20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Several weeks ago I was reading through the Gospel of John and was really challenged by the John 17:21. The Gospel of John goes into more detail than the synoptic Gospels in regards to Jesus' final prayer at Gethsemane. John chapter 17 closes out Jesus' ministry on Earth right before the trial and crucifixion and this is how He chose to end the ministry. In this final prayer Jesus prays 3 times for unity in the Church and equates this unity to the Church's connection to himself and the Father.
In respect to the current state of the Church, I struggle with how to best operate in agreement with this desire of the heart of Christ. From dogmas to denominations, within the body of Christ, we often seem to look for ways to distinguish or differentiate ourselves in opposition to the complete unity that Christ calls for. Although many denominations have been birthed out of legitimate grievances with an established religious institution, (Protestantism in general) they are then used to further the divide between believers in Christ. Having experienced what I will call "denominationalism" (churches degrading other denominations, even sometimes from the pulpit), I question the validity of the very idea of denominations. Several questions that I would like to discuss moving forward.
1. Do denominations in the "Christian Church" (full body of believers in Jesus Christ as atonement and Savior) serve a valid purpose, or are they simply a sectarian development of the Enemy to breed discord in the Body of Christ. (I realize this is a strong statement.)
2. In all areas of our lives, social, political, religious, etc... we as humans identify ourselves by association ie... who we think like, who we act like, who we look like, etc... In respect to the Church, this tendency to identify with others who believe like US or ME, instead of WHO we believe in troubles me. Do denominations proliferate because we are trying to find identity within a religious group when our identity should find it's culmination in Christ, who unifies us all as one?
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It strikes me, having a background in the "African Methodist Episcopal Church", that diversity itself and the ways in which our varying life experiences naturally differentiate amongst us, that denominations may have arisen out of a need to be set apart in order to buy into the very nature of Christianity. In fact, an original "denomination" might be the split of Christianity from Judaism- one which Christians tend to see as the making of a new religion, but others as the breaking off of a sect, or a distortion, or blasphemy.
ReplyDeletewith that said, i don't identify with any particular denomination for a reason- I enjoy thinking/worshiping for myself, even if I attend a particular church within a denomination. But I don't necessarily see denominations as an evil, but rather a reaction to a greater culture, a coping mechanism. your thoughts? post #2? :)
Thanks for the comments....Ahh, it comes down to definitions I guess. I see your point and agree. I am considering denominations only w/i the body of Christ (those that believe in the divinity, sovereignty, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, yet divide themselves along dogmatic/cultural lines) In this sense, the Christian split from Judaic tradition is outside of the scope.
ReplyDeleteI think the main question is touched on with, " a need to be set apart in order to buy into the very nature of Christianity". Why is this, and what exactly does it mean? For a Christian, Christ alone should be enough to buy into Christianity. My thinking is that when we begin to add or subtract from the original Church, as established by Christ, we are getting father and farther away from...1. Christ's original intent and 2. each other.
I very much agree on why denominations have been an established part of the Church from the very beginning, (the Gnostic movement started virtually after the Resurrection). In addition to the cultural and conceptual variance in how we see ourselves and Christ, there are legitimate and important differences w/ in the body over issues such as homosexuality, divinity, atonement, faith/works, etc... A question would be, can we have disagreements w/i the Church without having to institutionalize these differences into denominational divisions?