Classic line, "If we can’t live now like people in the Kingdom ought, we can’t live then like people in heaven ought." Very well said!

I've struggled with the idea of denominations, church plants in areas with lots of churches, church splits, and all the other things that cause the number of congregations to sometimes seem to mirror the number of congregants ;) I'd contend there are lots of bad reasons that have contributed to the 30,000+ denominations we have today. But I really don't think it's all bad. The deeper I go in faith the bigger God becomes, but people stay small. And while God is infinite, we are very, very finite. Because of that we are also all very different from each other, and that's okay... In fact it's good. It's by design. So it actually seems quite right to me that, as different as we are, diversity in style, in emphasis, even in understanding is necessary as we seek to know an infinite God in our finite capacities. Some people need the structure of liturgy. Some people need the systematic theology of Calvin. Some people need the emotional freedom of Pentecostalism. Where we run into trouble perhaps is in our desire to say we are right to the exclusion of others. Rather, perhaps we are right with the inclusion of others.

I love cruise ships. I also love the church. For the most part cruise ships do a pretty good job of keeping people on board, and they rarely push anybody off on purpose. In churches however, I'd say it's not uncommon that people with certain kinds of wounds (or just differences) are not only not helped back on board, but they're actively pushed out into the open sea! We need better rescue services available!

Your comments on reading really resonate with me. I find there are some books, good ones, I read through quickly and learn from. Then there are others, and you can usually know it in just a few minutes, where you're not in a hurry. You dread getting to the last page. Where the words are not just informative, but therapeutic. The gift reading is inspires me in writing. it's a gift.

"isn’t idealism the structural helix of a healthy imagination?" THAT is such a beautiful way of looking at it, and I believe it's true. Thanks for such a beautiful telling of a personal story that demonstrates truth for us all.