Our brains think of random things. I woke yesterday morning humming a Barry Manilow song. It reminded me of a time when some friends made fun of me because I like his music. It was all in good nature. Then I got to thinking of other things that I have been made fun of for.....
Not being popular in high school. Having a crummy car. Not being a very good athlete. Being socially awkward. Having a certain kind of job. Being old. Losing my hair. Having red splotchy skin. Being a Methodist.
Of all of those things, the only one that bothers me today is being made fun of for being a Methodist. Actually it doesn't bother me, I am not going to take the drug of approval, [see post from a couple of days ago] but I am not going to shy away from being a Methodist. I am in fact, proud to be a Methodist.
My mom didn't want me to be a Methodist. For some reason, that was not good enough, not spiritual enough. Over the years, the rest of the make fun of Jeff for being a Methodist kind of goes like this. Catholics have mass. Disciples of Christ have communion every Sunday. Baptists have the true and only right and righteous method of baptism. Assemblies of God has speaking in tongues. What do Methodists have? One friend used to call the Methodists "brand X Christians."
Well let me say a word about some of why I love being a Methodist.
1. Methodists focus on the essentials. They don't fight over peripherals. Just the facts Ma'am. Let's not get separated over matters of opinion or get lost in the minutia.
2. Methodists are focused on grace. They don't tell others who is going to heaven or hell. They leave that up to God. They focus on the remedy [God's love] not the problem of sin.
3. Methodists are actively involved in mission. They see the faith as something to be lived, not just something to be believed.
So, I am still losing my hair, I still have red splotchy skin, I do listen to Barry sometimes, and I am proud to be a Methodist.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
3 comments:
Okay Jeff, I suspect that in your job you are often reminded that you are accountable for holding to Methodist beliefs, and "doing what Methodists do."
From a layperson's perspective, although I'm a member at WCC, I rarely if never spend any time thinking about or defending the fact the I'm a Methodist.
I continually identify with being a Christian in a world where other believers live out their faith in Jesus Christ in various Christian denominations. If someone takes the Jesus factor out and who He is and wants to be in our lives, that's where I would begin to find issues.
I don't even feel like a Methodist, if there's supposed to be something unique about being one. In fact, I cannot find the word Methodist, Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Baptist, or whatever, in the Bible.
Thanks for stirring our thoughts on this.
I am still thinking, a day later, about your post and Methodists. You have such a long history of study, observation, and a personal search and decision about which denomination to be a part of. Your shared one time in a sermon that after searching, you chose Methodist.
Could you talk a little bit some time about why, within the Christian group that's often called Prostestant or Evangelical Denominations, why we need denominations. What is the purpose and what can they accomplish as a denomination that they could not accomplish as individual Christians in a non-denominational church?
Non-denominational churches are becoming popular and growing a lot.
Thanks for helping with this if you feel led to address it.
As I began to ask you some questions that mentioned non-denominational churches and their growing popularity, I began to Google the question, and here's what seemed key.
The main reason for their popularity is that they are meeting needs. Jeff, do you find that busy people today are eager to have what they do matter. In addition to a church meeting needs in the member's own life, I think when they spend their time they want to be sure they are meeting needs and not going through perfunctory rituals that have become "sacred tradition." Do you find this in the people you minister to at WCC?
I personally think the reason WCC is so vital and alive, is that our church is meeting needs all the time.
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