[CS-FSLUG] A couple of thoughts on denominations

[Nigel Ridley]

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 22:01:10 -0500
Ed Hurst <softedges at tconline.net> wrote:

> cyratt at netzero.com wrote:
> 
>  > We as believers must drop our personal prejudice and return to the
>  > undiluted truth of the Word of God.
> 
> And who gets to decide what that is?
> 
> > Jesus never intended for you and I to be divided and segmented under
>  > His Name.
> 
> Being united under His name has almost nothing to do with our 
> organizations. It has everything to do with ignoring our
> organizational boundaries when ministry calls for it. We do that here,
> virtually.
> 
>  > That means not to be so put off when the truth comes to rearrange
>  > our religeous traditions and otherwise challenge us to change what
>  > our soul (not spirit) has grown accustomed to.
> 
> You know, this sounds an awful lot like code language for allowing the
> 
> some messianic guru to reveal the truth to all us poor benighted 
> half-believers. If what you mean is that our institutions must be
> melded into one organizational entity in order to satisfy God, it is
> most certainly necessary that someone or some group assume the
> authority to decide just what "truth" is. Democracy most certainly
> will not get us there.
> 
> If you mean we are to ignore our institutional boundaries and be able
> to minister together functionally, I'm with you. Doing away with the
> mass of organizations with all their various ethnic, historical, and 
> traditional roots is wholly unlikely, and certainly NOT the command of
> 
> God. Show me Scripture that specifically addresses institutional 
> differences, which we all know in the End will be insignificant in the
> 
> first place.
> 
> BTW, I made it clear a conviction is very much a matter of the spirit,
> 
> not the soul. For you to toss that aside is exceptionally rude and 
> pointless.
> 
> -- 
> Ed Hurst
> -----------
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Short testimony:

I became a believer at a Billy Graham rally in Bristol England. The
follow-up team couldn't find me as I moved addresses a couple of times
in short succession. I tried the local village C of E but didn't
understand much about their liturgy. someone suggested I go to a local
*house* church where there were lots of young people.
They were a mixed bunch -- the leaders had a baptist background but were
teaching the Spirit filled life with signs and wonders (yes there were
some from time to time). They always stated that the meetings were 'led
by the Spirit' but as time progressed it became very *programmed*.
We used to have quite a few differences of opinions and convictions
about the interpretation of Scripture but nothing that touched the
essential truths of the Gospel (mostly about end-times stuff and
Israel).
In the small town where I lived there were about 4 different
denominations -- Baptists, C of E, Methodist and Brethren (not including
our fellowship as we weren't a denomination!??) but we were able on many
occasions to get together as a unified group and have prayer meetings,
outreach and invite guest speakers for the encouragement of the Body --
all with the blessings of the leaders. The only ones that didn't want to
join with us were the Roman Catholics.

I later came to live in Israel and the majority of believers here do not
attend the 'denominational' churches, of which there are quite a few.
Rather we meet together in congregations with no title except it's name
-- Kehilat Hamaayan (well congregation -- as in 'wells of salvation'
Isa. 12:3) is where I attend with my family; other have similar names:
Kehilat  Peniel, Kehilat Adonai Roi, Kehilat Beersheva, Kehilat Eilat
are some examples. Not all believe in exactly the same way; there are
quite a few that lean to more of a traditional Jewish form of worship
(there are some that are getting close to replacing grace with legalism
-- the Torah Observant congregations (they insist that the Torah is
still in effect and that Messianic believers need to keep it).

There is a movement that promotes cross cultural worship and meetings
with our Arab brethren.
So all in all there are definitely cultural differences that would
separate some worshipers from others but different is not necessarily
wrong and need not by itself constitute a division.
The problem only arises when one group says to the others "Our way is
the right way.".

So divisive denominations are a sadness but differences in worship forms
are not.

Blessings,

Nigel

-- 
It's not a problem -- it's a learning opportunity.
--

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