The Blackmun Papers: Friends for Decades, but Years on Court Left Them Strangers
Sad story of a shattered friendship. Unfortunately, this is often common among clergy as well. How often do we allow differences in opinion, philosophy, or methodology to ruin our relationships? To ruin our relationships with our colleagues in ministry?

I am only in my 30's and yet I have lost many good friendships because of these kinds of differences. As the emerging church emerges, how many more friendships will be shattered because of different philosophies or methodologies?

I struggle with this because we see Jesus praying for our unity. I struggle with this because Jesus came to reconcile us to God and to one another. The church should practice reconciliation. It should be a place were differences of opinion, philosophy, and methodology are appreciated. That means the emerging church appreciates the ministry philosophy and methodology of the modern church and vice versa. So can we do this?

I greatly respect the senior pastor I used to work for. We have enormous differences in opinion, philosophy, and methodology. These differences led to my leaving the church under much frustration, anger, and pain.

Yet when I visited the church after being gone for nearly a year, this pastor pulled me aside, encouraged me, said he believed that what I was doing was a great use of my gifts, and ended by asking, "Are we okay?"

I said, "Yes."

I think we could all use more conversations like this one.