John Clare, Creative Commons
Peru has colorful frogs, too.
Creakingbones posted a photo of a blue-tongued lizard the other day. It’s pretty cool. You can see it here if you want. He lives in Australia where they have really colorful frogs, blue-ringed octopi and a host of other creatures that we, to my knowledge, don’t have here in the States.
We are one earth with one atmosphere. We all share the same sun and rain and yet there is such a huge variety of plant and animal species around the globe.
And it struck me that God LIKES variety.
Yet some Christians try really hard to force everything and everyone into conformity.
When some of the Baptists I know imply that a large local church is not a REAL church because they don’t emphasize doctrine, I think they are wrong. Especially when they judge that church without ever having attended, without ever having examined its fruit.
I judge a church by the fruit it produces, not by how iron-clad its doctrine.
God is amazingly, unfathomably multifaceted. Which is why, I am guessing, He likes variety. No one denomination can possibly capture all of His nuance and genius. But, taken together, as a whole, we might approach a fuller picture of Him.
So Christian friends, I wish you would stop dismissing Catholics and Pentecostals and any other Christians from denominations that are not your own as “not really” Christians.
Even more so, I wish pastors would stop such remarks from the pulpit. It really turns me off.
Jesus said, don’t worry about worshipping on this mountain or that mountain, a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
Great Julie, really nice.
Look, I am the biggest proper doctrine guy in the world, don’t misunderstand me. I think right thinking is vital. But, at the same time you nailed so much that is correct. Sometimes when I hear somebody say about another denomination, “They teach the wrong things!”, I love to challenge that assertion and ask, “Really, what would those things be?”. Make them nuts, as usually they really don’t even understand what they are actually critiquing.
Good post.
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You are the good kind of Baptist, Wally – diligently setting your mind to the understanding of Scripture while, at the same time, setting your heart after justice, mercy and a humble walk with God. Good for you for challenging prejudiced, knee-jerk comments that, as you said, have no basis in understanding.
The Baptist churchALL churches would benefit from having more members like you.LikeLike
Well, it helps when you come into church knowing nothing. If you have to figure things out with just you and the Holy Spirit, you don’t have any baggage you believe just because it’s always been taught that way. But, again, don’t get me wrong; I am all about the doctrine! But, you can be quite wrong on many things and we will still march into heaven arm in arm.
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I like that visual – all of us, of different denominations, marching into heaven arm in arm.
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Hey Julie
Great day in God’s House so far today. Church, ate, and napped. Ready for round 2 later.
Yes, that is a great visual, all of the Saints walking hand in hand into heaven. A song I really like to sing, called “I am Redeemed” has a narrative portion which describes just such a thing.
The only thing I will add to this about the various denominations is sometimes critical lines become crossed. Some doctrines are not worth splitting with brother over, yet some not only are worth that, but would mean a person might not even be a brother.
The said truth is, many denominations.still preach a gospel of justification by faith and works, or faith with salvation being kept and maintained by works.
Sadly, those who maintain hope in their own efforts as the basis for entrance into heaven…won’t be there in that march.
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Thanks Wally. I’m going to write a post addressing this in the next day or two or three (it’s a busy week.) Stay tuned….
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Looking forward to it Julie!
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amen
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It is getting all that wonderful diversity to cooperate that is tough:
http://thegospelofbarney.com/home/2015/04/15/pastoral-cooperation/
I think God loves diversity too. Luther called “adiaphora,” things that make no difference in salvation.
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Great post. God definitely loves variety but we people have a hard time with it because we forget maybe how BIG God is.
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Rumi said, “To those who love God, the only religion is God” meaning there are no hairs to split, there is only God.
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Amen Martha.
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