For, in the first place, when you assemble as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you; and I partly believe it, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you meet together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal, and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. 1 Cor 11.18-22 RSV.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. Eph 1.1-6 RSV.
To the community in Corinth there was a division over the Eucharist and Paul urged them to stop this division. Paul then goes on (if you read the verses that come after) to tell them of the tradition which was passed down to him by the other apostles instructing them how the body and blood of Christ was not divided but received within the gathered community. When Christ instituted this he did not have half the apostles with him but everyone was gathered. Paul then goes on to remind the people in Corinthians that they should not be divided over silly matters but become united in the one body which is the uniting factor between the community and Christ. This message becomes more emphasized when Paul writes to the community in Ephesus telling them to maintain the spirit which was handed down by the one Lord, One faith, One baptism, one God. The point is that there is no division in Christ but rather the community comes together in the one body of Christ. Therefore, we must be very careful not to divide this unity which Christ has given us.
Unfortunately, today many communities celebrate many liturgies (at the same time) within the ONE community forgetting that by doing this the body of Christ is broken. Unity needs to be maintained in order that the body is not broken up or divided for the sake of the "big" community. Many wonder why there are multiple liturgies (occurring at the same time) within one community? I would suggest the community splitting up if it is too big and start another church elsewhere were the need is needed for pastoral care. A church should never exceed more than 250 people. If we are to maintain the ONE body of Christ then that applies to everything within the church. One Church, one priest, one body of Christ, one community, one faith and one love. How can someone be part of a community if they when look to their right then look to their left and does not know the person they stand beside? The unity of the body of Christ is important to maintain the unity of the community. The following are two passages that speak on the unity of the one body of Christ. The first is a passage from Ignatius of Antioch writing to the community in Philadelphia right before his martyrdom in the city of Rome (Ignatius would have been in communication with John the Theologian). The second passage is taken from the English website of St. Macarius Monastery in the desert of Egypt. The reason I show these two passages because Ignatius is writing the same message Paul preached while the monastery starts out by saying how they maintain what the desert fathers have always taught.
And so be eager to celebrate just one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup that brings the unity of His blood, and one altar, as there is one bishop together with the presbyter and the deacons, my fellow slaves. Thus, whatever you do, do according to God. (Ignatius of Antioch writing to the church in Philadelphia Chapter 4).
Following the tradition of the desert fathers, we celebrate the Eucharist liturgy only once a week, on Sunday morning. It begins with an office of praise at two o'clock, ends at about eight o'clock and is followed by an agape meal. Our community is transformed by this celebration of the Eucharist from a purely human gathering into the actualization of the Body of Christ. This is why the liturgy, for us, cannot be said by an individual, or even by a section of the community; it is essentially the meeting of the whole community, gather together as the Church around the Lamb offered at His wedding feast (Rev. 19.9). (Taken from the main page of St. Macarius Monastery when asked about the Eucharist Liturgy).
St. Cyprian of the unity of the Church:
God is one and Christ is one, and his Church and faith are one, and the people joined together with the glue of concord into the unbroken unity of a body. It is not possible for the unity to be rent asunder, nor the one body to be divided by the tearing apart of the structure, nor to be torn into fragments with the violent rending apart of its vital organs. Whatever splits off from the parent tree is not able to live and breathe apart from it. It loses the essential nature of health. Page 178.
Recommended reading:
St. Cyprian of Carthage has two excellent books on the Church and one section of the book deals with the unity of the Church. If interested you can order the his two books of the Popular Patristic Series from SVS. The following is a link to the SVS website:
SVS Seminary Press
Selected Treatises of the Church
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