Doctrine vs. Church culture vs. scriptures
thechurchnews.com
Which is which? When I find something at church hurtful, is it the doctrine? the culture? or the gospel of Jesus Christ as found in the scriptures?
First off, why does it matter? Well, if it’s doctrine, there may be little you or I can do about that (besides pray for change with power and intent), since doctrine comes through the hierarchy.
If it’s church culture, you can be a change agent. Yes, YOU. Wherever you are, wherever you stand. See our previous posts, “Congregation roulette Part I: How did New Canaan Ward do it?” and “Congregation roulette Part II: What’s that evangelical church got?”
If it’s the scriptures, and I think I found something hurtful (such as the Biblical “clobber passages”), I can look deeper. If it doesn’t match the loving God I know, if it doesn’t ring true with the rest of the scriptures (particularly the plethora of scriptures that say “all are alike unto God” such as 2 Nephi 26:33), I can study and ponder it until I find a way to harmonize it into the gospel of Jesus Christ. We particularly recommend Derek Knox and James Jones’ weekly podcast at BeyondtheBlockPodcast.com.
Haven’t encountered Derek and James yet? Here’s a little more about them:
Brother Jones and Brother Knox describe themselves as staunch advocates for the theology and harsh critics of the culture when it comes to Mormonism. A black life-long member and queer convert respectively, they bring a less heard perspective to the notoriously white and heteronormative faith. They feel their desire for justice, love, and salvation for all people, regardless of color, sex, orientation, and other identities is not only consistent with the message of Christ, but *is* the message of Christ. In that spirit, they share their thoughtful, honest, and occasionally raw and humorous take on Mormonism in an effort to shift the culture of Mormonism more into alignment with the theology of Mormonism. Proud member of the Dialogue Podcast Network: DialogueJournal.com/podcastnetwork.
When I find something hurtful, whether it’s doctrine, Church culture, or the scriptures, I can always remember that our Heavenly Parents loves ALL Their children. We are always safe with Them.
-Marci