| Beloved, This past Sunday I mentioned Christ’s petition that His disciples reflect the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit (Jn. 17:21-23). In my morning devotions I’ve been studying the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and this morning I read these words from John of Damascus, speaking of the essential oneness that the Spirit enjoys with the Father and the Son: “The abiding and resting of the Persons in one another is not in such a manner that they coalesce or become confused, but, rather, so that they adhere to one another, for they are without interval between them and inseparable and their mutual indwelling is without confusion. For the Son is in the Father and the Spirit, and the Spirit is in the Father and the Son, and the Father is in the Son and the Spirit, and there is no merging or bleeding or confusion.” To put it simply, the singularity of essence doesn’t nullify the distinction of persons. There is unity in diversity and diversity in unity in God, and it is His will that such would be true of us (though in a remarkably different manner). Spirit-wrought unity has been my fervent prayer for us as we move toward officer elections. Such unity doesn’t mean uniformity. We will have different perspectives, opinions, and desires, and that diversity is a good and beautiful thing. But for the Spirit to bind our hearts together in humble, Christ-like love in the midst of those differences–that is the unity God wills for us. It is the unity we are also to zealously strive after, being “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). It doesn’t mean we will all vote the same on Sunday. It doesn’t mean we will all agree on every point of doctoral minutiae. It doesn’t mean our personalities will all jive in glorious perfection. For it doesn’t take the Holy Spirit to cause us to get along with people who are just like us! It is our diversity that serves to highlight just how profound and otherworldly the unity of the gospel truly is. One important key to fostering unity in the church is clear communication, especially from the leadership. After receiving multiple questions from the congregation this past week, I realized my failure to communicate why David, Bart, and Bob were certified for the particular offices they were. The reality is that all three men were nominated numerous times to both offices. The overwhelming affirmation of the congregation to nominate these men was a great encouragement to the session, but it also left us with the responsibility to determine which office to certify them for (ruling elder or deacon). There were a number of factors we considered in doing so, but the two main ones were (1) each man’s internal desire and (2) the present needs of our congregation. While two of the men expressed desire and willingness to serve in either office, all three had a particular lean in one direction more than the other. We believe that the internal call the Spirit gives is significant, and the internal desire of each of these men is represented in the office they were certified for. Furthermore, if our congregation is going to grow numerically, we need another elder to carry the shepherding load. But as we saw in Sunday morning’s sermon, for the elders to carry out their ministry faithfully, there is a great need for a strong, Spirit-filled diaconate. The diaconate is something our congregation has struggled with for some time. Don’t mishear me. We have a wonderful deacon! But we only have one, and it has meant that your elders have functioned as deacons alongside of Chris. We believe the addition of two deacons will enable the elders to fully delegate the oversight of the church’s mercy ministry, freeing us up to focusing on the work we are gifted and called to do. On top of that, we believe David’s unique gifts will compliment the other three men on the session and that the unique gifts of Bob, Bart, and Chris combined will make for an excellent, well-rounded diaconal team. If all three of these men are elected on Sunday, this will give Cornerstone three ruling elders and three deacons, making it possible to have three shepherding groups that each have an elder and a deacon. In our mind, this is ideal and will enable you to be optimally cared for in both soul and body! So all that to say, we didn’t make these decisions randomly or thoughtlessly. As fallible men, we have sought to prayerfully lead the church in the best way we know how. If you have any questions prior to Sunday’s meeting, please don’t hesitate to call me. Let us be continuing in prayer that the Spirit would provide us with godly leaders and unify us in the process! Yours in Christ, Pastor Nick |
