The Prayer That Started It All

March 13th, 2026
by Matthew Allen

On January 1, 1832, a rough-edged, self-educated frontier preacher named Raccoon John Smith walked into a room full of people who disagreed with him.

Not on small things. On things that mattered — theology, philosophy, church practice. Real differences that had kept two movements apart for years.

He stood up anyway. Drew his words from a prayer Jesus prayed in John 17. And said something that changed everything.

"There are a thousand opinions among us, but there is only one faith. We can never unite on opinions. We can only unite on the faith that centers in Christ."

Barton Stone walked onto the stage, took Smith's hand, and called for union. The room erupted. A hymn broke out spontaneously. They called it the handshake that shook the frontier.

It all started because one man believed Jesus meant what he prayed.

This Sunday at Cornerstone, we're going to sit with that prayer.

In John 17:20-23, Jesus is hours from the cross. Judas is already moving through the dark toward Gethsemane. And in that moment — with everything pressing down on him — Jesus prays for his followers. Not just the eleven in the room. He prays for every person who would ever believe in him.

He prays that we would be one.

Not uniform. Not in lockstep agreement on every point. One — the way the Father and Son are one.

That's a staggering standard. And it raises an honest question most of us quietly wonder about: why is it so hard? Why do people who love the same Jesus, trust the same Bible, and share the same communion table end up divided?

This Sunday we're going to talk about that honestly. About the difference between unity and uniformity. About what it actually costs to bear with one another. And about why Jesus' prayer for our oneness was never just about internal church harmony — it was always about our witness to a watching world.

Here's what I've come to believe: a group of people who have every reason to be divided, choosing each other anyway — that's something the world can't explain apart from God. And that explanation is exactly what Jesus was praying for.

We'd love for you to join us this Sunday at Cornerstone Church of Christ. Bible classes begin at 9:30 am and worship at 10:30 am. We're located at 5051 Wilmington Pike, Centerville, OH 45440.

Can't make it in person? Watch our live webcast Sunday at 8:00 am at Facebook.com/cornerstonechurchcenterville or YouTube.com/cornerstonechurchofchrist.

You can also find us on Roku, Apple TV, and the Cornerstone App.

We're not a perfect church. But we're a community of people trying to answer the prayer Jesus prayed — one Sunday at a time.

We hope to see you this week.

Raccoon John Smith believed that if Jesus prayed for unity, it could be realized — do you actually believe that, and what would it look like in your relationships here at Cornerstone?
Where have you seen the uniformity trap show up — in your own thinking, in a congregation you've been part of, or in your relationships with other Christians?
Paul says to keep the unity of the Spirit, not create it — what does it look like practically to guard something already given to us, and what are the specific things that threaten it?
If our unity — or lack of it — is either drawing people toward Jesus or pushing them away, what do you think your neighbors and coworkers in Centerville see when they look at Cornerstone?
Is there a specific relationship in your life right now where you're being called to bear with someone rather than write them off, and what's making that difficult?

Those Serving
CALL TO WORSHIP/PRAYER
Richard Jacobs
SONG LEADER
Mark Ringle
LEAD LORD'S SUPPER
Titus Sullivan
ASSIST LORD’S SUPPER
Greg Morrison
Reggie Johnson
Billy Robbins
Patrick Newbill
SCRIPTURE READING
Drew Triplett
John 17:20-23
PREACHING
Matthew Allen
CLOSING PRAYER
Bob Hoopes
CLOSING COMMENTS
George Wacks
WELCOME CENTER
Kathy Downey
USHERS
Jeremy Price // Mike Rosato
COMMUNION PREP
Emily Cain
CLOSING THE BUILDING
Benjamin Baker

Posted in From Our Ministers
Posted in Prayer, Unity