"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups (Jews and Gentiles) into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it," writes St. Paul (Eph. 2:13-16).
If one of the thrusts of the gospel is to bring together ethnic groups in one body, what might be some of the implications for how we structure and even name our churches? Is it appropriate to have an English-speaking, predominantly caucasian congregation meeting upstairs in the sanctuary on Sundays while a Chinese-speaking congregation meets downstairs in the very same building? Is it appropriate for the two congregations to have different names? Is it appropriate for a church to name itself, e. g., "Korean Presbyterian Church." What might all of this mean for the messianic Judaism movement? Is it okay for a church body to self-identify as Jewish? How can church leaders honor the reconciling power of the gospel by facilitating ecclesial unity?
Thoughts?
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