Building God's bridges of Grace.

Recently I was having a conversation with a friend, A leader in a well known Pentecostal denomination. We were talking about the changes in the church over the last thirteen years. We talked about Church growth and the admitted lack of growth in many churches. We talked about how different the church was to that which we had seen growing up. We talked about the advent of the Charismatic movement and the growth of the Mega church. In essence it was a bit of a nostalgia fest. Then he said something to me that I felt was really astounding:

"I can fellowship with any Christian from any Charismatic denomination ....except Charismatic Catholics"

He then went on to explain himself saying that while he accepted that Anglican, Episcopalians, Baptists and Methodists may have different views to his own, he recognised that they had experienced a book of Acts event very much in the same way as we Pentecostals claim to have experienced. But, because the so called Charismatic Catholics still believed in the doctrine of Transubstantiation and worship and veneration of Mary and the saints he could not fellowship or have anything to do with them.

I asked my friend what his thoughts were on God's Grace and whether he could bring himself to see more of the things that we have in common rather than the things we didn't have in common. Unfortunately my friend is not the type of person to change his long held perceptions and views.

The point I wish to make as we sit on the eve of 2014 is this: At the last count there was over 33 000 different Christian denominations, far too many for my liking. We as Church leaders are busy 'doing church' getting the atmosphere and culture right and setting about teaching and building other leaders, we are building not sitting still. We rarely get time to fellowship with leaders from outside our own Christian sphere of influence, but when we do let us rather see what we have most in common first. Let us fellowship around those things rather than around what we do not have in common.

In 2014 let us not forget the Grace that God has given to us and endeavour to share and extend that grace to all we come across. Let us build bridges not dig moats.

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