Quote:
Originally Posted by RollingStone
...if you talk to anybody about being a christian one of the first things they want to know is what group you belong to. This is one reason why I liked the LC as the concept was we were the no name group in theory.
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Yes, the theory was attractive. No name. But in reality, as soon as we opened our mouths, other names came out.
Let me give you an example. In 1997 the push from Headquarters was for a presence on the burgeoning internet. So templates were given to each "local church" to create a website. Each website had tabs for the history of that local church, testimonies, what we believe, etc.
At the masthead each website read, "The church in ..........." "Lovers of Jesus affiliated with the ministries of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee."
So right off the bat they had 3 names: Jesus, Watchman Nee, and Witness Lee.
Then, of course, you got the Blendeds, Dong Yu Lan, Titus Chu etc.
Then you got "Living Stream Ministry", "The Lord's Move to Europe", "Continuing Steadfastly", "Bibles for America", "Christians on Campus", "Defense and Confirmation Project", "Affirmation and Critique" etc etc.
The idea of no names is good. I like it, as well. But in our christian practice it seems that we can hardly get through a sentence without some new name popping up, and insinuating itself into the discussion.
And even if we could somehow drop all names but Jesus, it still doesn't indicate that all the local assemblies should be "absolutely identical".
No, Paul put it well: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore and do not be entangled again with the yoke of slavery". Christ sets us free from sin and death and fear and shame, and it seems hardly a week passes before we are again entangled in regulations and stipulations and traditions and subordinate clauses.