Are you a Non-Traditionalist or a Traditionalist? Part 2

In Part 1, Rick shared that he knows he is a non-traditionalist and he agrees that Robin is very much the opposite. Robin is a traditionalist, she sang in a choir for 13 years and she does not like to rock the boat. Rick is the Adam to Robin’s Eve. God created them perfectly different. 

Rick says if the crowd is running one way, he tends to run the other way but with Robin, if the crowd is going one way, she intentionally goes with the crowd. For example when she has worked for executives, she will find out how her boss works and then adjust and conform to their way of doing things to create a good working relationship.

She does the same in churches. Each church has its own personality and language. They speak a specific way based on their culture, their pastor, or focus. So, Robin quietly observes them to learn what a church is about. Then intentionally conforms in order to communicate with them just like Paul who said he tried to be everything for everyone so that he might win some. She doesn’t see the need to push against the crowd in certain matters that might offend. 

Robin explains that for 13 years, God lead her to attend a church of a particular denomination that would not have been her first choice because she didn’t necessarily believe everything they believed. Over the years when certain beliefs were spoken that she didn’t believe, she didn’t speak up to offer her opinion especially on matters that were debatable amongst many believers of differing denominations. When God places you somewhere, you simply need to love the people you are around.

Robin’s favorite place to attend church was on a navy military base in Japan. All the Protestants had to lay down their differing beliefs and stick to the ones they all believed in like the Trinity, and the greatest commandment to love God with all your heart and soul and love others as yourself. In order for the group of believers to survive and support one another they focused on the basics. It was simple and perfect and she hated to return to the USA with all its denominational divisions.

Robin shares one final belief about all the churches and denominations of the world. All are run by sinful people so no church is perfect. Some churches might claim they have it all together but she believes each church has at least one thing wrong about it. If you go to any church, in time you will find that one thing. You can focus on what is wrong about a church or decided to focus on what is right about a church instead. Many look at mega-churches and instead of highlighting all the good they are doing, they gleefully say, “I found it, I found that one thing,” and then they proceed to magnify the church’s or pastor’s error to minimize its influence. 

Many people base their belief on a church or pastor based on something they were told instead of listening to the pastor or attending the church. One time Robin was listening to a popular highly-criticized preacher and God told her to let go of all the negative prejudices she had previously heard about him because she had never listened to him before. God told her to listen to what he was saying and that God was using him to touch people. 

One thing Robin admires about Rick is that he feels compelled to come in and defend a criticized pastor because he or she is not there to defend themself. Having been a pastor and in ministry for many years, Rick knows first hand how difficult a job it is to lead God’s people and he provides a pastor’s point of view to many things that go on in a church.

The strength of Rick’s non-traditional spirit gives him more boldness to speak out and shake things up on matters that need attention. Robin’s strength as a traditionalist is to not rock the boat in order to keep the peace in the crowd so it will be more receptive to hear and address a matter. Both are good and useful traits in God's kingdom.