sym·phon·ic (sm-fnk) adj.
1. Relating to or having the character or form of a symphony.
2. Harmonious in sound.
So, you can see, symphonic is a musical term. To use it in reference to affirming our church covenant may seem, at first glance, somewhat out of place. Of course, I'm using it in a broad biblical sense, and not in a context about worship. People who prefer traditional and contemporary styles pray for symphonic sound, a harmonious blending of instruments and voices. But, there's a good bit more to the idea of symphonic than a well orchestrated musical score. And, it's an issue with great significance for the contemporary church.
Go biblical with me. Jesus said, "Again, I assure you: If two or three of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven" (Matthew 18:19). Ok, go into the text and check out the word "agree". You'll find that Jesus chose a very particular Greek construction in this instance. It is a compound word, (1) the word "sum", meaning with, or one in union, and (2) the word "phoneo", meaning voice or sound. Together they are the word "sumphoneo", symphony. The prayer foundation of every local congregation is hinged on this great concept, agreement, that is, symphonics.
So, let's gather a group of people whose diversity defies definition and bring them into a spiritual body that is going to change the world. Sure, the common thread in His redemptive plan is Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, the unifying heart and mind of His church. As they say, the ground around the cross is level and the dividing lines that sinful humans like to draw are erased. Or, at least, they should be. In this way, we truly can be "one" in Christ.
Just the same, sinful humans learn the concept of "mine" early in life and cling to it the entire journey. As a result, even redeemed people take opposing angles on things at times, church matters even more. The only sound some congregations make is the cacophonous dissonance of clashing voices, far from the harmony of biblical unity. Being on the same page and humming the same tune, what we should expect from a family with one Lord, one faith, one baptism, seems distant in so many situations. This is, perhaps, the single most significant issue facing a church that is more and more disonnected from the world around us. It's exactly what Dr. Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theologial Seminary, described in his sermon at the SBC annual meeting in Houston. To paraphrase, he said that soldiers should be on the battlefield fighting the enemy instead of in the barracks fighting each other. In another visible reference, he indicated we should be marching shoulder to shoulder and not standing face to face. Sadly, his imagery is accurate. The noise the world often hears is often loud and annoying, not symphonic.
So, consider the church covenant. Ours was written in 2008. It contains some of the language you would expect in an agreement of this type, but has been particularized for our setting. It is not a doctrinal statement, though it is correct doctrinally. It is not a governing document, though it defines some parameters around which we are goverened. It is not our mission statement, nor our core values, nor our strengths. The covenant is, broadly, "...a commitment to church fellowship, an acceptance of the authority of the church's discipline, a pledge to support the worship of the church and personal devotion, and a commitment to mutual care for one another" (See page 117, Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches by John S. Hamment, Grand Rapids, Kregel, 2005).
Our unity should be grounded in Christ. If sola Christi is among the foundations of our theology, harmony should rightly emit from the One who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). Still, the human heart is capable of immense autonomy and self- absorption that is divisive. Even well-intentioned people can debate theological and ecclesiastical positions. We can agree on confessions and by-laws in broad senses. The church covenant touches behavioral and practical applications peculiar to our context in the same broad sense. Affirming it annually gives us of us the opportunity to evaluate our paticular understanding of faith, and align ourselves with what the body has choses as the watermarks of our fellowship. It can be a source of harmony, even symphonics, in a local body of believers.
It may provide a same page and same tune scenario that produces the sweet sound of biblical unity to the Father.
Mmmmmm!
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