What I Wanted To Say

I came from being an indifferent Catholic to knowing Christ in highschool. Through the years visited all types of churches including a messianic church. Over the years I have left two churches and lost 2 ministries with many hurt feelings. I am living in a world of labels and movements and a member of none. Am I a presbyterian because I attend a presbyterian church and plan on being ordained through them? An Emergent? A Promise Keeper? A Progressive? A Conservative? A Red Letter Christian? I am unhappy with all these distinctions because none of them really fits me. Not as a believer or as a human being. I've tried all those labels on like a cheap suit and found that even though you may dress a goat in silk it's still a goat. Dress me up in a denomination/movement/political agenda's clothes and you'll still have a spiritual burn out, a political agnostic, and denominationally challenged. A Christian with more questions than answers, angry at how I've seen churches react to certain situations within their own congregations. A man who knows the love of God and His grace is real, but still hasn't found the best way to express or share it (missions? feeding the poor? social justice?). Fortunately and unfortunately there are plenty of believers out there who are intellectually assured to be able to help those are either new to the faith or, like myself, to regain the reamining scraps of their faith to better seek and no God through the life, death, and ressurrection of Jesus Christ. I have the best case scenario, a pastor as well as a man who disciples me are assured in their faith, desire to love and worship God and seek the lost. Able to draw from their past experiences to help otehrs move foreward. Imperfect vessels that have enabled me to get back on my path. They saw through my anger and past hurt pointing me back to the love of God and towards a healthier faith. Unfortunately I have seen the other end of the spectrum. People using their positions to air out their hurt feelings, agendas and other less than pure motives which leads people astray and give a false understanding of who God is and the role Christ and his love plays in our lives. I have heard people say how they are losing their salvation and being lead to hell. I do no know if that is the case. When I followed the word of faith movement was I losing my salvation? I do not know. What I do know is it greatly hindered my relationship with my loving Father God. Why are we so quick to send less mature Christians to hell and pass the blame onto someone else like a pastor, a politician, or a movement? Ted Kennedy, Rick Warren, Sean Hannity, and Pat Robertson aren't stopping me from pointing others to Christ and his salvation. To quote my mentor, "Stop being so angry, look to Jesus, it'll be figured out." Let's look to Jesus and point others to Him so that we may all figure it out.

Amen