect and caring make unity possible in the midst of their differences. Connection, relationship, abiding generate unity.

The Vestry’s unity is sustained by intent. Kim Bambino’s tenacity and intent is like that of the vinegrower in John 15. Kim is committed to growing, tending, pruning, protecting, and harvesting. Her purpose as member and Warden is to help Christ Church bear fruit. She works to make sure church harvests pay bills, repair buildings, grow membership, and preserve this parish for future generations. Kim is not the only vestry member whose intentions are like the vinegrower in John 15. We have a purpose driven Treasurer, Jon Baer. Jon makes sure the Vestry understands and effectively manages the church’s finances. Diane Shimmer who taught our children in Sunday school now walks in her mother's footsteps. She fosters fellowship (our connections and relationships) by providing food after worship.

The unity of Vestry and members at Christ Church is found and sustained by relationships and intentions. Unlike vines and branches, human unity is not an natural process. Humans are not plants. To sustain unity at Christ Church, promote unity in our families, install unity in this village and reintroduce unity in our nation we have to resist two temptations. The temptation of assuming difference produces division. The temptation of assuming unity requires agreement and sameness. Division is a decision, a choice. Division is never a foregone conclusion. Unity is generated where there is connection and intention. Christ Church, you are blessed with unity. Continue to choose connection. Hold fast to your intent to love and serve God. Utilize the blessing of your unity to draw others to God.