What's in a name?

I’m just back from Spring Harvest – an annual Christian “Event” that is held in a couple of UK venues. It was excellent, in both the worship and the teaching. One of the speakers was a Church of England Bishop, Tom Wright. For those who don’t know my “denominational pilgrimage”, I started of (and was converted) as a Presbyterian, and it was into the Church of Scotland that I was eventually ordained. After a doctrinal disagreement, I left “the Kirk” and was called into teaching. I also moved into the Baptist Church; then became an active part of the Charismatic movement; returned, briefly, to the Baptist fold; joined a former Brethren Assembly; and am now part of a new, independent Christian fellowship! After listening to Bishop Tom, I was constrained to speak with him; give him the bare bones of the above, and inform him that “almost you persuade me to become an Anglican”! (cf Acts 26:28 in the New Testament). As you may have guessed, I was impressed!!

So, why share that piece of apparent trivia? Well, just to point out the importance, and the unimportance, of Christian denominations! When I was at Grammar School, I had to wear a school blazer (jacket). This garment had two very important items attached to it. One of these was the label. This provided certain pieces of important information such as the material from which the blazer was made; the size of the garment; and the cleaning instructions. However, although it provided all of that information, it was attached, out of sight, inside the inside pocket, or inside the collar. And, of course, there were lots of different labels, on lots of different blazers.

The other item was the school badge. This gave no other information than the name of the school, and its heraldic crest. But this item was worn, proudly, on the front breast-pocket, and it was exactly the same on every blazer in the school.

The lesson is that a denominational tag is nothing more than a label. It may give some useful – even important – information about my views on church government; on water baptism; on the use of the gifts of God the Holy Spirit. But the really important thing is my badge – and that is Christian. So, I don’t really mind what label you may bear. My concern is your badge. If you are a Christian – one who has trusted, completely, in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin, and a hope for the future that is firmly grounded in the here-and-now – then your label is of secondary importance. As long as you are seeking, with His help, to follow that same Lord Jesus, you are my brother, or my sister. I’ll be interested in your label – but it will never be allowed to come between us.