20 January 2026

‘There is one body.’ says St. Paul. We are all united across our parish and denominational boundaries through our baptism into Christ. We do nothing to deserve this. It is a gift of God’s grace. And  it is the life of Christ living within us which creates this one body.

And as Martin Luther famously wrote, it is through our baptism that we become priests. Christ, of course, is our High Priest  but as Peter says we are called ‘to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’ (1 Peter 2;5)

St. Paul highlights the gifts given to the Church ‘that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers’. (Ephesians 4;11) And these gifts were given for two reasons. Firstly, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. All our gifts are given to enable others to minister too.

 ‘I have been crucified with Christ.’ says St. Paul, ‘and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ (Galatians 2;20) All ministry is a participation in the ministry of Christ.

Secondly, to build up the body of Christ. The gifts which we have been given are not given to fracture or fragment the body of Christ but to strengthen and enrich it so that the one unifying Spirit may gather us together into one through the life of Christ living within us.

In the Church of Scotland, ministers and elders make a promise at their ordination ‘to seek the unity and peace of this Church’. The word ‘Church’ has a capital letter. It is the Church of Scotland whose DNA is to recognise ‘the obligation to seek and promote union with other Churches’.

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