Message: United in Christ / John 17:20-26

    One of the beautiful things about the United Church of Canada is that it shows how people who are different can come together as one. On June 10, 1925, three different Christian traditions came together. These were the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists. They made the bold decision to unite and form the United Church. This was not easy because they had different backgrounds and theological views. But they still chose unity.

    Trying to build unity by putting “me” at the centre does not work. True Christian unity happens only when we put “God” at the centre and try to come close to God. The closer we are to God, the closer we are to each other. No one in the world is the same. We are all different in some way. But as Christians, we believe that there is something we all share. That is the image of God. The starting point of unity is the moment when each person sees God's image within themselves and begins to live it out.

    In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus prays for the early Christians to be united with him and with one another. John chapter 17 is often called the Farewell Prayer or the High Priestly Prayer because it is the prayer Jesus said just before he was arrested. It is the longest prayer of Jesus in the Bible with three parts: a prayer for himself (verses 1 to 5), a prayer for his disciples (6 -19), and a prayer for those who would come to believe through them (20-26).

    Many scholars agree that the Gospel of John was written around the year 80 or 90, or possibly even later. This was a very challenging time for early believers. In the year 70, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army. The Jewish people had started a war for freedom, but they were defeated. After the war, many Jewish communities across the Roman Empire became careful about any group that followed a Messiah or spoke of a new kingdom. Because of this, Jewish Christians who believed that Jesus was the Messiah were no longer welcome in local synagogues and were even cursed by their fellow Jews through public prayer. They were also targeted by Roman authorities for refusing to worship the emperor.

    The early Christians faced challenges not only from persecution outside the church but also from differences within. In the early congregations around the Mediterranean, people came from many different backgrounds, cultures, and ways of life. The Roman roads, trade routes, and busy port cities brought together merchants, travellers, and workers from many countries. These cities were filled with people who had different languages, beliefs, and customs, and the church also faced tension and conflict because of this diversity.

    The Gospel of John was written in this difficult time. What is interesting is that, even in the middle of persecution and conflict, John talks about love more than the other Gospel writers. John uses the word love 57 times, while Matthew uses it 17 times, Mark 9 times, and Luke 18 times. John talks about love more than all the other Gospels combined, so we can say that John is the Gospel of love.

    John’s Gospel gave hope to early believers. Its message brought healing and peace to those who were hurt by hardship and struggle. Especially when they found Jesus’ prayer for them, they came to see that they were not alone. The heart of Jesus’ prayer is unity in love. Just as God and Jesus share love and a deep relationship, Jesus prayed that future believers would also be united, saying “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” 

    Unity in love reveals God’s glory. God’s glory is not about fancy church buildings, religious power, or material success. Showing God’s glory means letting the image of God within us shine. Only when each person restores that image through a deep relationship with God can we build healthy relationships with others.

    A forest is healthy when every tree has enough room and light to grow. If young trees crowd in the shade of one tall tree, they stay weak. When each tree sends its roots deep into the soil and stretches its branches toward the sky, the forest becomes a home for many forms of life. 

    The church is like that forest. When each person builds a deep friendship with Christ, the community becomes one body, living in harmony. A church led by only one voice or one idea cannot stay healthy. That is why the different thoughts, stories, and gifts within the church are not threats. When our roots are firmly planted in Christ, our differences become blessings that help the whole church grow.

    The prayer of Jesus in today’s reading was not only for the early Christians. It is also for us today. Jesus prayed for us two thousand years ago. He is still praying for us now. And he will continue to pray for our congregation.

    In 2016, the United Church responded to Jesus’ prayer by adopting the “Vision for Becoming an Intercultural Church”. This is the vision of being united as we draw closer to God who reveals Godself through different cultural perspectives. The statement begins as follows: “Individually and in community, we do everything through the lenses of our cultures: there is no such thing as a culture-free perspective. Our experiences and understandings are shaped by our cultures. Since we cannot capture the complexity of God through our limited cultural understandings, our understanding of God is limited when we see this God through only one dominant cultural perspective. Instead, our understandings of God and our scriptures can be deepened when we come together, as disciples of Jesus Christ, in all of our differences and diversities to acknowledge intercultural reality and richness.” 

    This statement describes six important qualities of an intercultural church. First, the church is welcoming. It opens its doors with joy and curiosity. It trusts that the Holy Spirit leads people into new experiences. Even when those experiences feel uncomfortable or difficult, they help us grow. The church uses many names and images of God and speaks in more than one voice. It listens carefully, just as much as it teaches, and is willing to be changed through conversations.

    Second, the church is relational. It respects the unique background of each community and celebrates the different ways people live out their faith. It welcomes feedback, even when people do not all agree. It works to build good relationships with all of creation and makes efforts to include many languages in worship and to share leadership.

    Third, the church is adaptive. It admits its mistakes, learns from the past and continues to grow. It does not try to force everyone into one way of doing things. Instead, it stays open to changing hearts, minds, systems, and rules when those changes help the church follow God’s mission.

    Fourth, the church seeks justice. It looks for new ways to share fairly, fix power imbalances, and challenge unfair systems that harm people’s dignity. It works to make sure every voice is heard, both inside and outside the church. It speaks out against discrimination and chooses to live in a new and better way, caring about justice both near and far.

    Fifth, the church is intentional. It understands that real growth comes from listening to many stories. It creates safe spaces for hard conversations and supports leaders from many backgrounds, especially from groups that have been left out in the past. It prays, learns, listens, and reflects, knowing that growing and changing are lifelong journeys.

    Finally, the church is missional. Everything it does is based on God’s mission in the world. God is already at work, and we, with all our differences, are invited to join that work with open hearts and joy.

    When the church lives this way, it becomes a sanctuary for the soul. We are different, yet one in Christ. Unity is not just a way to survive. It is how we show the world the glory of God.

    So, let us ask the Holy Spirit to make every congregation in the United Church a living answer to Jesus’ prayer. Let us dare to be different yet united, always gathering at the table of the One who invites everyone to taste the Kingdom of God. May we become an intercultural church where all are welcome, all are valued, and all are loved in Christ.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang

Southstormont Pastoral Charge