11.16.2006

Reformed first, or catholic first?

My side of a conversation with a pastor friend, discussing doctrinal differences being less important than differences between the church and world:

I do appreciate the dynamic of being more united as believers of different backgrounds with a secular culture around us. I think "Mere Christianity" is much needed. I think church affiliation is only important as far as it identifies how you interpret the Bible, which it does less and less today. I am a strong proponent of a truly catholic (little-c, or universal) church, but the catch is that everyone has different ideas for how to proceed! Some say pray for revival, others say get the baptism of the Spirit, others say know more theology, others say involvement in church, others say the key is how the church is set up... all these different emphases come out of a way of reading Scripture which can't be underestimated.

The group I'm with would say that husbands and fathers need to repent of abdicating leadership of their families, and need to start leading their families into worship and godliness. That believers must restore Lord's Day worship as central to life, and consider it a true delight. That we must live out in our relationships what we know in our heads. And that the way we live IS our theology - no matter how heretical, no matter the profession of our lips.

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