Denominations: Burden or Blessing?
June 24, 2010 | 0 Comments
Next week I will be heading to Nashville, Tennessee for the Presbyterian Church in America's (our denomination) General Assembly. It is an annual gathering that takes place once a year in different parts of the country and basically consists of three things: doing the business of the church, worshiping together, and reuniting with old friends.
I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about going. While the three things I listed are certainly worthwhile and enjoyable (well maybe the last two are more so than the first), I often find myself asking the question, "Is it really worth it?" What I mean is it worth the financial cost of going and worth the cost of leaving what is going on here in Frisco? As I pondered these questions in my mind I came across this article by Ed Stetzer and I would now have to say, "Yes, in as much as we focus on the Gospel and the Great Commission, it is worth it."
While serving in a denomination that is connectional as ours can be tedious and sometimes downright messy, I am thankful that we belong to one that embraces the Gospel and desires to fulfill the Great Commission. We need each other, and as Stetzer says in the article, "Every time churches work together, ego, failure, and inefficiency will arise. And when they don't work together, ego, failure, and inefficiency will arise. People, not denominations, are the source." I encourage you to take the time to read the article and pray with me that through the work of our denomination Christ would increase and we would decrease.
