Growing up in Tennessee, my mom fixed black eyed peas and cabbage every New Year’s Day—a custom I though strange since we never ate black eyed peas otherwise, and because I loathed both of them. (I do love them now.) I understand that this isn’t particular to Tennessee, but is it an American tradition or just a Southern one? Maybe someone can fill me in.
Here are some other New Year’s customs I found online. Take them with a grain of salt, since they came from the internet. I did verify each one on more than one website, but still…
• In Spain it is customary to eat one grape for each chime of the clock at Midnight—a tradition that supposedly began when there was a surplus of grapes and the king gave them as New Year’s presents. It apparently also results in a lot of people laughing at each other with mouths full of grapes.
• In Taiwan employees present their workers with a meal that includes a whole cooked chicken. Everyone gets gifts, but if the chicken’s head is facing you during the meal, it is a sign that you will likely lose your job in the next year.
• In Ecuador and Colombia, families burn a stuffed male doll representing the old year. Each family makes their own doll for burning. They sometimes place fireworks inside it to add excitement. They also burn objects that represent the bad memories from the old year.
• In Korea, it is customary to go to the beach and watch the sunrise on New Year’s Day.
• In Brazil, people jump seven waves and throw flowers into the sea.
• In Mexico, people wear red underwear as a symbol of their desire to find love in the New Year. Others wear yellow underwear in the hopes that it will bring money.
• For Songkran, the Thai New Year (not the same date as ours), people drench passersby with water from buckets, garden hoses or water guns.
I hope you see in this New Year a chance to hit the reset button on some things. But I’d also like to point out that God does not restrict our opportunities for renewal to January 1. I would suppose that you know that already, but I can use a reminder of that fact from time to time. As we gather this Sunday morning, let’s take advantage of God’s never-ending mercies.
Robert Lee
Now What?
In The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey writes about the journeys of Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit missionary, to 16th century China. In an effort to teach the story of Jesus across the language barrier he took several pieces of art depicting the life of Christ. The first images that he showed them were images of Mary holding her child. The Chinese looked on these serene, nurturing scenes with admiration. But when Ricci introduced them to images of Jesus’ crucifixion, his audience recoiled in disgust. He found himself struggling to convince them that this man who had been executed like a common criminal was actually the one who was worthy of their adoration. Instead, their affections gravitated toward the matronly virgin holding the infant Christ.
Yancey goes on to note that, if the Christmas cards he receives are any indicator, most of us prefer to do the same. He says: “We observe a mellow, domesticated holiday purged of any hint of scandal. Above all, we purge from it any reminder of how the story that began in Bethlehem turned out at Calvary.”
As you know, I’m a big proponent of celebrating Christmas with everyone else in December. Never mind that we don’t know when Jesus was born. If so many others are mindful of Jesus’ birth this time of year, then let’s do the same.
In fact, I think we should do many of our fellow celebrants one better. For most, Christmas ended at midnight last night. In no time at all we’ll see trashcans stuffed full of cardboard and wrapping paper. Once-green Christmas trees will be lying curbside, turning gray. And all of the baby Jesus’ resting in their mangers will be stowed away in attics and sheds until after Thanksgiving next year.
But for us, Christmas is just beginning. Immanuel, “God With Us,” is still with us. And he’s got more to do than just lie in a manger not making any noise. In fact he wants to make quite a bit of noise. And we need to pay attention.
Christ is born in Bethlehem. Now the real work can begin. Let’s start this morning.
GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY
It punctures my ego (which is often ripe for deflation) to be researching for a message and to find that this same message has already been written and in a much better way than I could hope to myself. That was the case here. I found this quote from Madeleine L’Engle, the author of A Wrinkle in Time, and I just had to share it. It originally appeared in her book, Bright Evening Star. I hope you’ll spend some time dwelling on it this morning in preparation for a time of worship:
“Don’t try to explain the incarnation to me! It is further from being explainable than the furthest star in the furthest galaxy. It is love, God’s limitless love enfleshing that love into the form of a human being, Jesus, the Christ, fully human and fully divine.
Was there a moment, known only to God when all the stars held their breath, when the galaxies paused in their dance for a fraction of a second, and the Word, who had called it all into being, went with all his love in to the womb of a young girl, and the universe started to breathe again, and the ancient harmonies resumed their song, and the angels clapped their hands for joy?
Power. Greater power than we can imagine, abandoned, as the Word knew the powerlessness of the unborn child, still unformed, taking up almost no space in the great ocean of amniotic fluid, unseeing, unhearing, unknowing. Slowly growing, as any human embryo grows, arms and legs and a head, eyes, mouth, nose, slowly swimming into life until the ocean in the womb is no longer large enough, and it is time for birth.
Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, Christ the Maker of the universe or perhaps many universes, willingly and lovingly leaving all that power and coming to this poor, sin-filled planet to live with us for a few years to show us what we ought to be and could be. Christ came to us as Jesus of Nazareth, wholly human and wholly divine, to show us what it means to be made in God’s image.”
Amber Jacobi's Baby Shower
Silent Monks Sing the Hallelujah Chorus
The "Talk"
I know, I know. It’s been a long time. It usually takes something particularly interesting to draw me back in.
This time it was because I wanted to direct you to this recent article on Time’s website about having “the talk” with our kids. One of the things I appreciate about the article is that it actually encourages having multiple “talks” rather than just one, each one being age/situation appropriate.
I also wonder about having “the talk” in Christian households. How is it different? How can we speak about sex with our children in a way that is open and honest and reflective of our faith?
Anybody out there who has more experience than I do, feel free to jump in. Both of our boys have shown some curiosity about "where babies come from," but were satisfied with the most cursory of answers. This article makes me think we will be dealing with this sooner rather than later. What about you?
Celebration Sunday
Welcome to Celebration Sunday! Today, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we look back and celebrate all that’s happened in 2009. In keeping with the theme of celebration, I thought I’d give you an all too incomplete thanksgiving list. I am thankful for…
- The people who have taught my children to sing “Jesus Loves Me.”
- This year’s nearly 52 Operation Uplifts and all of the people who showed up with food for a small army.
- All of those who deployed and returned safely.
- All of their families who stayed home and prayed for them.
- The way this church became a Medieval castle for a week during the summer.
- All of the “ big losers” at Camp Idlewild.
- The people who work feverishly to keep this old building running.
- A great group of shepherds.
- Hard-working deacons.
- Dedicated Ministry leaders.
- Everyone who lets us and our kids mess up their house during Lifegroups.
- The way people stand around on the front lawn after church and talk while the kids play.
- Every meal taken to someone who was sick or had a baby or just needed help.
- Every couch that was loaded onto or unloaded from a moving truck by our Moving Ministry.
- The fact that I get paid to read and think and write and pray and then talk with you about it.
- All the times that I’ve thought of something that needed to be done only to find out that someone had already done it.
- Nursery workers who wrangle small children every week.
- Children’s Church volunteers who save the kids from my sermons, and vice versa.
- Another opportunity to celebrate with other people who have been rescued by God’s grace.
All Alone
I recently read an article in The Atlantic about a study that was begun in 1937 and continues to this day. It set out to determine predictors of well-being throughout an entire lifetime. 268 Harvard students (all male, since Harvard was not yet co-ed) entered the study. Over the last 72 years, they have participated in interviews and tests of various kinds. Most served during WWII. Most were married. Many were divorced. Some at first appeared to excel in life but later gave way to depression, alcohol abuse and family strife. Others faced hardship with courage and optimism. Some made fortunes. Some lost them. Some never became rich.
So of course, the big question: What are the predictors for happiness over a life time? It’s always a little risky to draw too hasty of a conclusion, but certain themes do rise to the surface. Generally speaking, people who are happy over the long run have a relatively stable marriage and are members of a church or spiritual community. Once a person’s basic needs are being met, money does not seem to contribute largely to their happiness.
But the author of the Atlantic article does relate that: “In an interview in the March 2008 newsletter to the Grant Study subjects, George Vaillant, one of the study’s directors, was asked, ‘What have you learned from the Grant Study men?’ Vaillant’s response: ‘That the only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people.’”
Loneliness is very difficult for most of us to endure. I am basically an introvert. After a while of being with people I have to recharge by being alone. But I never confuse that with actually wanting to live a life of solitude. I need my friends and family. I need to have relationships with others. I need people to celebrate with. And most importantly, I need someone beside me when I’m suffering.
As I read Mark’s account of the trial and execution of Jesus this week I was struck this time by just how alone Jesus is. I don’t know how many times I’ve read the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, but every time something new jumps out at me. This time it wasn’t the gratuitous violence he suffered or the injustice of the trial. This time I couldn’t help but notice that Jesus was terribly isolated when he suffered all of this. In some sense, he was even separated from God.
This would be a terrible, tragic, irredeemable story if not for the fact that Jesus was doing all of this for you and me. And if not for the fact that God made all things right by raising him from the dead and giving us the hope that we have for resurrection. But this morning, before we celebrate, let’s take a moment to honor the great sacrifice that Jesus offered on our behalf.
Just Pray
Assuming things turned out as we hoped, I and my family are out of town this weekend, spending time with the rest of Rachel’s family and enjoying life outside of the city. Bob Kiser has kindly agreed to preach today. I’m always so appreciative of my substitutes. It’s one thing for me to prepare a message; it’s my job. But those who give me a week off come with a lesson that they have prepared in addition to their already busy workloads.
This morning, I thought I’d share with you some thoughts on prayer. The following thoughts come from Richard Foster’s wonderful book, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home.
- We should feel perfectly free to complain to God, or argue with God, or yell at God…God is perfectly capable of handling our anger and frustration and disappointment. C.S. Lewis counsels us to “lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us.”
- My first counsel is simply a reminder that prayer is nothing more than an ongoing and growing love relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- I now want to give a counsel that may sound strange. It is that we should learn to pray even while we are dwelling on evil…We lift even our disobedience into the arms of the Father; he is strong enough to carry the weight. Sin, to be sure, separates us from God, but trying to hide our sin separates us all the more.
The Babcocks Going Away
Grief & Grace
In a recent article from Christianity Today, Mark Galli reminds us of Mark Twain's story, The Prince and the Pauper:
"…we are introduced to Prince Edward and a poor boy named Tom Canty. In the opening pages, they meet each other and discover they look identical. Since each one is dissatisfied with his social situation, they decide to swap places and see what life's like from the other side. Tom takes on the life of Prince Edward, and Prince Edward adopts the life of the pauper Tom. During the course of the novel, King Henry dies, at which point Prince Edward becomes King of England. For the rest of the story, Edward has to convince others that he is the legitimate king. All they see, of course, is a poor boy in rags."
Galli goes on to note that Jesus is often unrecognizable, because of his humility: "Many people—not just the wise men—had trouble spotting King Jesus in his day, because they were looking for the trappings of royalty instead of an infant in a manger or a young man in a carpenter's shop." Nor would people be looking for a king in the Garden of Gethsemane. But that is where we find him in Mark 14. Again, he is not in a palace. He is not at the vanguard of a conquering army. He is in a Garden on the outskirts of Jerusalem. And it's not just his location that we should find so scandalous; it's also what he's doing.The Messiah, the anointed one of Israel, her deliverer, the Son of God, the Lord who has cast out demons and raised the dead and controlled the forces of nature is on his knees. He is overwhelmed. He is racked with misery. His body is rebelling against him. And he is begging for his life. Doesn't exactly comport with our idea of grandeur and power, does it?
But I believe that this is when we see Jesus at His best. Here more than any other place, Jesus is the Messiah. He is both the Son of God and the Son of Man. He is fully human and fully divine. Nowhere else, except perhaps on the cross, do we see the two come together so completely.
It's a good thing we were not allowed to write the story of Jesus, because who but God would include the events that take place in Gethsemane? Who would imagine the Messiah in such a terrible state? But our salvation begins in Gethsemane. I'm beginning to think that this is where the battle is fought and won. Gethsemane makes Calvary (and the empty tomb) possible. And we can learn more about the world saving character of Christ there than anywhere else. I hope you'll spend some time with Him there this morning.
Do What You Can
6 'Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me… 8She did what she could. (Mark 14)
I'll be the first to admit that I sometimes lack attention to detail. I'm a big picture kind of guy. And so, even though I've proofread this article at least once and in spite of modern marvels like Microsoft spell-check, there's a pretty good chance that there is a typo or two in here. [For example, the first time I typed this sentence it read "a typo or to."] I would make a horrible copy editor. Nor would I be able to hold down a job at Peachtree Editorial and Proofreading.
It's their job to proofread editions of the Bible for various publishers. "Bible readers are less forgiving of errors because they expect perfection in the Bible text," says June Gunden, one of Peachtree's founders.
To remind them of the importance of their task, they have prominently displayed a list of critical Bible errors from the past. The most famous one is found in the "Adulterer's Bible" of 1631. The "not" is conveniently omitted from Exodus 20:14. Thus it reads, "Thou shalt commit adultery." Another one, dubbed the "Unrighteous Bible," omits the "not" in 1 Corinthians 6:9 and has Paul saying that the "unrighteous shall inherit the Kingdom of God."
One of Peachtree's most recent projects was the Holman Christian Standard Bible. For two years, workers meticulously scanned each page multiple times in order to weed out errors. Gunden says that many employees view their work as an extension of their faith and regularly pray about it.
Small things can be important. This morning we're going to begin talking about what we Christians see as the biggest event in history—the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It is the fulcrum on which everything else turns. Its significance cannot possibly be overstated.
But, as this pivotal week begins, we start with a humble act of faith from an anonymous woman. It is an act that Jesus' followers dismiss as insignificant and wasteful. But Jesus sees it differently. He comes to her defense. What impresses Jesus is that this woman has done something, anything at all, that honors him.
There's an important lesson in there for us. We are not called to worry about the greatness of our efforts. We are just called to put forth the effort. I hope we can all be challenged to do what we can for God this morning.
The End Is Near
Recently a New York Press columnist wrote about an encounter with an apocalyptic taxi driver in Baltimore. The cabbie asked him about his future plans and, following a thumbnail sketch of his intentions, informed him that they didn't matter anyway. The driver turned around and said, "I don't want to scare you, but the world is gonna end in seven months." Apparently a radio preacher that he listened to had discerned that the end was nigh. The writer goes on to note that the seven month prediction had been made 10 years ago by the time the article was published.
That's the risk we take when we hazard apocalyptic predictions. History has seen the end of time come and go more times than anyone can count. And you'd think that all of these failed soothsayers would deter others, but not so. Hope springs eternal when it comes to cataclysm.
What is it with end of the world obsessions? Why are some people led to pore over scripture or Nostradamus or Egyptian numerology or Mayan calendars in the hopes of singling out the date that the world will blow up? There are two apocalyptic movies coming out in the next few months alone.
Well I promise not to add to it. I have no predictions for you. But if Jesus would like to come back before the Tennessee Titans can embarrass themselves anymore, that would be fine with me.
As for me, I'm so anxious to avoid those predictions, I even considered skipping Mark 13. It's all about the "end of the age," and I would just as soon skip it altogether. But I guess I can't do that.
What I can do is give you this bit of good news. Jesus doesn't give us a date either. Jesus avoids that kind of prediction himself. To be honest he doesn't really give us signs. A careful reading of the text tells us that Jesus is giving hints for the beginning of the end rather than the end.
In fact, to give a date would run counter to his mission. Jesus isn't interested in giving his disciples a chance to build bomb shelters or stockpile canned goods. As we'll see, he's got other plans for them, and those plans involve taking action rather than hunkering down.
To be sure, the end is near. And it means two things for us, his people. First, we have reason to be hopeful. Second, we'd better get busy doing the work he's set out for us.
A Little Perspective
When the great Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Lynn Swann was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001, he had already spent numerous years on the ballot—more than he felt he should, apparently. According to Terry Bradshaw, Swann's quarterback throughout his career (and a hall-of-famer himself), Swann blamed him for not making it in sooner. The perceived injury was great enough for Swann to refer to it on the day of his induction. On what should have been a day of celebration, Swann decided to get his pound of flesh. He publicly blamed Bradshaw for not throwing him the ball enough in the late 70's.
Bradshaw later commented: "…I kept thinking how sad it was that he chose what should have been one of the greatest days of his life to create this controversy."
Earlier this year, when Michael Jordan was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, he chose a similar approach. Shortly after hearing himself proclaimed the greatest basketball player who ever lived and watching an awe-inspiring career highlights video, Jordan took to the podium and things got personal. He used one of the greatest moments of his life to exact petty revenge on those who had slighted him throughout his career. He went after former Knicks coach, Jeff Van Gundy. He scolded Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson for snubbing him way back in 1985 (!) at the NBA All-Star game. Rather than enjoy the evening celebrating his accomplishments, he chose to stir-up controversy.
It's frustrating when people take an opportunity for celebration and turn it into something petty and mean-spirited.
That's exactly what happens to Jesus in Mark 12. Jesus, the Messiah, finally comes to Jerusalem. The Son of David comes to the Temple. This man who has spent his life healing the lame and feeding the hungry, who has brought the Good News of God's kingdom to his people, doesn't receive a very kind welcome.
Instead he is greeted by religious leaders motivated by personal vendettas alternately trying to publicly embarrass him or have him killed. And even though Jesus obviously saw it coming, I wonder if it wasn't also difficult for him.
Mark 12 would be a truly tragic chapter, if not for a couple of brief highlights. In these two instances, we can see past the foolish controversies and into the heart of pure religion. These moments are an important reminder to us not to miss the big picture in our faith. I hope you and I can get the big picture this morning.
I am Second
I believe this weekend marks the 104th installment of the Red River Shootout. (I refuse to call it the Red River Rivalry, just because AT&T is sponsoring it.) For many of you that means nothing. That’s because: A) You don’t watch college football. B) You’re not from Texas or Oklahoma.
The Red River Shootout is the annual football game between the University of Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma University Sooners. It’s almost always a huge game, because one or both teams are usually in the National Championship picture. The game takes place every year at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the Texas State Fair. If you’re a college football fan, this game is one that should make your bucket list.
This year the starting quarterbacks are Colt McCoy for the Longhorns and Sam Bradford for the Sooners. Both have been talked about as HeismanTrophy contenders (though Bradford’s chances have been diminished some by an early season shoulder injury.) Both really want to win this game. Both must be incredibly competitive to play a sport on this level.
But there is one thing they can agree on. Check out the video below. It was posted on Facebook by the Christian Chronicle. When you’re done watching the video, you can go read an interview with Colt McCoy at the Chronicle website. He attends a Church of Christ in Austin.
Culture Clash
Every year I make it a point to watch "A Christmas Story" at least once during the holiday season. This isn't hard to do, given the twenty-four hour marathon that's on one of the cable networks. Lately it's been my companion as I play the role of Santa's helper into the wee hours of Christmas Eve.
One of the recurring themes of the movie is disillusionment. As our hero Ralphie grows up in the Midwest during the 1950's, he learns that not everything turns out as expected. Again and again, Ralphie anticipates something with giddy excitement only to be disappointed by the anticlimactic nature of it all.
For instance, Ralphie keeps a constant vigil over his mailbox, waiting for the "Little Orphan Annie Decoder Ring" that he sent off for in the mail. When it finally arrives, he dashes up to the bathroom (the only place in his house where he can be alone) and feverishly decodes a secret meant for his ears only. Imagine the anticipation as he unscrambles a message that will give him special knowledge. Now imagine his disappointment as he reads the message he's waited so long to hear: "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."
But perhaps the most soul-crushing moment of clarity comes when Ralphie finally gets to visit Santa at the local department store. He's hoping to bypass his parents and take his Christmas plea for a Red Ryder BB Gun straight to the man himself. So he endures a long wait in line and finally gains an audience with the fat man in red only to freeze up. Then, when he finally manages to muster the courage to make his petition to Santa, Santa crushes his dreams with the same reply that his mother did: "You'll shoot your eye out."
This morning we're going to read about how Jesus disappoints everyone. Everyone has expectations of this Messiah—his followers, his enemies—everyone. And Jesus refuses to fit into their narrow definitions of who the Messiah is. Jesus causes trouble everywhere he goes.
That's a good reminder for us, because we often prefer a Jesus that caters to our needs—bless us every day and then take us to heaven when we die. But that's not how it works. Jesus wants to do all of that, but he also has his own agenda. I'm reminded once again of C.S. Lewis' description of Jesus: "He's not safe, but he's Good."
Praise & Worship in the Park
This Sunday, October 4th, there will be no worship services or classes at our building. We invite you to join us for our annual Praise in the Park--a day of worship, food and fun at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. Our breakfast is at 10:00 am., followed by worship at 11:00, and a full day of activities. For more information, email us or give us a call.
Next Sunday, October 11th, we’ll be back here for our regular services.The Biggest Loser
Rachel finally had a chance to watch this week’s episode of The Biggest Loser last night. I acted like I wasn’t watching it, but I was. If you are inclined to watch it and you haven’t yet, go do so and then come back, because there are some big-time spoilers ahead.
This week was Sean Algaier’s swan song. He and his partner, Antoine, fell prey to some truly “Survivor”-style game play by one of the other contestants. It would be easy to vilify her, but I think she’s got real issues. (At least that’s the way the show’s editing makes it look.) Some of you will remember that Sean and the rest of the worship group, “Watershed,” performed at NCOC some time ago, so I was rooting for him, and I was sorry to see him leave.
But if anyone had to go out like that, I’m glad it was him. He and Antoine basically sacrificed themselves and asked to be sent home rather than another contestant. The way it works is the show sends them home, but provides a personal trainer so that they can keep working and then come back for the live finale sometime around the holidays. S & A argued that they would stand a better chance than this other contestant, because they both had a good support network at home. It appears that they were right, because they both look great. If I remember right, Sean’s already lost over 100 lbs.
Sean acted like we would hope a Christian would act. After being thrown under the bus by this other contestant, he and his partner took care of someone else rather than look after their own interests. And THEN, Sean was able to treat this person who had essentially caused his elimination with decency and compassion.
You know me, and you know I’m not one to rail against the biases of “our liberal media.” But I can’t help but wonder if anyone will comment on the fact that a self-confessed Christian managed to go on a “reality” show and actually behave like a follower of Jesus. We sure hear about it when they’re jerks. And, unfortunately, they sometimes are.
But no matter. It was nice to see someone go on the Biggest Loser and act like “The Biggest Loser.”
A Parent, Not a Buddy
Been a little while. I just wanted to direct your attention to Mike Cope's recent entry about being brave enough to be a parent who sets boundaries for their kids rather than trying to please them all the time. Click here to read it.
One of the readers calls it:
...true encouragement, the actual pouring of encouragement into the heart of another at the point of need.Yes it is. Hope to see as many of you as possible for dinner & Bible study tonight.
Simple Enough
We need to keep close to the ancient simplicity of the original Christian faith, and build our foundation on its original unity. We must abhor the arrogance of those who harass and tear apart the church of God under the pretense of correcting errors and holding to "the Truth." --Richard Baxter
Let us thus think often that our only business in this life is to please God. --Brother Lawrence
These quotes sum up the best of our denomination's history.
I don't talk a lot about the history of the Church of Christ. Partially because it seems that the more I know, the less I understand. As with any religious body it's a complex story with many different players. And then once you get all of the facts and events straight, there is the thorny task of making a cohesive story out of them. That's one of the reasons I hesitate to say, "This is where we come from."
But in spite of all the dangers, I would like to point out one facet of our origin that I have always admired. There is, in the history of the Churches of Christ, a vehement desire to simply be "Christians"--to shed the titles and the trappings and simply be a church of Christ.
What's amazing is that the beginnings of our denomination didn't really have one beginning, but several. At one point in time there were multiple people throughout the country who were responding to a similar impulse. They all wanted to make following Jesus a simple process. They grew tired of the ornate theological distinctions between churches. They wearied of the inter-denominational squabbling over the finer points of scripture. They grew tired of the dense creeds and doctrinal mazes that separated one believer from another.
So, in response to this impulse for simplicity, there were multiple movements occurring simultaneously all over the young nation. And what unified them was this desire to stop worrying about technicalities and start focusing on simply following Jesus. This is typified by their avoidance of denominational labels. These people were just "Christians."
Of course, things never go as planned. Before long there was huge disagreement over what a "simple" Christian really looked like. And, unfortunately, the disagreement often just led to more division.
But in spite of it all I still resonate with that early impulse. I've always liked the idea of being "Christians only, but not the only Christians." This morning, we'll read a passage in Mark's gospel where Jesus is telling his disciples to stop worrying about trivialities and just follow him. I hope we can strive to do that this morning.