"When one takes theology or creed as the center of Christianity, it naturally follows that there must inevitably be a division of Christians into denominations and sects."
(Kokichi Kurosaki (1886-1970), One Body in Christ)
You would think that this is suggesting theology is not important. The process is, but not all the conclusions drawn from theology are important, good, or even true.
The only "creed" that united the early Christians was, "Jesus is Lord."..... Nothing more, nothing less.
When we look around at all these religious people, in all these christian denominations, people who truly don't see it like I do (or like 'my' church does), we often hedge and row ourselves off.
When we start looking around with our church lens, we get one image. But, if we begin with a Jesus lens first, something changes.
If we have no "Creed but Christ", and look at who is saying "Jesus is Lord", it's easier to see who is mindful of Jesus or not.
The bible (1 Corinthians 12:3) says..... "and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit."..... and I always hear people add the big 'but'.... but, no one can say "it" and REALLY mean "it" unless.....of course the implication, and judgment is that there are lots of people saying it who don't really mean it......(see their hedge?). After all, not everyone who says Lord Lord will enter......
It's my experience that there are not many people saying Jesus is Lord who don't mean it. However, a lot who only talk "my church" is......
I see and hear a few people, but people in crazy and diverse places, saying Jesus is Lord, and meaning it.
But I also hear most religious people saying I'm Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal etc with great pride in what "church" they are branded to be part of (be it by birth, choice, or osmosis).
They talk about their church, their denomination, their religious tradition, their affiliation.... Talk about "where" they belong, but never to "who" (Jesus) they belong.
You'd never ever hear a word about Jesus from them. They don't seem to have the "Jesus is Lord" vocabulary. They have their "what church they belong too" vocabulary..... but that is it.
There is no Jesus talk, or talk of Jesus' walk.
I now look for people who are talking and walking "Jesus is Lord". Not those talking about their church, how good it us, how right it is, or how to fix it, tweak it, modernize it, market it, how to fill it (church here meaning building of course), how to get people in the door of it, make leaders for it, or get volunteers to run 'it' ..... It....IT....
What I am finding is that those saying Jesus is Lord are naturally already serving the kingdom and naturally loving their neighbors deeply in real helpful ways. Sometimes, though rare times, they do this through a "church" program. But mostly I see the "Jesus is Lord" people doing it outside of any church program, in a very natural way. Because they obey Jesus now, they don't wait for someone to organize it. They never waited until the church catches up. They don't wait until the church organizes an event to promote (or manage - or try to force) some Jesus kind of action or reaction that "Jesus is Lord" people already have, but "this is my church" people naturally don't have, and don't want to do.
My church is better than your church!
Oh really? Really?
Na!
Jesus is better than your or my church's division and pride.
Who's talking and walking "Jesus is Lord" long before the church clued in. Who's long been talking and walking "Jesus is Lord", long before its leaders were, long before the new church vision casting team sprang up, long before the new lead charismatic priest or pastor came. Who has been off doing it under the nose off, and often in spite of the church.....
Those are the people I have been paying particular attention to knowing and understanding better. They're in every church, and they are hard to find because they are rarely on the stage, and don't want to be.
They just live it, and always have. They don't need the church to set them up to get going, because Jesus already has. Because they know him. It's that simple. They know it's not the rocket science the church inadvertantly seems to make it into.
(Some one posted this video on YouTube. It is more about "Look at how Good My Church Is" than the little Jesus tag on at the end. It's typical church marketing today.... and I will get labeled for pointing it out ( that's the worst sin in church today- talking about anything in other than is a glowing manner). But it turned my stomach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhy3khbpC1s&sns=em
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