Labels, Crusades, and Intentions

Tons of things have been on my mind and heart lately. I haven't fully sorted through the thoughts, but I'm learning that this may be what my blog is for...

I have always had an issue with labels. Ironically, I have an excessive amount of labels for my blog. Nevertheless, from the title of "girlfriend" to "supervisor" to "Baptist" to "reformed" to "Christian" to "Mrs." to "Presbyterian", I have always bucked against being labeled. Perhaps this is due to my egocentric resistance to a box, desire to maintain mystery, and/or avoidance of predictability all for the sake of individuality (note the sarcasm). Perhaps. But let's reason further...

not sure how I'm going to tie this in yet...

In the history of Christianity there have been countless labels applied to help organize the church... so many "ages"... so many "movements"... so many "denominations"- or "non-denominations". I get a kick out of the pride human beings have when stating which labels we have embraced or which we avoid. How interesting that if you Google "history of Christianity" you wont stumble upon any claim of the Crusades. I suppose we just forget that we were responsible for that movement? Oh yes. We were. Christian's good intentions (protecting the Holy Land) walked us straight into the entanglement of our pride and the inequitable death of so many.

This brings me to the encompassing thought that has been heavy on my mind and heart lately. Isaiah 64:6. You know, the verse that says our righteousness is like filthy rags. This truth is becoming more and more alive as I look at all the structure we have given God, Jesus, the Bible, and even the Holy Spirit. We know this structure as "church" or "Christianity". But I don't believe that we hear the same thing that God hears when those words are spoken. We contaminate the fellowship God desires for us to have. And sadly, we don't mean to! We just have good ideas... good intentions. If our good intentions can cause the Crusades, should we really be leaning on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)? I submit that we should not.

Where have these thoughts come from and why do I think they go together despite my failure to connect them smoothly? ... Good question. Being "in the ministry", my husband and I encounter many "conversations" concerning the most recent Christian movement. Maybe you have heard of it- the Emerging Church. Naturally, I am annoyed that there is another label to define your church or faith by. I keep finding myself saying to the gung-ho supporters that I see the good intentions but can't justify putting it's label on my safe box. (1- because I don't have a safe box outside of Scripture and 2- because, like all other man made attempts to please God, it will fail). And to my friends who are anti-emerging churches- you probably feel the same way so many Christians felt about the Reformers, the Protestants, and Pilgrims bucking the system. Did God still work despite our good intentions? Yes, and I propose that, chances are, that's why you're here. Eat the meat and spit out the bones. Take the challenge and become more familiar with Scripture.