To Clarify

I just read over my last post, and decided that I wanted to expand on something. I don't think denominations are bad things, in fact I thank God for them. I think that, as Peter said, they are "ministering God's grace in its various forms". I think denominations provide areas where people of differing viewpoints and tastes can go to find God. My church is quite a production. We may open with a full band blasting out Switchfoot and stream in a video that pertains to today's message. We look like a theater/ coffeehouse. I am totally jazzed about what we are doing (I moved out to Salt Lake to serve here). However, there are countless churches in this valley that are just as on the cutting edge of God's will with their hymns, liturgies, and pews.

I love reading Catholic authors. I am reading Mother Teresa right now and she is blowing my world apart. There is a charismatic church near here that has a great coffee house.

I would attend many churches - Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, whatever... Perhaps someday I will become a member at one. However, I could never become one. It seems to me that when you call yourself a ___________ you lock yourself in to a very static system of doctorine. My spiritual beliefs now are very different from what they were 20 years, 10 years, 5 years ago (just read some of my early blogs). Some things that I was so convinced of 15 years ago, I now count as near hearesy. What does that say about how I feel now? How will I feel 5 years from now? I get nervous when a church has a statement of beliefs... why do we need that? There are a number of items in my church's statement that I don't necessarily buy. I think they should be made simple, if at all....
So what do I believe? Here are the basics... minus the doctorine (I love doctorine, but it is not neccessary for a rich life in Christ)

• There is a God and he is Good and he loves people
• I need to love him with all my heart
• I need to love others around me like he does
• Everyone I know (including me) needs to know Jesus better than he or she did yesterday - so therefore I relate to everyone the same, regardless of where they are spiritually right now
• Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners... of whom I am foremost

I have to toddle off to bed now. I have to get up way early since tomorrow I am on Tech for the first time at church (bye Spruce, it was fun).