Open Minded

This weekend Christy and I went up to Fargo for a day to visit her brother Mitch. We had a romantic night with them at the bowling alley, a movie and then midnight pizza. Back to an effective postmodern church...

This may be one of the most difficult ones to picture. Bear with me.

An effective postmodern church does not depend on doctrine as its unifying theme. At the core must be one doctrine, to love Jesus, and after that everyone must love one another in all of their differences. This will easy for some and very difficult for others. I am suggesting that the same church allows someone to talk about why homosexuality is wrong and the another time someone else is allowed to share about whey they think it's okay. Many voices, one God (I had a book called that once).

I was at a church in town called Solomon's Porch. I met a man through the 5-10 minutes greeting time and began a discussion with him on why he was at this church. He said that he had been going there for a few months and that this was the only church that "let him believe" how he believed. I thought "Is this possible? A church let someone do this?" Not only could he believe differently (what's the big deal you ask), the church let him share his varying doctrine and discussed it with him. A discussion. Open dialogue. Today's church is looking for dialogue, not another parent. People aren't going to believe "because they should" like a 12 year old in Sunday School anymore, they have very serious questions that the church has failed to answer for them. Genetics. Evolution. Theodicy, or the problem of evil. The depths of the atom, the reaches of the universe. We need some serious dialogue.

Do you believe its possible for a church to have people who believe in remarriage with those who do not? Can those who believe in predestination worship next to Free Willy? (just made that up) Can those who read the Book of Prayer daily help the guy who raises his hands every song move to a new home? I think it can happen, it is happening. Thank God, it's about time.


This is not a knock on doctrine, I believe it is a step to make doctrine understood and ultimately more intimate with those in the church. Thoughts?