In this season of Epiphany, we are returning to some “basics” of our Christians faith. This Sunday marks the close of the week of prayer for Christian unity, so we will consider the apostle Paul’s question, “has Christ been divided?” Sometimes, the loudest voices in the church are those that call for separation and purity, while the unity of the church is forgotten or ignored. So is the unity of the church really foundational to the Christian faith, or is it simply a “nice to have” after we get everything else (our theology, ethics, or politics) straightened out?

Scripture readings:

Isaiah 9:1-4
Psalm 27:1, 4-9
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Matthew 4:12-23