i am a christian mutt...(UPDATED)

I get something in the mail every couple months called The Journal of Student Ministries, www.thejournalofstudentministries.com. In a recent issue, the editor, Will Penner, shared something about himself in his editorial section that I totally resonated with. Will called himself a "mutt" when it comes to his Christian tradition/denominational make-up. I am the same way...

I have been a part of (or at least "around") several different areas of Christian tradition. I grew up going to a Methodist church (until I graduated high school), but didn't know why. In fact, while I became a Christian at age 16, it was not at our home church; it was at a non-denominational weekly youth gathering (of course, I went because of a girl...and lookie! I met Jesus! haha...proof that God can even use bad motives...). In my college/grad school years (1993-2001), I bounced around for a couple months before spending large chunks of time at two seperate non-denominational churches (but both loosely associated with Dallas Theological Seminary...so in ways they were almost like a part of the "DTSian Denomination"). The first one was where I felt led to be (re)baptized (I know, I know..."re-baptized"? A long story...) and was under the tutelage of a great college pastor (who now is a lead pastor at a church nearby...fun to run into him now and then!), and later I ended up at a different church as a youth ministry intern. During my time at church "A", i worked a summer at what could be best described as an "inter-denominational (many represented) sprots camp", but that was pretty evangelical in thrust. While at church "B", I attended a Baptist Seminary. Then, after graduation, I have served at two different churches, both Methodist.

Why talk about this? Well, it's just an interesting thing to me I suppose. There are times I'm grateful for my "mutt-ness", and there are times I get frustrated. So, here are my unscientific pros and cons to being a Christian Mutt:

PROS:
***Well, it does allow me to "speak the lingo" of lots of different traditions, and as a result, I can flow within them fairly well. I can not be completely lost talking to my Baptist friends, for example...

***Along those lines, I can also participate in discussions involving the theological diversity and nuances between traditions to a degree. Just nice to have in my back pocket I suppose.

***I can appreciate (because I've been a part of them myself) lots of the great things each tradition brings to the table. Baptists are passionate about evangelism, DTSians are passionate about theology, Methodists are passionate about service and justice...all are great things in themselves, and I try to "mix" them alot in my own life as opposed to just being stuck in one tradition because "I don't know any better..."

***I can often "defend" each tradition, as those who know-no-other-way can be quite narrow minded... As a result (like my above pro), I often defend the Baptists, the non-denoms, and the Methodists when confusion/frustration is reigning surpreme, because there are great things we can learn from each other and appreciate.

CONS:
***Because I am a mutt, often I feel "left out" when I do find a tradition I'd like to be a part of...because I'm not a "lifer". I'm not "reformed" enough for many non-denoms, or I'm not "wesleyan" enough for many Methodists. This has reared it's head a few times...

***People want to take sides. It's just our human nature. I struggle to side "one way" all the time though. I've been given this wierd, sometimes annoying, trait of being able to "see and appreciate multiple sides" on certain issues (certainly not all issues...). But people don't like that. They tend to want you in...or out. Now, they may be polite about it...but one time, for example, before I was called to my current position, I was a finalist for a position at a church I really wanted to serve at. Now, I affirm God's calling me to this current place, so I'm not complaining or wondering "what if?", but I think in the end, I just wasn't "enough" of something they wanted. You see, I had to read and respond to each point on something like a 50-part "statement of faith" this church had. (It may not have been 50...but it was alot). I resonated with many of the (at least what I consider) essentials, but some "other" stuff was in there I was a bit more iffy on...or, even if in agreement in principle, didn't think it was stuff to be "defined" by. As a result, I may not have fit their mold, or their side. But it gets me in trouble serving in a Methodist church as well. Occasionally I'll discover a doctrine I don't agree with (and just keep quiet about), or I will choose to take our teens to a non-or-inter denominational camp/event/conference instead of the "Methodist one" because, well, I think they are often of better quality. But I have been pressured at times as a result to do the Methodist thing simply because, well, I serve at a Methodist church. But my "mutt-ness" makes that tough at times...because I want what's best...

I at times do wish things were just "easier" and that I did have a loyalty to one "brand" of Christianity...because it gets confusing at times. As you just read in my two above "cons", I just don't fit. I am grateful for those folks in each tradition who have treated me with respect and grace (and there have been many!), and I trust that god knows what he is doing by calling me to traverse this often winding path...it certainly make things interesting and adventuresome!

*UPDATE*
I just looked back at the last few of my posts...wow, it makes me look really like I'm searching for things to rant about, be negative, etc. I actually feel alright. I guess the nature of all this a)open-ness and honesty and p) just things I ponder alot, and wonder if I'm alone in the ponderings...

So, blessings to all you reading this random mess of stuff that comes out of me. I pray it makes you think and ponder...