BLOG 4/8/15. CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS: SO WHAT?
I have posted on my refrigerator door an old ‘Mother Goose and Grim’ cartoon strip with two of those big-nosed dogs talking to one another. The one on the left is obviously a St. Bernard and has the requisite keg of brandy attached around its next. He is saying to the other: “I am a St. Bernard. What are you?” The other with something of a stupid look responds: “I think I’m a Presbyterian.” That says humorously my feelings about the archaic nature of denominationalism in our present post-Christendom culture. And yet there are still those who are idolatrous about denominations, even though they may know very little about their own roots, or any core reason for their existence. Actually, many denominational communities ceased including the name of their denominational affiliation on their signboards and letterheads several decades ago.
My greater concern, however, is that their very existence poses something of a stumbling block to many seekers after meaning and hope for their lives, which they ought to be able to find in Jesus Christ, and in vital Christian colonies whose participants have found such meaning and hope and reconciliation in Jesus Christ. But denominations have become, too often, the message, and Jesus has been relegated to the margins.
For all those centuries of the church’s existence previous to the protest movements (Protest-ant) of the sixteenth century, the Church of Rome was the dominant ecclesiastical presence and paradigm, and it did, indeed, become somewhat corrupt and power-hungry, and more than a little bit ruthless with those who deviated in any way. The result was, inevitably, that those brave souls who studied the New Testament documents, and were willing to risk their lives began to speak out, and to gather about them those whom they formed into more Biblical understanding of the Christian faith and the purpose of the Christian church. We are most familiar with the Augustinian monk, Martin Luther, who challenged the Roman Church’s selling indulgences (free tickets out of purgatory) to make money for its lavish buildings in Rome. Luther was summarily excommunicated, but having the protection of German nobility, became the leader of what would become the Lutheran Church. He was a giant figure. But that was also a different and ancient culture, nothing remotely similar to our digital age.
There were all those other movements that became denominations: Peter Waldo and the Waldensians in Italy, John Calvin and his profound teaching beginning in Switzerland, Menno Simmons with his clear calling to simplicity of life and refusal to become too attached to this world, John Knox and his rigorous reform movement in opposition to the Roman Church’s domination of his native Scotland, the Moravians, and the Wesleyans … and so many more, who legacy is certainly worth studying. There were missionary movements, and theological movements, and (truth be told) some movements which were just the result of those Christians who missed the whole point of love and simply could not get along with others who disagreed with them.
We are now very clearly in a post-denominational era, but deninations persist. They are a rapidly diminishing phenomenon, yet some remaining denominations still want to establish their denominational franchises in other neighborhoods. But from the emerging culture of younger adults especially, comes the response: “So what?”
We are living now still with Christ’s commission to: “Go, make disciples of every people group, … baptizing them, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you …” And then: “When this gospel of the kingdom shall have been preached in all the earth, the Lord will come.” Denominations may have had a significant part of this in their heyday, but in the fulfillment of Christ’s mission in our 21st century culture, denominations are archaic and increasingly irrelevant to Christian obedience. I would love to have your comments, … and maybe tell your friends about this Blog site. Thanks.
