downside

Today was the Federation (united colleges - Anglican, Baptist, Methodist - in Bristol) quiet day. I and a group of other members of the federation spent the day at Downside Abbey. The Abbey is a Benedictine Community of Saint Gregory the Great in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Bath. It is also a school.

We spent the day with Dom Alexander reflecting on church unity. I spend the day reading and meditating on Colossians. I don't really know why I was drawn to the book but it was a very profitable time for me as I thought about how Paul (or the Pauline pretender) encouraged the Colossian church to focus on the headship of Christ and unify around their faith in the gospel. A Church that was in danger of splitting is encouraged to "let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful." Colossians 2.15.

Being one body, one church is very difficult at the moment and it breaks my heart to think that we can not agree enough to unite around this vision. Today was a time for hard thinking about what I would be prepared to give up for the sake of unity. It was a challenge and I am still thinking...