Fellowship through worship

I have watched my congregation experience an increased number of new participants, several of whom recently joined the church as members. Some of these new people are long-term members of another Church of the Brethren congregation. Some are very new to our heritage and particular tradition of Christianity. Some are seeking a fresh start in this place, having been hurt by or frustrated with the church in other places.

Our congregation also has many members who have been part of this church for decades. Some were born into the church or brought in as children many years ago. Some have parents and grandparents and great-grandparents who were Brethren ministers or have been part of Brethren communities for generations. Others have not been part of this congregation for quite as long but bring roots steeped in the Church of the Brethren or other Anabaptist groups.

Long-term and newer community participants, life-long Brethren and those strongly influenced by other Christian traditions: How do we build community together?

Unity in Jesus

The culminating words of the final chapter of Matthew’s Gospel come from Jesus to the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection. His followers have experienced the grief of his death and the joy of his resurrection, and now might be wondering, “What’s next?” The disciples respond to the instructions that Jesus gave to the women gathered at the tomb, and they meet back in Galilee, on the mountain. This topographical location elevates the theological significance of what Jesus will say, in the same way it did for the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. It places Jesus between heaven and earth, emphasizing his human and now-divine characteristics.

Matthew’s Gospel indicates that the disciples worshiped him, but “some doubted” (28:17, CEB). That uncertainty sets the stage for what has become known as the “great commission,” Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples in Matthew’s account.

First, Jesus assures them of his authority. The references to heaven and earth are perhaps dually emphasized by the named location on the mountain and the resurrection that has just been witnessed. The focus is clearly on Jesus’ sacred and powerful connection with the one, true God.

The following two verses (vv. 19-20) contain quite a few verbs: go, make, baptize, teach, obey, remember. Jesus sends the disciples out into the world. They are commanded to share the message, the good news, with all they meet, everywhere. This command has historically, at times, been used to force a doctrinal system on groups, but perhaps it is instead intended as a living model, based in relationship with both humanity and God.

Finally, Jesus’ words provide assurance a second time, this time emphasizing that he will always be with them.

But first, notably, before any of these instructions from Jesus, the disciples worshiped him. Even if they doubted, they worshiped. Even if they weren’t sure what was going to come next, they worshiped. Even though they were a confused mix of perspectives and levels of understanding, they worshiped. And they worshiped together, not individually and not alone.

This reassurance given to the disciples and the call for them to share this love with others extends beyond the disciples as individual people to communities of faithful followers trying to understand their relationship to God and to each other. The church is reassured and instructed to share the good news wholly and holistically, across time and place.

Unity in community

The book of Hebrews, like the closing verses of the Gospel of Matthew, aims to assure and prompt early Christ followers to action. In this book, likely written in the late first century, some believers seem to be struggling with their faith. They have not seen Jesus return, as they had hoped. With the distance of time and space from Jesus’ ministry, they may be finding it more challenging to remain faithful.

The unknown author of Hebrews attempts to remind believers of the basis of their faith in Jesus Christ. In chapter 10, the author reminds followers of the forgiveness available through loving and worshiping Jesus. The death of Jesus is interpreted as an offering, a sacrifice for humanity, which has far more value than the offerings in worship by priests (v. 11).

In Hebrews 10:24-25, the role of the community is highlighted. The role of the community of believers is to “provoke one another to love and good deeds.” In the Common English Bible translation, this gathered worship is “for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds.” Generative energy for the benefit of others is created and develops as beloved friends are together with God.

The faithful community is also reminded to continue to worship together (v. 25). It seems that some are not doing this. They are also asked to encourage each other, lift each other up, and support one another, more and more. Their continued hope rests in what is to come—the hope of Jesus’ return. This idea would be very familiar to the earliest Brethren and other Anabaptists who found mutual aid and support to be an integral part of their relationships with one another.

Unity in heritage

In 2025, the Church of the Brethren, alongside the Mennonites and other Anabaptist groups, celebrated the 500-year anniversary of the Anabaptist movement. The year 1525 is recognized as the beginning of Anabaptism, when the first group met for worship in Zurich, Switzerland, and were rebaptized, challenging the political alignment of church and state. They declared by their action that they were unified in a new understanding of proclaiming Jesus Christ—or perhaps a very old understanding—as they sought to return to the practices of the earliest ancient Christian disciples.

Even though the act of baptism is a very individual experience of committing one’s life to Jesus, it is also a very communal worship experience. The public nature of baptism for the Brethren is a critical piece in understanding the role of God’s care for one and for all. For some, witnessing the baptisms of others reminds them of their own baptismal vows and experience. Hearing the rush of water as a baptismal candidate is immersed and seeing the water drip down can take observers back to their own experiences. They might remember how the water felt and who was present for the service.

The language of familiar Brethren baptismal vows can be traced back to the Matthew 28 instructions to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (v. 19). The heritage of the Brethren is deep and wide, extending back over 300 years to the beginning of the Church of the Brethren denomination in 1708.

The Anabaptist movement began even earlier, over 500 years ago. The writing of Matthew’s Gospel was almost 2,000 years ago. Unity can be found in each and all of these heritage paths. Identifying the common history and theological streams of which we are a part increases affinity for one another and helps to establish a firmer sense of self-identity in Christ.

We find ourselves in quite different cultures and times, but the unity found in love for God and love for neighbor as we worship Jesus together in community stands the test of time.