What Color Will The New Carpet Be?

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Romans 15:5-6

I am not sure if Paul was trying to head off a church fight when he prayed this prayer, but I think it fits this sort of thing.

Church fights usually focus on the mundane, such as:  Fights about the color of the carpet.   Fights about the new hymnals.  Fights about kids being too noisy.  Fights about the pastor taking his suit coat off when he’s preaching.  Fights about somebody throwing out left over punch that has been in the refrigerator for six weeks.  All this fighting detracts from the message of the church.  It is a fact that whatever a bunch of church people decide the result will be disgruntled people.

What is really sad is that most of the time none of the fighting has anything to do with furthering the gospel.  The true work of the church gets buried by a bunch of petty arguments.

We need to pray this prayer because we need to get along to move the gospel along.