Emma, thanks for the thoughtful comment! I love the simplicity and directness of the "faith expressing itself in love" verse from Galatians. I think the issue here—the difference between what @hughlh was saying and what you're saying is the difference between an ideal and a reality. Here's what I mean: The idea of it being as simple as "faith expressing itself in love" and the idea of being "at home at any bible-based church" is a wonderful *ideal*, but it just isn't the reality we live in. Different people take different approaches to the Bible, and walk away with different interpretations and applications. As a result, there are different denominations. While many of them embrace the same general big picture (the big picture that you rightly point out includes BOTH forgiveness and new birth), they still tend to emphasize different parts of the story. That's why I walk away from various churches with different pieces of the puzzle in hand. I don't know—does that make sense? (Thanks for what you shared about the divorce post, too. I love how you put it, that a bad marriage "can restrict and pin down where God wants to edify and build up.")

Pace, thanks for opening up the conversation to include other religions, which is something I have some knowledge about, but not personal experience with. I hope more people will share their "what I learned" lists!

Emma, I'm glad you followed up (and I'm glad you think in the shower!). This is great: "if we see 'justified' as a status, rather than an event, we carry that boldly (with power, as by new birth) into our futures, and look back at the same time." I think your points help me make my point (which perhaps I didn't do clearly enough in the post): Different faith communities emphasize different aspects of the story; I'm thankful I've been immersed in more than one denomination, so I can better grasp the whole story.