Questioning Denominational Identity

I grew up in a fellowship that considered itself non-denominational. That was the ideal anyway. We wanted to simply be Christians, and not identify ourselves as anything but. Unfortunately, this sort of morphed over the years into a certain pride about our non-denominational status. We kind of went from being just Christians to being the only Christians. Our fellowship became very sectarian and exclusive.

This is ironic on several levels. I mean, how do you become prideful about your denomination if you are claiming you aren't one?

In spite of these problems, I am still drawn to the nondenominational ideal. I suppose some level of corporate organization in the church is inevitable, but whenever that organization starts to become the core of our identity I get nervous. Which is why I feel so strongly about this next pair of ideas:

Christocentric vs. denominational

All this really means is I think we need to stop putting our faith in the "rightness" of our human organizations and put our faith in Jesus. Though I will always be influenced by the particular Christian heritage of which I am a part, I don't want that heritage to define me or the fellowship of which I am currently a part. I'd simply like to, as best I can, be a follower of Jesus.

I realize that this is heretical talk to some. From about the third century on, the church has assumed, on one level or another, that it had the authority to redefine itself, and to manage its membership in accordance with a narrow spectrum of doctrinal beliefs. The proliferation of Christian denominations that exist today has its origin in the assumption that "my church is just a little more right than your church."

This makes me wonder: When did the church become "mine?" And where does the Bible give us the authority to segment and divide the church just so we can work and worship exclusively with people who believe exactly as we do? And why do Christians waste so much time insisting that if others were truly being faithful to Jesus they would believe "just as I do?"

It strikes me that a great many of our differences could be successfully accommodated if only we could remain focused on the core principle that Jesus is Lord.