What is a Methodist doing in a Baptist church?
I felt a wee bit out of place when the head of mission of the Baptist World Alliance -- the invited speaker for today in Pantai Baptist Church -- addressed the congregation, "we are all gathering as Baptists, and gathering as a church to proclaim the message of our lives, that is of Jesus and the cross, and Jesus as the risen Lord".
I need some getting used to being referred to as Baptist, which I'm not. But I do not feel that it really mattered, what I am, Methodist, Baptist, or Presbyterian. What is important is that we all belong to Christ, which I do.
The speaker referred to 1 Cor 1, to the Jews and Greeks, with the cross as a stumbling block and foolishness.
And here we are, Methodists and Baptists, and with this I quote Paul, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.' "
pearlie
Not sure why churches need labels. I attend a United Methodist church but I am not united to it but united to Christ.
ReplyDeleteI know but I suppose we all do come from different backgrounds and religious upbringing. As long as we hold on to the "life and death" tenets, we're fine -- we get by with our differences in how we get baptised, by a free drops or a whole pool, or even how we understand predestination and foreknowledge.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one on United Methodist -- never thought of it that way. But we do not use that term in Malaysia - we are simply the Methodist Church.
I SOOOO wish we could get away from the "labels" and just be The Children of God......which after all is what we truly are.
ReplyDeletelistening to such 'proclamation' like that would have been awkward, wouldn't it? :) but anyway, i guess I'm next in line to getting used with being a Methodist in an SIB church ... haha
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteIt will be, when we get to the New Jerusalem :)
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteYup, it was. Even my son turned and looked at me and smiled sheepishly.