GZ you hit the nail exactly on the head.
It is all about fundamentals.
Let me share how this works based on what I was thinking last night, and Reno, you can take this as a lesson on why and how it works and the difference between fundamental doctrine and the methods one chooses to follow them.
Like I said I was reading this last night as I was sitting down at one of our team meetings we have to prepare for our prison ministry weekend where we go in and bring the message of Christ’s saving grace to 42 incarcerated men.
We are in an old Methodist Church meeting hall in downtown Jackson MS., about 45 of us.
On my right is Mike, my Catholic buddy, on my left Dean, and A.M.E. member, myself well I am the groups Methodist/Greek Orthodox/Methodist.
Giving the message of the evening is Sylvester, an African American and a Baptist. Jim, the leader of the group for this particular weekend is a Methodist as well, the second is an Episcopalian.
Across from me are other good friends and as I recall just the 4 directly across from me were a Primitive Baptist Preacher, a Presbyterian X 2 and a Lutheran.
The man heading up the clergy group for the weekend is a Catholic, and working with him we have an African Episcopal Minister over here for his PhD, another Methodist minister, the Primitive Baptist I mentioned and I think we have another Methodist coming on board.
We are singing songs, sharing verses and prayer together, eating good food.
Our message the same.
Do we all worship and practice the same way? No. Some have elaborate cathedrals and liturgy, others have store front churches and rock bands. Some dunk, some sprinkle, some dance, some don't. Some venerate Mary others think that strange but understand.
But all love the Lord, know there is but one God who became flesh and dwelt among us for the remission of our sins. By his grace we are saved and he knows our hearts.
On last thing, and this is mostly for you Reno, something to ponder. None of us do this work to seek Gods favor and our own glory. We work because of God's favor, and for his Glory, namely Jesus Christ.
We come together as humble servants not to seek adulation or exaltation for that is not ours to have, but to serve both him that loves us and those men who need him.
That is what the body of Christ is about.
Reno, I know how important it is for the various denominations to be at each others throats for the LDS to make sense and be able to present it's self as something better.
But there will be no fights, no battles and no quarrels among the many faiths here, just love.
Yes there have been disagreements, everything from two men arguing to full out wars, but these are the manifestations of men and the work of the evil one, not the heart of Christ. And if one simply looks, one can see that the body of Christ comes together much more often than it comes apart...
And you weren't at each other's throats in holy war? No, your group is an excellent example and testimony of the Body of Christ. In the same manner, even more joined together in Promise Keeper events. When I was in DC for the PK day of prayer, I was one among a million or so other Christians, who gathered as Christians, united under the fundamentals of Christianity.
Evil men will corrupt whatever they can for power. That was shown in the past of the Church, but not what the bible teaches. Those who seek schisms in the Body do so against the expressed Word of God and stand condemned by it. The only one that I know that savors such behavior is satan and those who would listen to him.
Bump, bump, bump. Great post!
That's GREAT!!
It's GOOD to be happy!
(My laptop just FROWNS at me!)