Cladach authors come from various streams of the body of Christ:
Baptist, Nazarene, Evangelical Presbyterian, Nazarene, Vineyard, Christian Church, Assembly of God, Salvation Army, Messianic, Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical Free, Episcopalian, etc.
We seek to have agreement on the essentials of the Faith, liberty in non-essentials, and in all things love!
Do you follow Wesley? Calvin? Wimber? Jonathan Edwards? Phineas Bresee? Phoebe Palmer? Catherine Booth? The Early Church Fathers?
I wonder how our perspective might change if we were allowed a glimpse of all those men and women in fellowship together in Heaven and praising God together?
“They will know we are Christians by our …” Denominational affiliation? Theological distinctives? Form of government? Church buildings? Politics?
No.
“They will know we are Christians by our love.”
That doesn’t mean I don’t think theology is important. I do. I study it; I listen for it in sermons I hear and books I read. I sometimes write about it.
But I find it interesting that we tend to believe, sometimes fiercely, the theological slant of the particular tribe or camp into which we were born, or where we first came into the Faith and received teaching, or where we found soul refuge, acceptance and belonging.
Yes, interesting indeed. The glimpses that God has given me across denominations into the Catholic church, and across cultures into Spain, have truly given me a greater heart for all of the Body of Christ. For now, I am treasuring these things in my heart. I hope that one day the Lord releases me to write more about them here and abroad.
Ardis, thanks for taking time to comment. I’m sure you agree that traditions have their place but what we want is a living faith in a living Savior who is transforming hearts and lives. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19)