What unites us?

When we think about the unity of the Body of Christ and that part of the Body we meet with, what unites us?

Are we united by our common political persuasions?

Are we united by class or race or social standing?

Are we united by adherence to particular creeds or denominational traditions?

Are we united by music styles or man-made labels (Reformed, emergent, seeker sensitive, fundamentalist)

Or are we united by our common identity in Christ, a common identity that transcends any of the other distinctives we cling to?

I think that is going to be a hard thing for me to overcome as we move more fully to a simple meeting of the church. It probably doesn't show in my blog posts but I have some pretty strongly held positions on a few issues. Maybe more than a few. Some of these positions are flat out non-negotiable. Justification by faith alone. The deity of Christ. Big picture stuff that has Gospel and salvation implications. What about some of the other areas I hold to strongly but that don't fall into these areas. Areas like gender roles, like baptism, like eschatology, etc. What if, gulp, they are Democrats!

If we open our home to other believers, I can't see having a doctrinal litmus test to see if they are welcome or not: "If you can't sign your agreement with the London Baptist Confession of Faith 1689, You Shall Not Pass!". If they are believers they are welcome to be in fellowship with us and to break bread with us. If they are not believers they are welcome to get to know us and learn about Jesus Christ. Now if they are heretics and wolves, that is a different issue for certain but I haven't met many people outside of cult members who are rank heretics. That doesn't mean they aren't wrong about some important stuff (or at least I disagree with them which is synonymous with being wrong). It does mean that they are believers, God's elect who were chosen in Him just as I was chosen in Him before time began and if God chose them, who am I to reject them?

Fortuitously they are some people where we are moving who have been doing this for a while that I am going to meet with next week. I am looking forward to learning from others who have been doing church in a more simple manner because I know my tendency is to do things my way and that isn't going to work in this sort of a setting. Should be quite an adventure and a chance to really grow.

For some interesting thoughts about this, check out this post from Jason Elam on reasons to start an organic church and reasons to NOT start one: Five Great Reasons to Plant Organic Churches (and five really bad ones) (HT: Alan Knox)