[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Igzy

People are never a means to an end. They are the end. They are our mission. If we love God and love people, oneness will not be a problem. You think "practical oneness" deals with your flesh? Try practically loving every single person you meet

This reminds me of something somebody already posted earlier:
Q: What is the most valuable thing to come out of a mine?
A: THE MINER!

Any teaching (or practice for that matter) regarding the church that does not place it's emphasis on PEOPLE is nothing but empty doctrine.
Many may remember the little hand trick game.... "here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people"
Ah...found it on youtube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyZb4jRVk1I&NR=1

So, what's the most important thing to come out of an assembly?
THE ASSEMBLED! The PEOPLE.

Ok, ok this is kind of mushy and getting away from "the ground of the church". Point being...the ground of the church should always come back to the people.

Again, here is the bottom line I think:

Come to mention, what exactly does "practical oneness" mean? It's a very loaded term, with a lot of LC baggage attached to it. On the other hand, surely Christian oneness should be visible. The Lord prayed that oneness would help the world believe. But what does real oneness look like? Does it mean one set of elders and lockstep Christians. I don't think the Bible tells us that.
The pastor of our church meets with and prays with about 60 pastors from our city on a regular basis. They pray for each other and for the Lord's impact in the city. What will this lead to? I don't know, but I know it shows that the Lord is leading them.

Do the Local Church Elders in this city meet with these 60 pastors?
What do you think?