Just A Little Theologizing

I don't really church hop. Not legit anyways. But I've tried a few churches on for size recently. I was raised Presbyterian and love the church I grew up in, New City Fellowship. But this past summer it just hasn't felt the same, so many people are gone and it was just different. I found Denver United in Denver and like it a lot. I love the worship, though sometimes I don't agree with all that is said in the sermons. I love Passage though, with all my heart. And then I've been going to the Journey here in St. Louis a little this summer as well. Denver United is non-denominational, and I don't know what the Journey is.

The problem with this minor amount of church-hopping is that I sometimes don't really agree all with the theology presented in the sermons. Like today at the Journey. The sermon was great, and I got a lot out of it. But at one point the pastor began talking about how there was a significant chance that all physical ailments (including a bad back) could be attributed to a problem in one's relationship with the Lord, and that by examining one's walk with Jesus and fixing that problem, the physical ailment would also be resolved. I could have misunderstood him, but that's what I took from it and I'm not sure I really agree with that. I don't believe that God orchestrates bad, and giving us physical illnesses to tell us we need to step up our game with Him seems like a punishment.

Anyways. There are often theological points I don't agree with, and part of this is because I haven't "picked" a specific denomination and theology as of yet. I've decided to simply be non-denominational and let it rest. I don't know what I believe about predestination. I don't care what age a person gets baptized at. I don't understand why it is such a big problem when women are pastors or deacons or elders at churches. It doesn't matter to me if communion is a weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, or completely randomized event. These are some of the things people fight over, the things that dictate different denominations, parts of people's theology.

Some things I don't care about. Some I don't understand. Others I don't know enough about to make a credible decision about and truly stand behind, and I will not believe something simply because my parents or pastor told me to. But here is what I do know, and here is what I believe. This is my theology: love. I believe in love so strongly. I believe in serving. And I believe in relationship.

When we get to heaven I suppose we can ask God about when we were "supposed" to take communion, if He cared what age we were baptized, or what He thinks about the songs we sing in church. But the only way we'll get to heaven to ask God our questions, is if we believe in Him, if we love Him with all our puny hearts, and if we serve Him with every breath. The message of the gospel is love! Jesus rebuked the pharisees so many times during his years on earth for their legalistic practices. I believe that what Jesus truly cares about is the simplest thing of all: love God first and love and care for your neighbor above yourself. That's my theology. That's what I believe.