This is a post that I thought Blogger had lost several weeks ago. Although I finished blogging through my thoughts on the book (Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christianity), I'm posting this, since I already wrote it.
Brian McLaren on differences in church—denominations, structures, etc.:
What if the Christian faith is supposed to exist in a variety of forms rather than just one imperial one? What if it is both more stable and more agile—more responsive to the Holy Spirit—when it exists in these many forms? And what if, instead of arguing about which form is correct and legitimate, we were to honor, appreciate, and validate one another and see ourselves as servants of one grander mission, apostles of one greater message, seekers on one ultimate quest? That, I’d say, sounds like a new kind of Christianity. (A New Kind of Christianity, p. 164)
I've mentioned before that it saddens me how divided the Church is--thousands of churches and denominations; conflict and debate about issues big and small. I myself am often guilty of pride when I compare my faith/theology to that of others. But maybe diversity doesn't have to mean division. I think Brian is on to something really important here.
Most churches are pretty uniform--check out any church website--and most of them will have a pretty detailed statement of beliefs. I feel like if I don't agree with each of their statements, I won't fit in there. One of the things I loved about pastoring at Convergence, and look forward to in church again, is a group of people with various backgrounds and perspectives coming together--sharing ideas and experiences, working together to live out God's Kingdom.
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