What are denominations all about?

I have heard it said many times by pre-Christians, or by disheartened former 'Followers of the Way"... "You all call yourselves Christians, BUT... you don't seem to even like each other, or worse... seem to hate each other. Why would I want to join up with you?"And, indeed... why would anyone want to join a disfunctional 'family'? What part of Jesus' prayer recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 17 do we not understand? What part of "becoming one" did we miss? So, we have tens of thousands of different denominations and sects and independent groups ALL claiming to be true followers of the Christ who prayed for unity... often living openly in competetive disregard for each other. What is wrong with this picture? Is there actually anything wrong with thinking differently than another Christian group? What can we DO to change this perception (or reality) of disunity? Should we try to become one super denomination? Whose ideas would we use as the "right" ones? Help me here....!

What IS the Church?

Jesus said, "I will build My church..." God sent Jesus into the world to re-connect created beings with the Creator. Jesus announced that, "even as the Father has sent me into the world...so I send you." So... is there an inter-connectedness between the incarnation and the mission of God that somehow converges in the church? How are we being "sent" by Jesus into the world? What is God's mission for us? Can the church primarily exist to care for its own members and in so doing, be what God intended it to be? Is this all some theological discussion, or is it relevant to why we exist as a church? What do you think?

Welcome Fall Class 2009

Welcome to the blog for our class! I look forward to connecting weekly with each of you. Our first blog (September 23) will follow the first intensive weekend (September 18-19) and new blogs will appear by Wednesday evening (due by the following Wednesday) of each week through November 25 (due December 02). Blessings, Doug