Philippians Weekly Reader 5: Like-Minded
Reading: Philippians 2:1-4; John 17:1-26; Ephesians 4:1-14

In American culture, one of our highest values is individuality. We prize our uniqueness. Many in the Christian church subculture, however, have preached a doctrine of sameness – we must look the same, act the same, make the same entertainment choices, and have the same political beliefs.

Paul (in Philippians and throughout his other letters) emphasized the importance that the church be “like-minded” – one in spirit and purpose. Jesus prayed that we would all be “one” so the world would believe in Him. So what does “like-mindedness” and being “one” look like on a practical level?

First, it does not mean we will agree on every detail of life. But we do agree on the main things. Paul establishes the foundation of our relationships with each other in the church with three words. He tells us we should have the same love, spirit, and purpose.

Love:    We love Jesus because He first loved us. Our love for Him is our common bond. Everything else flows out of it.

Spirit:    We believe in and have experienced the indwelling presence of the Spirit. A key component of Paul’s work was to preach and teach that we can and should be “filled with the Spirit.” He is reminding them now that they are all children of the same Spirit – that no matter where they came from before, they are united by baptism and rebirth.

Purpose:  We have been invited to participate in the redemption of the world – to share a message of hope, to invite everyone we meet to be reconciled to God. In this we have a common purpose. It is a foundational framework for working together.

Paul also encourages us to look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others – to make an effort to put others first. He is not saying that we should not do anything that advances our careers or causes us to be successful – he is saying that first we should help others get ahead. In so doing, we are enriched ourselves.

The following blog post was submitted by a local young adult ministry leader. We encourage you to read it before considering the “questions” section.

We Don't Go to Church
http://www.youngadultsagblog.com/2010/07/we-dont-go-to-church.html
Submitted by: Lindsay Fosner of Seattle, WA lindsayfosner@gmail.com

Questions:

• Is it possible for people in the Church to put aside differences with others and find the unity of the Spirit?
  
  
• Consider your relationships with others in your local church. Could you say “we are ‘deep-spirited friends?’” Why or why not?
  
  
• Who am I here for? What are “the needs of others”?
  
  
• Is your local church a community outsiders will have to “break or fake” their way into? If so, what can be done to change that fact?