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That We May Be One: Practicing Unity in a Divided Church
Transcending divisions and healing the broken Body of Christ. Disunity is a reality within churches today. Left unaddressed, political disagreements and racial inequities can fester into misunderstanding, resentment, and anger. But often the act of addressing this discord prompts further animosity, widening fissures into gaping fault lines between fellow members of the same community. Gary Agee, a pastor well-versed in leading diverse congregations, reflects here on the roots of division within the church and the virtues and practices that can promote the restoration of unity. With disarming honesty and humility, Agee offers sage advice gleaned from Scripture and years of practical experience to show how we might fulfill Jesus’s prayer on behalf of the “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. . . . That they may be one as we are one.” At the end of each chapter, Agee includes exercises, discussion questions, and suggested practices, providing a concrete path to unity through dialogue and action.
165 pages, Paperback
Published May 17, 2022
8 people want to read
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June 18, 2022
Jesus prayed that his followers would be one, even as he was one with the Father (John 17). Paul worked diligently seeking to unify the communities he founded, condemning factionalism as being of the flesh and not the Spirit. Nevertheless, the church of Jesus Christ has rarely if ever been truly one. There have been many efforts through the centuries to bring the church together, sometimes through coercion and other times through persuasion, but the number of Christian communities numbers in the thousands. Nevertheless, the vision of unity remains with us. For some of us, the pursuit of unity is central to our identity (see the chapter on ecumenism in my book Called to Bless: Finding Hope by Reclaiming Our Spiritual Roots.
Because ecumenism is central to my own ministry identity and that of my denomination (the Disciples of Christ), I'm always interested in what others have to say about ecumenism. Gary Agee shares my passion for unity and describes what that might entail in his book "That We May Be One." Agee reminds us that unity is not easy to achieve and that shortcuts that avoid difficult conversations about such issues as race and gender don't lead to true unity.
Agee is a pastor within the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and an affiliated faculty member at the denominationally affiliated Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry. Agee tells us that the Church of God has as a central tenet the pursuit of unity. It is Wesleyan and evangelical in orientation but has similarities to my own tradition.
He suggests that we have to choices in the face of our disunity. We can surrender and "continue shouting at one another over the walls erected out of fear and self-interest." (p. ix). That is a politically powerful position. Polarization works. However, he suggests that a more compelling option, and the one he has taken, is to work on these "contentious differences at the same time to learn more grace-filled ways to encounter one another." (p. ix-x). I agree that this second path is the better way and one that Jesus would have us take.
Agee has designed this book to be used in personal study but also in group conversation. Each chapter concludes with a reflection, questions for discussion, and what he calls "From Pew to Practice." This final piece invites readers/participants to put what has been discussed in the chapter/session into practice.
He begins the book after the preface with an autobiographical introduction in which he tells the story of his journey from a rather narrow-minded Christian who read mostly the Bible and nothing else. It was when he went to college that he encountered new ideas that stretched his vision. That vision was stretched further when he pursued graduate work at Roman Catholic institutions, something that you wouldn't expect from an evangelical. This led to his ministry which has blossomed into a commitment to unity. This opening introduction is quite informative and sets the context for the rest of the book.
The chapters that follow introduce the reader to different ways of envisioning unity. His focus is not on denominational mergers or traditional ecumenical efforts that usually focus on polity concerns. He's more focused here on relationships, especially relations that cross ethnic, gender, and cultural boundaries. Thus, he begins by inviting us to envision the diversity within the body of Christ. Then in chapter 2, he moves to define more clearly what unity looks like. while in the first chapter he used the story of Lazarus and the rich man as a scriptural foundation, here he turns to the prodigal son. As we continue on into chapter 3, Agee speaks of the posture of unity. This involves humility, listening, introspection, self-awareness, transparency, and a holy curiosity. I like that last quality! These are qualities that enable conversation that covers important differences.
Chapter 4 takes us to an interesting place. It invites us to return to the Upper Room. In other words, it invites us to begin again by letting the Holy Spirit reinvigorate the church so that we might set aside the polarization and attend to the things that divide. Agee has an evangelical orientation that holds the Bible to be a central witness to the Christian faith. As this is a book about unity, he recognizes that there are differences of interpretation when it comes to interpreting Scripture. That has led to a wide variety of positions on issues that concern us. Some seek a message that focuses on promoting peace and justice and equality, while others find texts that foment distrust and anger, which leads to conflict, war, and even genocide. So, we must be careful with how we use Scripture. So, if we're going to move toward unity, we'll need to read Scripture with a lens of inclusion, and helps us find that lens. That leads to a chapter titled "False Gospels," in which he takes on the messages of division and hate that don't reflect the message of Jesus. So, he asks the question many ask, can religion make us better people. The answer should be yes, but the reality is that doesn't always make us better people. So, he calls on us to let go of hate-filled messages that don't reflect Jesus.
As I noted earlier, there is a "pew to practice" section in each chapter, but he also has a chapter, the penultimate chapter, which he titles "Pew to Practice." Here he discusses some ways in which he has moved from pew to practice and encourages us to do the same. That leads to a final chapter titled "Champions for a Cause." The cause is unity in the body of Christ that crosses boundaries of race, gender, sexual orientation, and theology so that we might find a path toward embodying Jesus' prayer for unity. To do that he introduces us to several people who have done just that. In other words, he wants us to know about those who have been champions so we might follow their lead.
For those who believe, as I do, that unity is something worth pursuing, Gary Agee has provided a thoughtful, accessible, compelling guide that serves as an invitation to the church at large to fulfill its calling. Take and read and move toward unity as Jesus would have us move.
Because ecumenism is central to my own ministry identity and that of my denomination (the Disciples of Christ), I'm always interested in what others have to say about ecumenism. Gary Agee shares my passion for unity and describes what that might entail in his book "That We May Be One." Agee reminds us that unity is not easy to achieve and that shortcuts that avoid difficult conversations about such issues as race and gender don't lead to true unity.
Agee is a pastor within the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and an affiliated faculty member at the denominationally affiliated Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry. Agee tells us that the Church of God has as a central tenet the pursuit of unity. It is Wesleyan and evangelical in orientation but has similarities to my own tradition.
He suggests that we have to choices in the face of our disunity. We can surrender and "continue shouting at one another over the walls erected out of fear and self-interest." (p. ix). That is a politically powerful position. Polarization works. However, he suggests that a more compelling option, and the one he has taken, is to work on these "contentious differences at the same time to learn more grace-filled ways to encounter one another." (p. ix-x). I agree that this second path is the better way and one that Jesus would have us take.
Agee has designed this book to be used in personal study but also in group conversation. Each chapter concludes with a reflection, questions for discussion, and what he calls "From Pew to Practice." This final piece invites readers/participants to put what has been discussed in the chapter/session into practice.
He begins the book after the preface with an autobiographical introduction in which he tells the story of his journey from a rather narrow-minded Christian who read mostly the Bible and nothing else. It was when he went to college that he encountered new ideas that stretched his vision. That vision was stretched further when he pursued graduate work at Roman Catholic institutions, something that you wouldn't expect from an evangelical. This led to his ministry which has blossomed into a commitment to unity. This opening introduction is quite informative and sets the context for the rest of the book.
The chapters that follow introduce the reader to different ways of envisioning unity. His focus is not on denominational mergers or traditional ecumenical efforts that usually focus on polity concerns. He's more focused here on relationships, especially relations that cross ethnic, gender, and cultural boundaries. Thus, he begins by inviting us to envision the diversity within the body of Christ. Then in chapter 2, he moves to define more clearly what unity looks like. while in the first chapter he used the story of Lazarus and the rich man as a scriptural foundation, here he turns to the prodigal son. As we continue on into chapter 3, Agee speaks of the posture of unity. This involves humility, listening, introspection, self-awareness, transparency, and a holy curiosity. I like that last quality! These are qualities that enable conversation that covers important differences.
Chapter 4 takes us to an interesting place. It invites us to return to the Upper Room. In other words, it invites us to begin again by letting the Holy Spirit reinvigorate the church so that we might set aside the polarization and attend to the things that divide. Agee has an evangelical orientation that holds the Bible to be a central witness to the Christian faith. As this is a book about unity, he recognizes that there are differences of interpretation when it comes to interpreting Scripture. That has led to a wide variety of positions on issues that concern us. Some seek a message that focuses on promoting peace and justice and equality, while others find texts that foment distrust and anger, which leads to conflict, war, and even genocide. So, we must be careful with how we use Scripture. So, if we're going to move toward unity, we'll need to read Scripture with a lens of inclusion, and helps us find that lens. That leads to a chapter titled "False Gospels," in which he takes on the messages of division and hate that don't reflect the message of Jesus. So, he asks the question many ask, can religion make us better people. The answer should be yes, but the reality is that doesn't always make us better people. So, he calls on us to let go of hate-filled messages that don't reflect Jesus.
As I noted earlier, there is a "pew to practice" section in each chapter, but he also has a chapter, the penultimate chapter, which he titles "Pew to Practice." Here he discusses some ways in which he has moved from pew to practice and encourages us to do the same. That leads to a final chapter titled "Champions for a Cause." The cause is unity in the body of Christ that crosses boundaries of race, gender, sexual orientation, and theology so that we might find a path toward embodying Jesus' prayer for unity. To do that he introduces us to several people who have done just that. In other words, he wants us to know about those who have been champions so we might follow their lead.
For those who believe, as I do, that unity is something worth pursuing, Gary Agee has provided a thoughtful, accessible, compelling guide that serves as an invitation to the church at large to fulfill its calling. Take and read and move toward unity as Jesus would have us move.
June 27, 2022
In his High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus prays for something that remains unfulfilled—he prays for unity. Although we see glimmers of this unity within the early church, the saga of history is a church at war, socially, politically, and literally. That division has been especially highlighted over the past decade in the American church. Into this morass wades Gary B. Agee, with his calm and film guide for creating unity in the church. That We May Be One is a thoughtful treatise, written out of personal experience, that advocates for unity within the church.
The opening chapters develops the theological and practical need for unity, using Agee’s own personal experience and reflections as a guide. From there, That We May Be One discusses how unity might be achieved, focusing on the need for humility, empathetic listening, introspection, self-awareness, transparency, curiosity, and endurance. It is this middle chapter where Agee’s thoughtfulness really comes through and I would not have been upset at all had this chapter been expanded to be the primary content of the book.
The latter half of the book describes the struggles for unity in the New Testament and in church history. Agee spends a chapter refuting the false gospel of Christian nationalism and taking white evangelicalism to task for their political positions and rhetoric. And here is where the book falters. While Agee describes how these behaviors (and reactions to them) drive disunity, he offers very little thought in how (or if) we should be united. Are there areas in which Christians should not unite with others who claim the name? That We May Be One is an academic and sanitized take on developing unity that doesn’t do much in getting into the emotional nitty-gritty of it all. Agee’s message is somewhat lost amid the academic tone and dry writing.
While the message and intentions are good, there are more engaging alternatives—Chrestina Cleveland’s Disunity in Christ being the gold standard. Agee also fails to talk about when unity can be dangerous and disfellowship may be necessary. Calling for unity with one’s abuser is not healthy or biblical, so any discussion that fails to adequately talk about when to be disunited—particularly in light of the current divisions in the American church—isn’t offering a solution that’s practical, loving, and complete. I appreciate Agee’s book for its irenic and academic tone. However, I’m not convinced that’s what is needed to bring about a repentance that can then lead to unity in the American church.
The opening chapters develops the theological and practical need for unity, using Agee’s own personal experience and reflections as a guide. From there, That We May Be One discusses how unity might be achieved, focusing on the need for humility, empathetic listening, introspection, self-awareness, transparency, curiosity, and endurance. It is this middle chapter where Agee’s thoughtfulness really comes through and I would not have been upset at all had this chapter been expanded to be the primary content of the book.
The latter half of the book describes the struggles for unity in the New Testament and in church history. Agee spends a chapter refuting the false gospel of Christian nationalism and taking white evangelicalism to task for their political positions and rhetoric. And here is where the book falters. While Agee describes how these behaviors (and reactions to them) drive disunity, he offers very little thought in how (or if) we should be united. Are there areas in which Christians should not unite with others who claim the name? That We May Be One is an academic and sanitized take on developing unity that doesn’t do much in getting into the emotional nitty-gritty of it all. Agee’s message is somewhat lost amid the academic tone and dry writing.
While the message and intentions are good, there are more engaging alternatives—Chrestina Cleveland’s Disunity in Christ being the gold standard. Agee also fails to talk about when unity can be dangerous and disfellowship may be necessary. Calling for unity with one’s abuser is not healthy or biblical, so any discussion that fails to adequately talk about when to be disunited—particularly in light of the current divisions in the American church—isn’t offering a solution that’s practical, loving, and complete. I appreciate Agee’s book for its irenic and academic tone. However, I’m not convinced that’s what is needed to bring about a repentance that can then lead to unity in the American church.
June 10, 2022
Agee does a wonderful job of addressing the disunity in the church and suggesting practical ways we can take steps to actively participate in a journey of reconciliation. Agee’s brilliant writing style and personal stories engage the reader at a personal level, and his soul searching questions reverberate in the reader’s thoughts. This book takes you on a journey of both the mind and heart.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews