Denomination Consternation

I just spent the last few minutes doing sit-ups. It would be really hard to do a sit-up if my toes didn’t stay hooked under the couch when I wanted them to give me leverage, or if my muscles and skeleton didn’t work together to pull my torso up. What if my knees didn’t want to do sit-ups? How would I succeed without the help of those awkward looking but necessary joints? How well could my body function if I thought knees were strange, or dangerously radical, and if perhaps I divided my body parts and separated them based on similar functions or appearance? I could keep all my fingers in a bucket in my room, my skin could hang out in the back yard and get all the tan it wanted, and my legs might spend a lot of time in the same vicinity as my bicycle since they love it so much. Then what?

I would be incapable of a sit-up, of cycling, of walking, or any other useful function... including life!

I can’t help but wonder if Jesus ever feels this frustration. The Church (Individual Christian) is His body, His chosen manner for initiating His will and revealing His glory on earth. We are the body of Christ. He desires us to be united (Eph 4, 1 Cor 12-13 etc) and to use our gifts for both His glory and the building up of His body (i.e. other Christians). We are to be one body with different members who display different gifts for mutual edification and growth (Eph 4:12-13).

When I look at the Church today I cannot help but ask myself how Jesus feels about the way His body is divided and separated. Are we a strong witness to the world, displaying through our unity the glory of a God who transforms people into new creatures to reflect His selfless love toward others, or do we incapacitate His will by dividing ourselves based on our own personal flavor of His image? As I look at the denominational and institutional ‘churches’ of our day I do see a lot of good going on. Certainly there are a lot of good intentions, too, but I believe we do damage to Christ’s image when we separate His body based on our own perspective or ‘doctrinal’ preferences.

I am reminded of a poem by John Godfrey entitled “The Blind Men and the Elephant”. Feel free to skip it here if you know it already, but I have included it for those who haven’t had the pleasure.

“The Blind Men and the Elephant” by John Godfrey



It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

II.
The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me!-but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

III.
The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried: "Ho!-what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me't is mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

IV.
The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

V.
The Fourth reached out his eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

VI.
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

VII.
The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

VIII.
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

MORAL.
So, oft in theologic wars
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

In the spirit of 1 Cor 13:12 I believe we can compare ourselves to the blind men in this poem. If I am like one of these men I will hold onto my limited knowledge and experience of God with a certainty and tenacity that naturally repels those who see Him differently and draws me naturally to others who seem to have similar experiences or views to my own. This is natural and human. Thus I end up worshipping with Christians who believe similar religious doctrines to mine, and separate myself from Christians who perhaps see the issue of free will/predestination differently, or who don’t interpret Revelation the same way I do. Not only do I separate myself based on beliefs like these, though, but also based on interpersonal things that make me feel uncomfortable. This might be as simple as worship music style, or it could be something more profound, like spiritual gifts.

I truly believe that many of the denominational differences can be traced to a difference of spiritual gifting. God’s gifts to His followers are intended to enable us to fulfill different roles within His unified body, but for us to do this, it requires that we stay connected intimately with those who are very different from ourselves. If I am a kneecap I don’t get to hang out with just all the other kneecaps. Nor even all the other bones. Rather, I fill the place where God has placed me in the body, beside sinews, skin, blood vessels, and muscles who all act very differently than I do and may make me feel awkward or self conscious. This kind of selfless unity is NOT natural or human, and unfortunately, neither is it very normal among our institutional, denominational church groups. I believe there has to be a better way. This better way would most certainly involve me being uncomfortable at times when I worship God together with people who worship in (perhaps radically) different ways. That doesn't matter. Worship and fellowship isn't about my self image or comfort zone. For the strength of Christ's body we must learn to get over our different preferences and obey Him.

Jesus said that they will know we are Christians by our love. Today, Christians are known by our hypocrisy and our division. I feel God calling me to a Kingdom and Body that is radically different than our current religious system. I don’t know all the answers, but I am seeking to know the right questions to ask. I invite you to prayerfully seek God along these lines as well, for I believe God has way more glory to reveal through His body than we can ever imagine.

Feel free to comment below and If you are interested in thinking more along these lines and want some ideas for books that will likely challenge your paradigms of religious structure, be sure to let me know!

In Truth,

-Stephen-