Sitting at Starbucks working and watched the person across from me do a full on nose wipe.  She used the Elephant trunk method…wipe from the wrist straight up until you reach your elbow.  Disgusting, but got me to thinking.

Think about how many ways people wipe their noses.  Kleenex is a great method, never understood hanky’s, you have the classic Finger Pinch…kinda inconspicuous, the sideways forearm wipe, the above mentioned elephant trunk method and many more.  We all get that runny dripping nose taken care of in our own unique way.

Our strategies are unique to us…influenced by our years of upbringing, examples we saw or ways we were taught in school.   While some ways are certainly more sanitary, we each get the job done in a unique way that fits us!

Churches are much the same.  While we are all dealing with the issue of sin and it’s drain on life (pun intended) we all get the message of Jesus teaching out in a unique way that fits some people better than others.

I was just asked this past weekend about the unity of the church and if it were possible for us to all be united.  My thought is we are as long as we are preaching Jesus as the way to God as scripture makes plain.  I don’t think we need to all go about projecting that message the same way and I feel the efforts to unite methods are actually a bit counter productive.  People need different styles, sounds, approaches in order for each person to have a chance at responding to the message of Jesus.  Some need inspiration, some intellectualized, some will enter through illustrative approached, while still some through personal study.  There are all kinds of approaches, but the most important thing is that we stick to the message and let the unique DNA of each denomination and congregation play out for God’s glory.  There is no right way, just a right message.

When you think about it telling churches they should all unite and worship God together is like telling a bunch of husbands to dump their wives and all hook up with the same one…doesn’t make sense.  The church is the Bride of Christ, but that does not mean that the Bride’s personality can’t be unique to each congregation.

We each need to wipe out sin through our growth and pursuit of Jesus.  This leads us to a church that best fits us, our family, our friends.  That’s OK!

In the meantime…use a Kleenex! LOL