#19 Which Church?

If you trust Jesus' sacrifice for forgiveness of your sins, then you're a member of THE ONE church, the body of Christ. But over the last 2,000 years, a lot has happened. Theological (literally: knowledge of God) differences, political differences (the church became like a state), national differences (when the Swedes didn't like the Norwegians, who didn't/wouldn't speak Swedish), cultural differences (Dixie vs northerners), and a whole spectrum of worship and operating styles. So there's a lot to choose from. I come from a Lutheran background and I married a Lutheran girl, and we've stayed connected with Lutheran churches. Not that we didn't have choices.

We began our life together while I was in graduate school, and we liked the university connections of our first church. Then we returned to work in MN, and joined a mission congregation - lots of challenges and kids. Then we moved to our own house, and joined a large, long-established Lutheran church near where we lived (I knew the music director from back in college days, and he convinced me to join their choir). They had a vibrant kids/youth ministry, and that's where we raised our kids. Then my job moved to CA, and then to PA, and then to OH, and then I retired back to MN. In each place, we visited various churches in the first months, but in each case chose a Lutheran church that "felt right" to us. And in each place, we worked to become active members, and felt sad when we had to move on. In each place, we made friends that became very close. And at the same time, in every place, we also found there was something we didn't really care for, but we were still generously blessed by being there.

I think that last sentence is worth further comment, focusing on tolerance. If two close friends share some deep discussions, they will almost certainly find some topic on which they don't agree. But the friendship will continue, unless the topic profoundly affects it. It's good to keep in mind that every church is full of sinners; that's who the church is for. They're forgiven sinners, but we still have sins to confess (and have forgiven) every time we gather. And sins can pop up whenever sinners get together. So it's important to understand that church members as well as organizations can do/say the wrong thing. But being open to the Spirit's leading can correct and heal. We have always found that what binds us together in a given church is much more valuable than what pushes us apart. In the next post I'll discuss my own thoughts for your consideration about important things to consider in choosing a church home.