Theology Blog

Churches and Denominations as Theological Homes

One thing that we have in abundance in the United States and beyond is choice. We often have more choices than we can absorb, whether the number of options for dining out, the number of items on a restaurants items, snacks in the grocery stores, flavors of beverages and much more. We are most certainly consumers and are used to having a lot of choices. We have the ability to choose something we like and to reject or avoid something that we do not. This is one of the gifts and intended results of freedom and capitalism. We have choice. The same mentality that we apply to selecting a restaurant is also often applied to our church choice. While I argue this is a personal, practical and theological error, that is not the point of this blog (maybe another blog).

Within Christianity, and most certainly more so in the United States we have a wide variety of choices of churches. Not only are their a wide variety of church choices, but there are also a variety of denominational choices, so many that we have had to create the term non-denominational to both make a statement and perhaps because we are running out of names for our denominations. I did not grow up in the church. I have attended and served non-denominational, Methodist, Episcopalian and Lutheran churches. I attended a Baptist school and an non-denominational, but mostly Presbyterian seminary. Needless to say, I have seen and experienced a lot of different things in these different settings. In the end, I chose to become an ordained Lutheran pastor, but even within my own Lutheran tradition, there are at least 5 major types of Lutherans. It can certainly be confusing, seems unnecessary at times and is slightly embarrassing to explain at times.

No church, tradition or denomination is perfect. In fact, there is no way that I or anyone else can find a church, denomination or tradition that you agree with 100%. I am not sure whether or not the quantity of choices we have when it comes to churches and denominations is healthy, but it is reality.

What are we to do with all of these choices? First, we have to choose. Second, we must commit. The real problem with our choices is our failure to commit and treating our churches like a restaurant that is out to serve, please and feed us. This is not only unbiblical, its unhealthy. Ultimately, I made the choice to commit to the Lutheran tradition. I did not choose it because it was the best, nor did I choose it because it is perfect. The truth is, I do not agree with every Lutheran theological principle or practice, but I do agree with the vast majority of my tradition. The things I do not agree with are things that I can live with, honor, and embrace in the midst of my disagreement and still maintain a strong sense of integrity.

The truth is that our denominations are our theological homes. We are born into and/or choose that which God calls us to and which fits us best, even when we do not fully agree. We must commit to it though, because we need community. Every home I have owned has had special meaning to me. None of them have been perfect, but each of them were places I could live in in the midst of the things I did not like. Some of the things I have and do not like about my home are things I can change, others are not. The same is true with our denominations. There are some things we love, and others we do not. Of the things we do not like, some we can change and some we cannot. Our denominations and traditions should not be about competition or an assumption of perfection and correctness. Our denominations are simply our theological homes, imperfect as they are, they are just that, home. We chose, commit to, invest, and live in our theological homes just as we do our own.