Reuben's Theme: "Christian Unity"
(Epiphany 2) - MORNING SERVICE
0930hrs at Chirton Methodist Church, North Shields
Sunday, 18th. January 1998 Anno Domini.

+ In the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen

When people are asked to deliver sermons on the subject of Christian Unity, they look through the New Testament, searching for relevant texts, and it's very hard, because the Christians of that time had not evolved into different denominations.

However, Saint Paul's letters, to the various Christian communities, are full of wonderful words of inspiration.
He urges them to work together, united, in Faith, Truth and Love.

In his letter to the Ephesians, we hear Paul telling them to get their act together.

In Chapter 4, he wrote:
"I entreat you - I, a prisoner for the Lord's sake: as God has called you, live up to your calling. Be humble always and gentle, and patient too. Be forbearing with one another and charitable. Spare no effort to make fast with bonds of peace the unity which the Spirit gives. There is one body and one Spirit, as there is also one hope held out in God's call to you; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

It's wonderful stuff, and it could have been written for us today.

I'll let you into a secret, IT WAS WRITTEN FOR US - CHRISTIANS TODAY!

That's what the Bible is all about.

We may be of different denominations, but...

we are ALL of ONE FAITH, we are ALL of ONE RELIGION, we are ALL CHRISTIANS!

But many of us find Christian Unity a little worrying.

The prospect of losing the identities and traditions that our different Christian denominations have to offer, frightens us.

Do we all want to be the same?

Throughout my life, sameness and uniformity has been bursting out all over.

A very gradual process, but as I look back I can see it.

Let me take you on a speedy journey through time:

You see I was born on December 3rd. 1952.

These were the days when industry rang with names like the chimes of bells: Metropolitan-Vickers, Morris, Routes and Hawker Siddley. Swan Hunter, Wallsend Slipway, Armstrong-Whitworth, British Leyland, Rediffusion. E. M. I. - the electronic heart of Britain, British-Thompson-Houston Generators - Turbines and Transformers - Power for Prosperity.
We made cars for the roads of the world, airliners for its skies and ships for its seas. It was Furguson for tractors, Foden for coaches. Sheffield was steel, Nottingham was cycles. We were a proud nation - proud of who we were and proud of what we could do.

My memories of the fifties hold echoes of purpose and pride. Proud of our country, proud of our region. The "War" was well behind us and we were a nation looking forward to peace and prosperity .......AND FUN.

As a child. I learned to speak with the added help of the "Light Programme", with people like Julia Lang, Daphne Oxenford, Derek McCulloch (Uncle Mac to you and me) and a frighteningly well spoken David Jacobs, to name but a few. I learned to count, and tell the time, to Bill Haley's "Rock around the Clock" and my rock-'n'-roll heroes were Tommy Steel and Cliff Richard.

Rock-'n'-roll and Teddy-boys gave way to Rhythm and Blues, Mods and Rockers and "The Sixties" evolving into "Flower Power", "Love and Peace" along with drugs, riots and a few other major problems. The youth of the country seemed to be still looking for a purpose - a direction (I know, I was one of them).

The sixties, people will tell you, were "Swinging" and I can confirm it, although some of the time it was like knowing there was a great party going on, but not being able to find it.

We had "Pirate Radio Stations" which led to the birth of "Radio One" (along with Two, Three and Four) with a fond farewell to the "Light Programme", the "Home Service" and the "Third". Then, before we knew where we were it was "Hullo BBC2" and colour television. Men walked on the Moon and we still felt as though the human race was actually getting somewhere. Human achievements were becoming more and more spectacular. Yes, suddenly we were thinking of ourselves in an international, rather than a national, way.

Throughout the seventies I witnessed the evolution of "Heavy Metal", "Rock" and "Disco" music. "Punk" came and went. We had some very hot summers and some very white winters and the music of the era still echoes around today - mostly on Radio 2.

Throughout the Eighties and now in the Nineties I have watched things develop a type of uniformity. As communications become more advanced, almost by the minute, the world seems to be getting smaller. Hundreds of television stations available to you by cable and satellite. You can stand on a street corner, with a mobile telephone, and talk to anyone in the world. When digital television comes along we won't know what hit us - we'll be able to communicate using our televisions, and the channels available will be unlimited.

Looking back on how everything has changed throughout my life, I can't help but get the feeling that people are losing their individuality.
As a region, we have lost that spark of tenacity and personality that Tyneside used to have. Tyne Tees Television, now called "Channel 3 North East", has lost it's famous theme- tune. In fact Tyne Tees Television is owned by Yorkshire Television now.

It's happening all over the country and starting to happen all over the world. Our individuality is disappearing. We are slowly becoming similar and the same.

Many good people believe that as, throughout the world, we all become the same - losing our national and regional individuality and pride, conflicts will cease, wars will become a thing of the past and there will be peace.
It's beginning to happen - I've been watching it all my life.
I know that there are parts of the world where peace is still a long way off - but slowly, it is coming!

IS THIS WHAT WE WANT? - "YES!"

But part of me sees the world traveling a route to a gray existence, where the banks and corporations will rule the world. Wars will be fought in the boardrooms and stock-exchanges of the world and the casualties of these wars will be the millions of starving and homeless, dying on the streets of the world.
YES! EVEN IN TYNESIDE - ask my brother Maurice at the Byker-Bridge Housing Association. He hates the cold weather because, as he so movingly puts it, he loses customers.

Yes, they die on the streets - IN NEWCASTLE!

So, it would seem that the loss of our individual uniqueness in the world is possibly something to be avoided.

Let's look at Christianity. Our wonderful mish-mash of denominations.
Christian Unity is slowly coming. How will it affect us, our children and our grandchildren. Well, I don't think we have anything to worry about.

(Reach down and pick up the Altar Version of the "Revised Common Lectionary - Hold it up for everyone to see.)

You see this book? It's called "The Revised Common Lectionary". It's a three year cycle of exceedingly well selected readings for the Christian Year. All the major denominations of the world, including yours and mine, have had a hand in it. The Roman Catholic Church are already using it. Starting last Advent Sunday, the Church of England now allow it's use for all services, becoming compulsory by the year 2000. At Saint George's Church in Cullercoats, we are going to start using it next Advent Sunday. By the year 2000 all the major Christian Denominations of the world, will be using it. I know that the Methodists in Cullercoats intend to start using it the same time as us.

In only a few years, you could be at a service at the Vatican in Rome, Central Hall or Westminster Abbey in London, or any local church or chapel - and you will hear the same readings. The Christian Church all over the world - reflecting on the same readings - TOGETHER. The word "United" springs to mind.

I find that exciting.

It does not mean that we must become different from what we are now. It's a Unity between our different denominations, while respecting our differences.
As Christian Unity comes closer and we worry about our own denominations, be them Methodist, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist or whatever. Will they become gray and the same?

Although faiths and denominations have to have names, as soon as a group of people have a name, we are far to eager to put them into a pigeonhole and separate them from all the others.
Perhaps if we forgot about our labels occasionally, and were prepared to find out a little more about our fellow Christians, we might get a little surprise once in a while (and on the way - make a few new friends).

All Christian Churches and Denominations have so much to offer, for different people, in different ways.

It is important to maintain the many rich traditions of the Christian Church Universal.

Let all Christians in the world, become proud of what and who we are and respect other Christians for who and what they are.
We Christians are a colourful bunch and it would be terrible if the "Rainbow of Christianity" was blended into one boring single colour.

Like a rainbow, we can all be united, but none of us are ever the same.

If only the Christian Church would learn a little bit about itself and each-other, perhaps we might all get somewhere (and possibly even arrive there at the same time).

We must remember the difference between: religion (or faith) and denomination (the label given to our personal group within that religion).

We are all one faith, one religion: "CHRISTIANS"

When Dave Allen used to end his programme with the words "May your God go with you!" he struck an interesting note.

The thing we Christians have to remember is that we all have the SAME God -
AND - WE ALL HAVE THE SAME SAVIOUR!

So, spread the word - THE GOOD NEWS, because only through Jesus Christ and a UNITED CHRISTIAN FAITH - THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, will we have what I pray for every day.

CHRISTIAN UNITY AND PEACE.

+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.