Perhaps i have said this before but in different words, and maybe also from a different perspective: my God is not an administration of membership clubs. therefore 'conversion' from one denomination to another, or to a transfer membership from one church to another doesn't make any sense to me.
I believe that it is the right attitude to want to be obedient to God but in our over-zealousness to be right before God, we unwittingly tend to reduce and pack Him in a tiny box. My God is not a genie in a bottle, where we have to say the right things, rub the magic lamp in the right way, in order to invite God to take his place after trying with our own efforts to be in his presence. I think it is pride in most cases that causes us to feel that we need to defend the way we arrange our lives to invite God to come into it - the crux of any theological debate.
Perhaps we (believers brought up in different demoninational environs) have more in common than we think. The fact that we are moved to 'defend God' so to speak already signals that we are share a common basis, a basis that desires to be obedient, discerning and zealous in sharing our faith in God as each of us are called to do.
A few weeks ago, I (a Methodist) found myself echoing the views of a conservative Catholic.
The Chaplain of the Uniting Church (University of Melbourne) oversees a bible study group that meets weekly. In view that she will be stepping down as Chaplain, the group met up to discuss their next plan of action; should they continue, status quo, under the new Chaplain or should they continue meeting up independent of any affiliation to a particular denomination.
I was invited by the Uniting Church Chaplain to sit in that meeting because she knows that I have done a fair amount of pondering about denominational differences on a personal level.
The next question that was raised was, "Is it really necessary for the group to be headed by a Chaplain?"
They bible study group wants to be open to all people interested in knowing more about God, and aligning the group to a particular denomination will inevitably infuse the group with the ideosyncracies of that denomination, in turn putting certain people off. This might be the outcome of having a Chaplain to oversee the group. On the other hand, not having a Chaplain would mean that the group may not have 'spiritual leadership' for lack of a better word.
My view was that, yes I believe for it to be necessary for the group to have a Chaplain because then I would be more assured that the group will be less likely to go off tangent. I will hesitate to be part of a free floating group that claims to be completely ecumenical because then who will be there to mediate different interpretations? Who will be there to set of the siren when things go dodegy? I rather work on the basis that everyone is entitled to their opinions and when differences araise, its ok to disagree, regulated by a figure of authority.
The example I gave was my involvement with a Catholic ministry in Melbourne Uni. As a Methodist, OCF might seems more suited to my protestant background. But because I am under the impression that OCF does not have ministry staff serving in an official capacity, I hestitate to be a part of it. There are certain theological interpretations that does not sit will with me in the Catholic ministry, but because they clearly know where they stand, I find myself in a better position to engage with the differences as well as with their spiritual advisor.
That being said, I believe that God is bigger than any denomination that human beings box themselves in and more than that, God is able to work in all of us, flawed individuals who have flawed perceptions of how a church should best operate.
I believe that it is the right attitude to want to be obedient to God but in our over-zealousness to be right before God, we unwittingly tend to reduce and pack Him in a tiny box. My God is not a genie in a bottle, where we have to say the right things, rub the magic lamp in the right way, in order to invite God to take his place after trying with our own efforts to be in his presence. I think it is pride in most cases that causes us to feel that we need to defend the way we arrange our lives to invite God to come into it - the crux of any theological debate.
Perhaps we (believers brought up in different demoninational environs) have more in common than we think. The fact that we are moved to 'defend God' so to speak already signals that we are share a common basis, a basis that desires to be obedient, discerning and zealous in sharing our faith in God as each of us are called to do.
A few weeks ago, I (a Methodist) found myself echoing the views of a conservative Catholic.
The Chaplain of the Uniting Church (University of Melbourne) oversees a bible study group that meets weekly. In view that she will be stepping down as Chaplain, the group met up to discuss their next plan of action; should they continue, status quo, under the new Chaplain or should they continue meeting up independent of any affiliation to a particular denomination.
I was invited by the Uniting Church Chaplain to sit in that meeting because she knows that I have done a fair amount of pondering about denominational differences on a personal level.
The next question that was raised was, "Is it really necessary for the group to be headed by a Chaplain?"
They bible study group wants to be open to all people interested in knowing more about God, and aligning the group to a particular denomination will inevitably infuse the group with the ideosyncracies of that denomination, in turn putting certain people off. This might be the outcome of having a Chaplain to oversee the group. On the other hand, not having a Chaplain would mean that the group may not have 'spiritual leadership' for lack of a better word.
My view was that, yes I believe for it to be necessary for the group to have a Chaplain because then I would be more assured that the group will be less likely to go off tangent. I will hesitate to be part of a free floating group that claims to be completely ecumenical because then who will be there to mediate different interpretations? Who will be there to set of the siren when things go dodegy? I rather work on the basis that everyone is entitled to their opinions and when differences araise, its ok to disagree, regulated by a figure of authority.
The example I gave was my involvement with a Catholic ministry in Melbourne Uni. As a Methodist, OCF might seems more suited to my protestant background. But because I am under the impression that OCF does not have ministry staff serving in an official capacity, I hestitate to be a part of it. There are certain theological interpretations that does not sit will with me in the Catholic ministry, but because they clearly know where they stand, I find myself in a better position to engage with the differences as well as with their spiritual advisor.
That being said, I believe that God is bigger than any denomination that human beings box themselves in and more than that, God is able to work in all of us, flawed individuals who have flawed perceptions of how a church should best operate.
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