Dear friends,
I am really happy to have wonderful guest post here from Heather Schopp. Heather can often be found on Karen Campbell's wonderful page - www.thatmom.com - Heather has a number of lectures on Karen's page from some of the conferences that she has taken part in. My recommendation? Listen to everything from Heather and Karen that you can get your ears around!
Heather is one of the most powerful and elegant writers you will find anywhere on God's great blogosphere. Check out some of her work here below.
Jesus Christ--our true calling
We tend to make rigid fences of our denominations. The denomination's list of doctrines become the acceptable "truth"--anyone outside that fence is at best not as Christian, at worst condemned. People within the fence sometimes throw the word "heretic" at anyone who doesn't interpret the Bible according to their code. So we stand behind our fences and feel safe as the "chosen" or the "one true church."
But who am I to think I have the corner on truth?
My friend said it well: "I'm a Christian first, and I happen to feel comfortable practicing my faith as a Lutheran." ....not because Luther had all the correct answers, not because non-Lutherans are all wrong -- but simply because she feels content there and is growing in her faith. I too attend a denominational church, and I think it's natural and appropriate to find a place where it feels comfortable to worship, where one shares a common belief system with other attenders.
We are called not to take on the identity of our pastor or priest or church or denomination -- but to take on the identity of Jesus Christ. We have been given minds that question and doubt and are capable of learning and growing and changing -- are we allowing those questions to spring forth, the doubts to arise, that learning and changing and growing to happen? If we sit in our churches as mindless vessels, letting the speaker pour in his/her thoughts, we have set aside the instincts, the beautiful minds God has given us. How can that be honoring to Him? He alone has the corner on truth, is Truth itself.
More and more I see knowing Jesus, understanding truth, as a process. There is not a certain magic prayer that flips a switch and makes one a Christian, not a code that when followed grants a heavenly entrance, not a list of doctrines that when accepted puts a person on the "right path."
Jesus will is to draw all men to Himself -- we can resist, we can misunderstand, but He will not stop drawing and revealing His light. Our churches and denominations should enhance that process, should help us to understand and love Jesus and love others more.
When we let churches/denominations define our faith, when we allow them to put a barrier between us and other Christians, between us and the world, we do a disservice to our faith, to others, to the truth, to Jesus Christ. We should not fear questions of faith and doctrine, differences of beliefs and convictions -- they are opportunities for us to grow and draw closer to Jesus, Who remains the unchanging truth.
I am really happy to have wonderful guest post here from Heather Schopp. Heather can often be found on Karen Campbell's wonderful page - www.thatmom.com - Heather has a number of lectures on Karen's page from some of the conferences that she has taken part in. My recommendation? Listen to everything from Heather and Karen that you can get your ears around!
Heather is one of the most powerful and elegant writers you will find anywhere on God's great blogosphere. Check out some of her work here below.
Jesus Christ--our true calling
We tend to make rigid fences of our denominations. The denomination's list of doctrines become the acceptable "truth"--anyone outside that fence is at best not as Christian, at worst condemned. People within the fence sometimes throw the word "heretic" at anyone who doesn't interpret the Bible according to their code. So we stand behind our fences and feel safe as the "chosen" or the "one true church."
But who am I to think I have the corner on truth?
My friend said it well: "I'm a Christian first, and I happen to feel comfortable practicing my faith as a Lutheran." ....not because Luther had all the correct answers, not because non-Lutherans are all wrong -- but simply because she feels content there and is growing in her faith. I too attend a denominational church, and I think it's natural and appropriate to find a place where it feels comfortable to worship, where one shares a common belief system with other attenders.
We are called not to take on the identity of our pastor or priest or church or denomination -- but to take on the identity of Jesus Christ. We have been given minds that question and doubt and are capable of learning and growing and changing -- are we allowing those questions to spring forth, the doubts to arise, that learning and changing and growing to happen? If we sit in our churches as mindless vessels, letting the speaker pour in his/her thoughts, we have set aside the instincts, the beautiful minds God has given us. How can that be honoring to Him? He alone has the corner on truth, is Truth itself.
More and more I see knowing Jesus, understanding truth, as a process. There is not a certain magic prayer that flips a switch and makes one a Christian, not a code that when followed grants a heavenly entrance, not a list of doctrines that when accepted puts a person on the "right path."
Jesus will is to draw all men to Himself -- we can resist, we can misunderstand, but He will not stop drawing and revealing His light. Our churches and denominations should enhance that process, should help us to understand and love Jesus and love others more.
When we let churches/denominations define our faith, when we allow them to put a barrier between us and other Christians, between us and the world, we do a disservice to our faith, to others, to the truth, to Jesus Christ. We should not fear questions of faith and doctrine, differences of beliefs and convictions -- they are opportunities for us to grow and draw closer to Jesus, Who remains the unchanging truth.
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