I hear people, some Catholic and most protestant, say that denomination does not matter. I've thought about this for a while and determined that I agree- denominations don't matter. I was reading an article by Ann Landers from 1996 who challenged everyone to discover when their denomination began and by whom. The challenge wasn't too difficult as she listed the information for the reader, but, nonetheless, it provoked me to think. Bottom line, when someone says that denominations are created by man, he or she is correct.
I was once asked what denomination I was. “I’m a non-denominational Christian- I’m still in the original Church.” I responded. “Which church?” “The one that’s been around since the beginning.” Am I wrong in claiming that? It’s a fact- historical continuity exists from Pentecost to now.
How far back does your church remember? I know that all churches have some history to it, maybe a small group of people began meeting and saw a need for a church in the area, so one was built. I remember when my church was still in a warehouse celebrating the Eucharist with fans blowing every direction to keep it cool. Okay, now think farther back. What was your church doing during World War II? Think back farther: what was going on in your church during the American civil war? Dare I ask even further?
The Catholic Church knows where it was throughout history, from today back to the upper room at Pentecost. The church has made
This unified, universal church has spread across the world to many languages and cultures. It includes the rich and the poor, learned and illiterate. All are included in the Body of Christ. I was in Puerto Rico celebrating the sacrifice in Spanish despite my inability to speak Spanish. How was I able to celebrate with this language barrier? All Catholic Churches share the same liturgy and each day read the same verses from scripture. World-wide unity: that’s what I expect from Jesus’ church.
No comments:
Post a Comment