Unity Is Beyond Us...but God Does What Is Beyond Us

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

You set before us the picture of perfect unity, of being three yet one;
Jesus, you prayed, “Make them one Father as we are one”

We lament that your words Jesus have not become our life

We are divided

• By political affiliation
• By colors
• By borders
• By nation
• By ethnicity
• By ignoring the wisdom of the other
• By a commitment to hyper individualism 
• By “my reading of the Bible trumps yours”

We know your plans are so much greater for your church

• That the dividing wall of hostility be broken down
• That we accept one another as Christ has accepted us
• That we love one another so showing that we are your disciples
• That we join with people from every tribe, language, people and nation in praising you
• That with humility we consider others better than ourselves
• That we look not to our own interests, but to the interests of others
• That we have the mind of Christ who emptied himself

We confess that all of this is beyond us and our abilities.

We place our hope in your work in us. That hope that resounds in the book of Ephesians where you tell us that the dividing wall of hostility has been broken down, where you tell us that that hostility between us is put to death by the cross. 

And then, after telling us we are one and calling us to be one you give us this hope, 

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

We pray that you accomplish abundantly far more than we can ask or imagine, we pray that you make us one as the father and you are one.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

Amen