Ridgell's Originals

I've been on the road the last three weeks- Santiago, Chile with a Herald of Truth campaign, Louisville with the Christian Church convention, and Nashville for the Lipscomb summer celebration. The Christian convention was interesting because one of their key themes was unity between the Christian church and the church of Christ. After all, we share a common heritage. Several thoughts struck about this emphasis on unity.

First, the independent Christian church believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. They believe that we we respond to that by being immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of sins and to recieve the Holy Spirit. They believe that we celebrate that weekly by sharing the Lord's Supper together. I think that makes us brothers.

In listening to the talk about unity, it seems that many think the split in our fellowship was over instumental music. That may have been "the straw that broke the camel's back", but I don't believe that was the cause of our separation. I believe it was political more than theological. It was almost a clean North/South separation and the division recognized in 1906 actually began in the politics of the Civil War. There were economic factors at play even in the "theology" of the instrumental music question. So I believe the factors that contributed to the debate were first political, then economical, and then theological.

I do not believe instumental music is a salvation issue. It is not gospel. However, that does not mean that it is not important, or that there is not truth about this issue. And so it is clear that I believe some truth to be more important than other truth (after all, even Jesus believed there was a greatest commandment). How Christians worship is not as important as how you become a Christian.

I was able to worship with my brothers while an instument was being played. Just as was able to worship in Africa with my church family that believed men and women should not sit together in the assembly. And I have worshipped in settings where women preached. And in settings where a national flag was flown. I have worshipped where communion consisted of red wine, white wine, grape juice, grape Koolaide, and homemade wine. I have been in services where youth activities where honored, where Boy Scouts were recognized, and where soldiers were saluted.

Some of these practices don't matter to me, some I think are not appropriate, and some I think are wrong. But they are family issues, not family membership issues. And on some of these I may even be wrong. I don't think so, but further study and prayer may change my mind. Or not. I may share more of my thoughts later, but these are some of my initial reactions. What do you think?