Christian Unity Week

For the past seven days it has been Christian Unity Week here at Mary Wash.  Last year we didn't have it at all and my freshman year it apparently wasn't a big thing (I didn't go so I wouldn't know).  So the group of us that have been meeting to plan it for the past few months went into it with ideas that we would bring it back with a bang on our campus.  We had an event planned every day for a week to show the different ministries on campus that, regardless of denomination and background, we all have one common goal:  to show Christ's light to our school.  I wanted to teach our chapter of InterVarsity that being united as a common army of Christ is important (John 17:22-23).  Over the years, hostility had developed between the different ministries due to competition for having the strongest leaders and the most numbers.  We were all too caught up in wanting to be liked and wanting to be the best (Matthew 18:1) that we lost sight of our common mission, our common love, our common joy.

Last year when my friend from the BCM and I were throwing around the idea of bringing Christian Unity Week back, my goal was to show IV how important it is to be united.  This year when we started planning and meeting and organizing, I realized that was the goal for each one of us.  It didn't matter the ministry (IV, BCM, CCM, The Gathering... etc), we ALL wanted to emphasize that to our chapters.  What I didn't realize going into this whole thing that Jesus was teaching me something in the process.

I haven't talked to anyone about Christian Unity Week yet, so I'm not sure if anyone was changed by it or learned something.  But I do know that I definitely did.  In trying to teach my chapter about Christian Unity, I learned the actual extreme importance of it myself.  I made good friends with the other students that were also planning it and I think I can speak for the few of us leaders that God completely humbled us in the process and created this bond between us that can never be broken.

Large group last night was our final event of the week.  Before we started, the five of us that did most of the planning had a small meeting where we talked about how we don't want Christian Unity to end with this week.  We want to (probably once a month) join the other ministries for their big weekly events.  We want the Christian Unity Week band to continue playing together for events.  We want to continue to fellowship together and grow in our walk with Christ by learning from the different groups and denominations.

Psalm 133:1  How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!

I am so glad that the Lord called me to help plan this week because He taught me more than I anticipated.