Thoughts on unity, spurred by Paul

I have recently been reading and reflecting on Philippians (and Ephesians), and I have been thankful for the many deep ministry partnerships I have experienced in my life. But I also feel frustrated: most of these partnerships began before I joined my current denomination, and well before I became a pastor within it.
All this, of course, leads to the question of why: have I not given myself enough to form new friendships? Have I just not networked enough? Am I just not giving people enough credit? Am I just hoping for too much?
Perhaps, no, I don’t think so, and if any of Paul’s letters are to be believed: definitely no.
But as I have gotten to know my fellow pastors I wonder if we are all rather impoverished in this area. Even when I hear people talk about partnerships, it so rarely seems more than merely social, rarely more than mere affection or approval (or envy). We so often illustrate unity itself as mere comity or in intensely outward terms: being 'nice' and tolerant of each other, being willing to be in the same judicatory together, having attended the same seminaries, sharing worship styles, etc. Even in our individual congregations I hear little that is deeper.
In our denomination do we have so little actual unity in the Spirit, so little common understanding of faith, so little common understanding of who God is, that all we have are the outward markers and definitions of unity, and not true partnership in the gospel? Worship style, buildings, governance, rules for discipline: all these and more we not only insist on, but come to see them as what defines our unity. But the reality, I am persuaded, is the opposite. To the extent we actually serve God and God alone, to the extent we are truly turned to Christ fully and only, then we will find that we will have great diversity in all things merely external (worship styles, leadership structures, etc.), while still tangibly living in the fullness of unity that we were created (and are continually invited!) to enjoy.

Beauty

On my drive home today (from a funeral) I saw the most amazing sky, unlike any other I can recall. The sky was blue overhead, gray toward the horizon, with scattered but sharply outlined cumulus clouds against the horizon's gray. Rather stunning, actually. I momentarily regretted not having a camera handy, then realized that the lens wouldn't have done it justice anyway. Just call me a sucker for natural beauty - thanks, God!

A personal epiphany a few days ahead of Epiphany...

In working on my own character, it’s so easy to slip away from the goal: am I working on my character just to be a “better person”? Or am I working on my character because more than anything else I want to know and be like Jesus, share in his suffering, and partake in his resurrection?
There's a huge difference there, one I don't always notice.

Not to cast stones, but...

...I had a thought on an unintended consequence of theology.
I wonder to what extent the Eastern Orthodox understanding of theosis (spiritual growth understood as personal divinization) has opened the door to idolization (divinization) of political leaders, especially within political systems oriented toward strong, single leaders?
Not that Prots and Catholics are at all historically pure in this regard, of course. But as an outsider looking in, I am struck by what seems to be a (relatively) even more uncritical stance toward secular leaders within the Eastern traditions, and wonder at its contemporary theological underpinnings.