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</a><a href="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/crosses.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-417" title="crosses" src="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/crosses.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="457" /></a>
<h5 style="padding-left: 300px;">Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/timpritlove/">Tim Pritlove</a></h5>
The church I go to identifies itself as "multi-denominational," which seems just about perfect for me.

<strong>I grow so weary of denominational loyalties, debates and wars. It all places too much focus on how we're different rather than what we share in common.</strong> Talking about denominations tends to reinforce stereotypes, which has a way of slowing important change to a crawl.

But this morning, as I was scanning Twitter and trying to decide what to write about here today, I ran across this tweet from @hughlh:
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">Reformers emphasize justification by faith &amp; forgiveness of past sins. Anabaptists emphasize new birth &amp; power to live as Jesus’ disciples. </span></span></em></p>
It pointed out differences, but it triggered something in me, shifting my grazing glance into full-on chewing and digestion mode.

<strong>Forgiveness of past sins, contrasted with new birth. Huh. Or perhaps <em>leading</em> to new birth. Interesting.</strong> A movement from what's past to what's ahead. Sounds like a really simple, powerful explanation of my own experience sorting out my beliefs. It even mirrors the denominations I've encountered along the way.
<h4>A bit of this and a bit of that from the buffet of churches</h4>
My first big transition was from my United Methodist upbringing to a highly Reformed setting as a student at Calvin College. Believe me, that was a shocker. After a decade of membership in Christian Reformed Churches (and a Presbyterian Church of America church, also theologically Reformed), I stumbled upon my current church fellowship, which has strong Mennonite (Anabaptist) roots.

<strong>I don't think about all of this denominational stuff that much, because I tend to think it doesn't really matter.</strong> When I'm involved in a church, I'm mostly wrapped up in the particulars of that specific community—the pastor and how he (or she) preaches; the congregation and how thoughtful or diverse or social-justice-oriented they are; the music and whether it helps me worship more than it annoys me. If I like the church community itself, I just don't care all that much about the denomination (unless it happens to be one that is highly problematic for me on a number of levels, but this post isn't about that).

But @hughlh's tweet has caused me to think, again, about denominations. In the end, it doesn't encourage me to believe that one denomination is necessarily superior to the other. It makes me realize <strong>I've learned different things from different churches, and they've played into one another well, balancing me and leading me to where I am now.</strong>

<strong>So why do we tend to either take an "it's all good" approach</strong> (I'm fine with your denomination as long as it doesn't intermingle with mine), <strong>or an "you're all wrong" approach</strong> (that's where all those jokes come from, about how surprised people will be when they see who else is in heaven)? It doesn't have to be so black and white.
<h4>An overview of what I learned where</h4>
Here's what I learned, in linear progression. (Keep in mind these are just my personal experiences with particular churches, not a theological thesis or overview of these three denominations.)

<strong>Laying a foundation:</strong> From the United Methodist Church, I learned liturgical structure, reverence and awe, the Apostle's Creed,  and the alto line for all the great Methodist hymns. I also learned the importance of opening your doors to the community, and showing God's love by helping others.

<strong>Moving beyond my sinfulness:</strong> From the Christian Reformed Church and Presbyterian Church of America, I learned what it means to be saved by grace—that we're all inherently prone to messing up but we're loved by God in spite of it, and we don't have to do anything to earn that love. I also learned how to apply what I know about God to all areas of my life, whether I'm being environmental, deciding how to spend my money, or writing marketing copy for a client.

<strong>Living as a new creation:</strong> And from the Mennonites and Anabaptists, I've learned that I am not simply caught in an endless cycle of messing up and being forgiven—that is not the ultimate purpose or pattern for my life. I can be transformed into a new creation, and can effectively work as a disciple to bring bits of heaven (or the heaven-like ideal) here to earth. Today. Right here in Urbana, Illinois. Making that happen involves living in community with others and a lot of hands-on work.

Just as I wrote last week about becoming more comfortable with a "potluck" format for tasting faith, <strong>I think there's much to be gained from seeing what different denominations have to offer, and how those offerings can be pieced together into a more full story</strong>—or more satisfying meal, as it were—for each of us.