When  you have a two year old boy you spend much of your time reading or  watching Thomas the Tank Engine. The interesting thing  about a steam engine is really in the name – that it runs on steam. I  find it incredible that you can power such a huge metallic vehicle,  pulling carriages, people and cargo, on the stuff that comes out of your  kettle when it’s boiled!  
However,  the reality is that although it is steam driving the pistons to create  the momentum of a train, the energy and power  is actually generated by coal, in the fire in the firebox within the  engine. I’m not an engineer so I’ll keep this short, but simply put the  burning of the coal creates enough energy to boil the water that creates  the steam that pushes the pistons that move  the wheels. 
What’s this got to do with Ephesians? Good question, I’m glad you asked… 
In  Ephesians 4 Paul is urging believers to “walk in a manner worthy of the  calling to which you have been called, with all humility  and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one  another in love” (Ephesians 4 v 1-2). Essentially Paul is urging the  Christians to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the way they lived  and loved one another. In a similar way to the example of the steam  engine, this is the forward momentum of the Christian life, living in love, unity, oneness,  patience, kindness etc. But Paul knows that urging believers to live  this life is not enough in itself, the wheels will only turn if there is  enough steam, and there  will only be enough steam is there is a hot enough fire, and there will  only be a hot enough fire if there is enough coal in the firebox! 
 
The firebox that powers us to unity is “one body and one Spirit…one hope…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all…” (Ephesians 4 v 4-6) 
 
This Sunday we shall look together at Baptism, and how the reality of ‘one baptism’ powers us to live out our lives in love and unity. 

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