“Suffer and Rejoice Together,” because we are of one Body.  We cannot be happy when part of our body is suffering!  I am Mar Imsong, Pastor at First Baptist Church of Bedford, MA.  I am originally from Nagaland in northeast India. When American Baptist missionaries brought the Gospel there, what resulted was a dramatic change in their worldviews and perspectives.  Turning to Jesus brings deliverance, restoration, transformation, and mission. The dramatic growth of the church in Nagaland which now is largely Christian and largely Baptist has been supported all trough the years by American Baptists. When India forced foreign missionaries to leave the area in 1956, Naga became orphans spiritually.  But because the missionaries had built up the native leaders, Naga Baptists took up the responsibility to be self-governing, self-perpetuating, self-supporting and self-theologizing. A distinctive Naga Baptist so much different from American Baptist evolved in Nagaland. And what we are today is because of what our missionaries have done. It is because of these reasons Naga Christians still consider American Baptists as their “Spiritual Parents.”  

 

Sin for Naga Christians was living a life of fear and inter-tribal warfare. People lived in fear, separated from one another, contesting and attacking one another.  Self-righteousness was their spirituality and religion.  Exclusion was a way of life for the Nagas. But when the Naga people become Christians, the Naga concept of community life was expressed and realized in a much wider concept.  Not only sin, but also salvation for Naga Christians, was communitarian.  You can be saved only in relationships.

 

A Story: American Baptist Missionaries came and taught from the Bible and said to our forefathers, “If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you are sinners and you will go to Hell! But if you believe in Jesus and get baptized, you will go to heaven of eternal joy and you will be saved.”  Theologically sound! Very much of a Baptist faith!  But do you know what response those villagers in Nagaland gave to the missionaries? “We would rather go to hell because all of our people and loved one are there in Hell.” Heaven will be a better place when both liberal and conservative Baptists are there together, singing at the top of our voices! A community of faith is important. 

 

The Naga concept of community life fitted very well with the biblical view of KOINONIA or Communion, Sharing. Salvation becomes relevant only when the whole community become Christians.  That is one of the reasons why there was mass conversion among the Nagas. When Naga Christians celebrate communion, whether one is a liberal or conservatives, politician or a businessman, freedom fighters or a Christian minister, rich or poor, we all come together as one Body in Jesus Christ.  Communion is the time when we are incorporated to the Body of Christ and we are also incorporated to one another.  In the same way, the sharing or fellowship is extended to Christians, and especially to the American Baptist Churches (their spiritual parent). I have noted that the Naga Baptist tradition has evolved in very distinctive way.  Christian theology and ministry is contextualized and indigenized in a very unique way.  Theologically, Naga Baptists and American Baptists are different. Political theology of the Christians in Nagaland is very liberal and progressive because of the ongoing political unrest with the Indians and other human rights violation. But morally, Naga Christians are very conservative and differ a lot from many American Baptists. But no Naga Baptist will ever deny having fellowship or communion with American Baptists. Naga Christians are aware that they have major differences in theology with many American Baptists.  But we consider such theological differences in contexts such as social, political, cultural, and economic. Can we limit fellowship and communion to only a select few?  Do we have to confine our communion to a limited geographical location?  Is it not true that in Christ there is not Greek or Jew, no Naga or American? (II Corinthians 12:12-13) What prevents you from having communion with fellow Baptists? Is it really a question of sin?

 

Was it not God who initiated communion with Moses for the first time in Mt. Sinai? (Exodus 33: 9-11) Do you think Moses was sinless?  Baptists love this word communion, don’t we? It is not Eucharist, not Mass, not the Lord’s Supper, but Communion. The term KOINONIA literally means, “sharing,” and that is particularly important in connection with a covenant relation between God and his people.  A covenantal relationship of sharing or fellowship between God and his people is KOINONIA. Are we talking about a communion with God! Yes! Well, how could that be possible? Even though Moses was a great leader, he was a short-tempered person; as a matter of fact, he was a street fighter. Did God compromise His holiness?  Did God compromise His Lordship? Well, there was no compromise made by God in order for God to have fellowship with his people. It was because of God’s grace and love that He could have fellowship or sharing with sinful humanity. God did not reduce His being or Holiness.  In the same way, you are asked to come as you are and have fellowship and share with one another. Jesus also had communion with sinners. You do not need to compromise your piety and holiness in order to have communion with fellow Baptists.  We will be better Baptists only when we relate with one another - when we have communion with one another!

 

We are called to have communion in our suffering and pain.  Our denomination is going through a lot of pain and suffering now. The Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice together and suffer together.”  Your experience of salvation can be experience to the fullest only when you are together!  Whether it is joy or pain, right or wrong, in our strength and in our weakness, we are called to share with one another!  We are called to have fellowship with one another! KOINONIA. Why do you fight between yourselves! This is what I hear: I am of the Apollos group; I am holier than the Cephas group. Well, I am of the Christ group, so I have much higher ethical and sounder biblical bases than Paul the Apostle group?” Why do you divide between yourself? If God can have fellowship with sinners and limited people like you and I, then why do you have problems in sharing with one another? Is Christ’s body divided? Are we so different? If you think that you are right and someone else is so wrong, let it be so. Is that preventing us from having fellowship?  Are we taking the role of a judge?  Does it not judgment belong to God? Even Jesus is also a mere Advocate! (Romans 8:34)  Can we not leave God to handle that issue? We should be able to have fellowship with one another!  I am sure Scripture has the same message for us today for the Christians and fellow American Baptists: Suffer and rejoice together - have communion, share with one another.

 

Jesus demands that we share in his suffering. “Carry the cross and follow me daily,” says Jesus. To follow in Jesus' footsteps means to share in his rejection and suffering. This is where true fellowship with Christ is found. It is here the power of the resurrection is felt. This is why Paul could write, "We have fellowship in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8: 17). We often speak of the necessity of the cross for Jesus, but we do not speak about the necessity of the cross for us.  We want to talk about the glorious resurrection but not about the gruesome death. We celebrate Easter with lots of festivity, but not Good Friday when Jesus suffered and died. But Scripture says that unless we share in the suffering of Christ, we cannot share in his glory. 

 

I know what it means by suffering, hunger, exclusion, and rejection. (I will save that sermon for another biennial preaching pavilion) The theology of suffering is very central in the Pauline epistles.  The idea of suffering was not merely an ideological exposition in the writings of St. Paul, but it was Paul’s practical experience, as well. Paul was beaten and imprisoned several times, and we know the story of how he was murdered in Rome because he was a Follower of Christ. Paul spoke about the fellowship found in the suffering of Christ in his letter to the Philippians.  Paul invited them to have fellowship (Koinonia) in the suffering of Christ. Philippians 3:10:  “I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection and sharing of his suffering by becoming like him in his death.”

 

Paul wrote the Letter to the Philippians not from an ivory tower, not sitting in a beautiful park and enjoying the weather and the beauty of the nature. But Paul wrote this while he was in jail. He wrote from a prison cell.  How much Paul must have longed to get out of the prison and continue his life!  Yet while he was in the prison, he remembered Christ’s suffering, so he wrote to the Christians in Philippi to share in the suffering of Christ.

 

Now, the Philippian church was not like any other church found in the New Testament.  Philippi was an ancient Roman colony located in modern Greece.  The title “Roman colony” was given to land occupied by veteran Roman soldiers who had served the Roman government faithfully and were loyal to the government.  So in the all the Roman colonies, orthodox Roman culture, customs, and laws were observed strictly; the Latin language was strictly imposed to be spoken. Orthodox Roman dress was worn and all the ceremonies related to the Roman emperors were strictly observed.  Paul was imprisoned and accused of teaching against the practices and culture of the Romans. Both the Christians in Philippi and Paul were undergoing suffering. They were  co-sufferers in the suffering of Christ.  They were able to participate and have communion in the suffering of Christ.  They were not suffering in isolation; they were not suffering alone, but Christ was suffering with them, and they were all actively participating in the suffering of Christ. We have COMMUNION in the suffering of Christ.

 

Do not try to intellectualize and philosophize Suffering: Paul very clearly and boldly says, “I preach Christ crucified - a folly to the Greeks and a stumbling block for the Jews - but for those who believe it is the power.” (1 Corinthians 1:17, 23-24.)  Why was it foolishness to the Greeks? The Greeks were the educated and intellectual people. They could not understand with the intellectual and philosophical mind why an honest and humble person should suffer for other person’s sins.  Paul says that such rhetoric reduces the meaning of the cross and it become powerless. (1 Cor. 1:17b.)  Do not intellectualize the meaning of the cross, because then it becomes meaningless and powerless.  Do not overemphasize the Jesus of History or the historicity of the Gospel alone. What we need is also the Jesus Christ of faith. Paul reminds us that the Church has more than enough teachers, but what we need is a redeemer.

 

The Cross should also not be taken as a supernatural power. The cross was a stumbling block for the Jew because they expected a “Super Power Messiah.” They expected a triumphal king who would destroy all their enemies, not one who died on the cross. Jesus was also misunderstood as a mere wonder worker, a miracle worker, or a magician. But Jesus was the Suffering Servant and the Lamb of God! Jesus came to serve, not to be served; He became the lowliest in order to become the greatest.  The power of Jesus was to become powerless.

 

Finally: Have Communion in the suffering of Christ all the time. “We always carry around the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:10) We cannot keep the cross in our pocket. There are many pocketed cross Christians. They take out the cross according to their convenience. But we are asked to carry the cross always so that the life of Jesus may be revealed.      

 

Christ was crucified once, but continues to be in our midst in the character of the crucified one.  Christ continues to struggle against the sins of the world: against racism, against corruption, against the status quo, against economic exploitation, against military atrocities, against male domination, against domestic abuse, against our pride and ego, against ethnocentrism, against self-righteousness.  We are called to share in the suffering of Christ.

 

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!” So says St. Paul.  Rejoice even when you are suffering, because suffering is not a defeat.  Our suffering and so also the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ is a Victory. A complete reversal of value system is seen in the cross. Jesus inaugurated God’s Kingdom through suffering and weakness, not through the might and power. The sufferer on the cross is the conqueror the victim is the victor. Let us have communion in both our suffering and rejoicing. Let us be willing to have communion with one another, especially in our time of pain and sorrow.

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Mar Imsong is completing one year of pastorate at First Baptist Church, Bedford, Massachusetts. The Imsong’s are originally from Nagaland of northeast India, a product of the American Baptist Missionary work. Married to Bendangla, they have three children Aren, Stephen and Kris.