It was one of those power nap dream‘s, the kind that you experience when all
cares and worries have abandon your thoughts.  So refreshing, the feeling of love flooded all my senses, it almost seem real.  Every one was accepting one another, willing to work together, trying to achieve God’s pleasures and not their own……    
 

     Real unity spread throughout this mystical dream.  Not a superficial form of unity but a real and genuine uniting of efforts and purposes — not a “big I” and a “little you” situation, but a loving and humble “WE”.
 
     Upon awaking I felt so rejuvenated, and wondering what this experience was all about.  Was this just a pleasant dream ooooorrrrrrrr was it a message reflecting  reality?  I had no answer then but I have one today, “God was letting me experience the reality of spiritual unity.”
 
    The word unity has become an unachievable goal within most of today’s congregations.  It’s one of those words that sounds nice and “so” Christian, but can it ever really be achieved.  Yes, unity can be achieved!
 
     Unity blossoms when all are focus upon God.  That sounds great but how can we accomplish this as a congregation; as a pastor?  I wish I could give you some cut and dried bench marks that would let you know if we are on tract to unity but I would only be fooling my and you if I tried.  What I can do is to give you some indicators that will alert us when we are not traveling the path of unity:
 
  1.  Sowing discord
  2.  Careless language
  3.  Untruths
  4.  Non acceptance (of anyone or any changes)
  5.  “My way” or “no way”
  6.  Appeasement (this never works for the good of anything)
 
      When these indicators become predominate within any congregation, unity will never be achieved and church will often develop into a  “killer” atmosphere.  The congregation’s spiritual life will become hostile and adversarial.  God’s unity can not exist in such an environment.
 
       Ok John, just what am I suppose to do with these tidbits of information.  I’m glad you asked J J J   Keep them to yourself and if at any time you feel any of these “un-unifying” attitudes surfacing within you call upon God for help.  If every member of a congregation and every pastor would monitor and restrain their own “killer” thoughts and feelings, successful “unity” can and will be achieved doing the will of God.
 
       Oh, the feeling I had during my power nap dream, I still feel it today, even as I write this article.
 
   IT FEELS SO GOOD!
 
    THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!  
 
     John