Meme Sunday

Moving Beyond House Church to Simple Church

For the past few years I've been a big proponent of house church life. I still believe that gathering in homes is a wonderful way to get together. Despite this, I recently realized that I've moved past this being a significant issue for me. I don't really care so much where people meet. I'm much more concerned about why they meet.

According to scripture, Christ's church gathers for the purpose of mutual edification. This can occur just about anywhere. Homes are great places for it. However, so are coffee shops, parks, restaurants, store fronts, lakes, cars, etc. In fact, almost any place that is conducive to conversation is also conducive to edification.

To edify is to build up. To do this mutually requires two-way communication. Thus, free-flowing conversation is a key. While houses allow for this, so do many other locations. Any place where multiple Christians can meet simply is a good place to gather.

One type of location that is not generally effective in bringing about mutual edification is big buildings. These, combined with ceremonies, actually stifle the building up of the body.

In order for the body to grow in Christ, we all must take part in helping one another mature. Since we are all priests to God, we all have the great privilege and responsibility of helping our brothers and sisters move closer to both Christ and Christlikeness. This happens when we all take responsibility for each other. While Christianity is individual in salvation, it is very much communal when it comes to spiritual growth. We grow best together.

This growth happens most effectively in simple gatherings almost any place and any time. My encouragement to you is to be creative when it comes to where you gather with other believers. You have much freedom in this. Meet in homes, but get together in various other locales as well.

The purpose, not the place, is what is important.

Hymns and Simple Church: Not a Simple Fit

In light of how wonderful hymns can be, how do they fit in the simple church? The answer is that it is not simple.

Because of their nature, hymns fit well with a piano and/or organ. The reality is that most folks don't have an organ in their home. Some do have pianos. As in all church families, the music playing is limited to those who have the skill to play the instruments. If someone can play the piano, this makes hymn singing much easier.

Small groups of Christians have, by definition, a limited pool of musical resources upon which to draw. It may be that no one has any musical skill (for example, me).

Of course, no instruments are required for singing any song of any type. Therefore, the possibility of hymn singing should not be discounted out of hand in simple churches. It can be done a cappella.

My encouragement to all churches, simple or not, is to strive for a variety of song types. This responsibility falls on all the people. One person should not be asked/expected to play all the music and select all the songs at every gathering. Frankly, it's not fair to that person to ask them to do that much.

Hymns often require teaching before singing. They are not generally as easy to sing as are most modern choruses. At first, it may seem like work and feel plodding. However, the reward is great.

If you have grown up in relatively large churches, you may have certain expectations as far as hymn singing is concerned. The performance-aspect of singing hymns in the home may at first seem lacking. However, the community side of hymn singing, at least in my opinion, more than makes up for this. I love to watch people's faces up close when they sing deep theology. I take joy in viewing others take joy in Christ in song.

Hymns require some effort. Regardless of how you gather, the effort will be worth it. Select good hymns, sing them repeatedly until they feel natural, and enjoy.

One Good Reason for Women to Remain Silent

In my previous post I offered one good reason for women to speak during church gatherings. In this post I’m offering one good reason for the ladies to keep silent.

The reason: If a woman speaks incorrectly or inappropriately, there is no good method for correcting her.

Let me explain by backing up a bit.

During a gathering of the body, a brother may offer an incorrect teaching, inappropriate rebuke, faulty application, etc. When he does this the other brothers there have the responsibility to lovingly correct him. This should be done in whatever manner is best for the health of the body. It may be publically or privately. Whatever the case, the brothers have the responsibility to take action.

Let’s now turn to the ladies. What happens if a Christian sister offers an incorrect teaching, an inappropriate rebuke, or a faulty application? She must be corrected, but who is going to do it? The other ladies present may very well feel that it is beyond their role to correct their sister in a mixed-gender assembly. The men may not feel comfortable correcting someone else’s wife (if she's married). Ideally, the husband would correct his wife, but what if he does not have the nerve to do it or simply thinks she is correct?

At that point it falls to one of the other brothers to correct his sister. The problem is that this immediately brings up complications. When the brother begins the correction, the husband may very well sense an attack on his wife and rush to her defense. Since one role of the husband is to defend his wife, he may react sharply against his brother even if the brother is attempting to speak lovingly and gently. It is a sort of no-win situation.

If women do not speak in the gathering, then this is never a problem. The men can confront the other men when needed, but the wife-defender issue never comes up. Maybe this is one of the reasons Paul wrote I Corinthians 14:33-35, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”

The application of the above passage is the tricky part. Does this apply to any gathering, an entire body gathering, a time of bible study, or only specifically to the judging of prophets? The debate, as we know, rages on.

To sum up, one good reason for women’s silence in gatherings is that it cuts out the possibility of an ugly scene with brother defending his wife against another brother.

What say you? Again, ladies please join in.

One Good Reason for Women to Speak

One lively and important discussion that flows around in Christian circles is whether or not women should speak during church gatherings. Passages such as I Cor. 12, I Cor. 14:33-35, and I Tim. 2:11-15 among others are critical to this conversation.

It is not my intent here to delve into an exegetical analysis of these key passages.

Rather, in this post I’m simply going to offer one good reason for women to speak during gatherings (in the following post I’ll offer one good reason for women to keep silent). I’m not claiming that this is the only good reason for women to speak, but it is a good one.

The reason: women offer a different perspective than men do.

If we are honest we will all admit that men and women are very different. This is how God made us. These differences were apparent before the fall, thus ensuring that these differences are a good thing. God has designed men and women to complement one another, not to be carbon copies of each other. Frankly, life would be a lot duller if we were all the same.

A great reason for women to speak during church assembles is that they often provide differing perspectives than men do on all sorts of things. This might mean a somewhat different interpretation of a scripture passage. More often than that, it is the application of the passage that is different. Women are usually more nurturing than men, and therefore have important things to say about passages containing the "one anothers."

When I hear a brother in Christ speak I frequently know where he is going with what he’s saying. When a sister speaks, I often have no clue. This does not mean that the ladies are incorrect in what they are saying. Rather, it just means that they see things differently.

This reminds me of I Corinthians 12:14-20. Paul writes, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

The above passage pertains to all of body life, not just gatherings. However, it still seems to have application to gatherings. The sense is that all parts of the body are needed. If women are silent, then only about half the body can speak. I know that if all the women in our small fellowship kept silent it would subtract from the depth of the conversation.

To sum up, women add a different perspective to the gathering than men do. This is because God made us different. These differences add much to the discussion.

What do you think? Ladies, please feel welcomed to add to the discussion.

Awe in the Conversation

“How does a simple church gathering bring about a sense of awe of God?”

I’ve had the above question posed to me in different ways a number of times. Some folks ask it as a sort of objection, while others inquire out of straightforward curiosity. Either way, it is a valid question.

Before answering the question, I’d like to point out that it normally presupposes that some sort of ceremony is needed/is best for creating a sense of awe among the people. If this is assumed, then it is understandable that it would lead to questions and even objections about simple gatherings.

I’d like to suggest that the need for a ceremony is simply a cultural norm. It is what we are generally used to; therefore, we believe it is necessary for creating an atmosphere of seriousness. This is fine for a wedding or funeral, but it is not necessary for church gatherings.

It all comes down to what causes us to stand in awe of God. Must we take part in a crafted ceremony to feel in awe of God? This seems contrived to me. It should be God Himself who brings about this awe. This can certainly occur during a ceremony, but it does not have to.

As followers of Christ, we ought to stand in awe of who God is, what He has done, and what He is doing. In simple church gatherings, we generally hear all these things. Someone offers a teaching from scripture about attributes of God. Someone else might talk about what God did as seen in the bible. My favorite part is usually when someone shares about what God is doing in their lives or someone else’s that they know. When I hear these things, I stand (not literally) in awe of God.

I love hearing from multiple people about how they have seen God act during the previous week. Usually it is in the little things. Occasionally, it is the bigger stuff. Either way, my faith is strengthened through it. My hope is that others are encouraged as I speak. Sometimes we all just sit in silence after someone has spoken of what God has done and is doing.

This sort of gathering finds awe in the conversation. Someone might speak about a passage of scripture from an angle that I have never even considered before. When a light bulb comes on in my brain, the response is usually awe of God and thanks to Him. Someone else might speak about being stuck in a situation where there seems to be no way out (whether it be big, small, or somewhere in between), only to then find God delivering them from it.

As we gather, I’m usually sitting on the floor or on a couch. Literally, then, I’m sitting. Emotionally and spiritually, however, I’m standing. I’m standing in awe of God because of what I’ve heard in the conversation.

This might happen during the week during a phone call, but usually the scene is our larger gathering in somebody’s home. We talk, we listen, and we grow. All the while, we’re in awe of our great God.

Willing to be One Anothered

The multiple "one another" commands that we see throughout the pages of the New Testament provide for us a picture of body life. We do for others, and they do for us. We treat others in a certain manner, and they treat us the same. We care for others, and they care for us.

In talking about the one anothers, most of the focus usually falls on what we should do for others. I suppose this makes sense. However, we also need to realize that we must allow others to do for us. The one anothering is a two way street.

I'm not suggesting that we treat others well because they treat us well. We carry out the one anothers out of joyful obedience to Christ. However, we also need to be willing to accept one anothering from our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we accept their one anothering of us, we do them a service. It provides them with the opportunity to joyfully obey Christ.

These is a sort of reciprocal nature to all this. We all grow up together in Christ as we serve one another. We help others grow by one anothering together. This involves both giving and receiving. If we only focus on the giving, we end up inadvertently hurting both ourselves and others.

One anothering is critical to the life of the church. We all need to be involved in it. When we share with each other in this way, God is honored and we all grow closer to him.

For much more on one anothering, take a look at what Jon is writing about.

An Example To Imitate

"For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." II Thess. 3:7-10

This is one of those passages in the bible that is extremely clear. There is no need for a lot of explanation. We can plainly read what Paul is saying and easily comprehend it.

Paul expects the Thessalonians to work and work hard. While with them, Paul provided an example for them. We can surmise that he spent a good deal of his time making tents. Paul did not want to be a financial burden to the Christians in Thessalonica. Interestingly, he had the right to financial support (as a traveling apostolic worker), but freely gave up this right because it provided them with the example they needed. Paul goes so far that if someone is unwilling to work he better stop eating as well.

Work is a good thing. Anyone in the church who has a capacity to do so should do so. This can be inside or outside the home; regardless, God expects us to be industrious. He expects us to work in order to provide food for ourselves and our dependents. God does not want anyone who can work to be a financial drain upon the church.

Who, then, should the church support financially? Only those who need the help because they cannot work.

I Love This Verse!

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

If we take scripture seriously, then this verse has uber-significant application for various reasons. I'll briefly focus on one. It is not only our joy, but also our responsibility to teach and admonish others and also accept teaching and admonishing from others.

Paul has an expectation of action on our part. We are not to sit back and wait for others to do this, but instead we are to engage in teaching and admonishing the church. Since this letter is written to the entire body (note: not just some), this applies to all Christians. This is a key aspect to the priesthood of all believers.

In order for the church to be healthy, we must live this out.

Elders/Overseers Are Important But Not That Important

In the life of Christ's church it is important that we we keep a biblical perspective on the role of elders/overseers (I'm using these two terms interchangeably in this post). It is far to easy to go to one of two extremes. On the one side, within the institutional framework elders/overseers (usually referred to as "pastors") are treated as far more important than they are. On the other side, many within simple church life act as if elders carry little to no importance at all. Neither of these extremes is biblical.

When we look in scripture, we see that elders/overseers are important but not that important. In other words, they are significant to the life of the church, but in a limited capacity. There are a few passages that speak to the importance of elders. Acts 20 and I Peter 5 are examples of these.

The reality is, however, that there are few passages that deal with elders/overseers. When compared to the amount of information directed to the church as a whole, the total written to/about elders and overseers is very small. For example, many of the NT letters do not even mention elders/overseers. If they were extremely important to the life of the church, then more attention would be given to them.

Where can we find a proper perspective on the importance of elders/overseers? Paul helps us with this in his opening to the church in Philippi. He writes the following:

"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons." Philippians 1:1

In the very first verse of this epistle we see Paul's perspective on the relative importance of elders/overseers. Paul mentions them, but they have only secondary importance. As with most of Paul's other letters, he addresses the entire church in the city. His intent is for the application to be to all the saints. When Paul uses the word "saints," he is referring to all the saved within Philippi. Notice that Paul does not view the elders/overseers as more saintly than anyone else.

Paul sees the elders/overseers as being with the church. They are a part of the body. They are not above the body, but with the body. They are not outsiders, but rather a component of the church family.

We must note, however, that Paul does take the time to mention the overseers specifically. He would not do this if they did not have an important role to play. While they are less important than the church as a whole, their role is nonetheless significant. It is to be exercised within the body life of the entire church.

This one little verse helps us understand and keep a biblical perspective on the relative importance that elders/overseers play within the body. The challenge to all of us is to hold this perspective.

Acts 20:7 and the First Day of the Week

“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.” Acts 20:7 

The context of the above familiar verse is Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul and his companions have arrived in Troas, where they stayed for seven days. 

In 20:7-12 we read about a gathering of the church in Troas. We’re told that they came together on the first day of the week (Sunday). The gathering was for the purpose of sharing the Lord’s Supper meal together. During this occasion, Paul talked with them for quite a while.

What we see here is a church coming together to eat together. Paul was in town, and they wanted to spend a lot of time with him. They ate, talked, ate, and talked. Eventually someone fell asleep, fell, died, and was raised. That makes for quite a memorable evening together no doubt. I love the fact that after the miracle, they went back to doing what they were doing before: eating and conversing.

Here’s what struck me as I read through this passage today: there is no indication that the church in Troas made a normal pattern of getting together on Sundays. All Luke tells us is that on this one occasion they assembled on a Sunday. It could just have easily been a Tuesday or Friday. However, as Paul was going to be departing soon, they wanted to get together as a body to eat and talk. Sunday happened to be the day. 

Luke describes for us what occurred on a particular day in Troas. There is not even a hint that this is a pattern that they followed or that we should have to follow. We’ve all heard it said that we should get together as the church on Sundays because that’s what the early church did. I’m not convinced. Additionally, since we’re no longer bound by the O. T. Sabbath (Jesus is our Sabbath), there is no reason to make Sunday into one.

We are free to gather when we want and whenever we want. No one day is any holier than any other. The reality is that due to job schedules, Sundays are normally the easiest day to gather with church families (this is what we normally do). However, we don’t have to.

What we can learn from Acts 20:7 is that it is good to gather together to eat and talk. We see in other passages that this should happen for mutual edification. However, it does not matter at all on what day or days this occurs.

Sunday is just another day. All days are holy in Christ.

Assemble whenever and wherever, but by all means do assemble.

Topics of Interest (at Least for Me)

I've mentioned several times (probably too many) that I'm working a lot these days. This, by the way, is far superior to being unemployed.

Due to the work, my blogging time has decreased. Therefore, I'm planning to narrow down the focus of this blog. As in the icon to the left, I'm going to be writing primarily about four things that are topics of interest at least for me:

1. Simple Church / House Church/ Organic Church Positives

I realize that I write about this quite a bit already. However, my plan is to focus more on the positives of whatever we call this sort of church life. I hope you see a smaller percentage of posts targeting negatives of institutional church; this may occur from time to time, but the percentage will be dropping.

2. The Priesthood of All Believers

This often misunderstood doctrine of the faith is critical to a healthy church. The more I ponder the reality of our priesthood, the more stunned and awestruck I am by it. Of course, this is only possible because of our great High Priest - Christ himself.

3. The Atonement of Christ

This is probably my favorite doctrine of them all. The High Priest offers himself as the once for all sacrifice for us. It's so wonderful that it's almost unbelievable.

4. World Missions

This should need no explanation. What a privilege to be Christ's ambassadors!


I hope this streamlining of focus will make for a better blog and more interesting discussions. While blogging frequency will be less than in the past, maybe the quality will rise.

Fascinating Quote from Billy Graham

I don't normally take my beliefs about the church from Billy Graham, but he said something in 1965 that I find fascinating. According to Graham,

"Multitudes of Christians within the church are moving toward the point where they may reject the institution that we call the church. They are beginning to turn to more simplified forms of worship. They are hungry for a personal and vital experience with Jesus Christ. They want a heartwarming personal faith. Unless the church quickly recovers its authoritative Biblical message, we may witness the spectacle of millions of Christians going outside the institutional church to find spiritual food."

Thanks to Frank Viola for digging up this quote.

Why?

Question: if you choose to gather with the church in a manner that differs significantly from what is described in scripture, why do you do so?

I've written quite a bit about what I think on this issue; now I'd like to hear more from you. My purpose in this question is not to bash anyone, to tell anyone that they are sinning, or even to win an argument. Rather, I'd just like to know the reasons and discuss them.

In the past I had one reason for gathering in ways that we don't see in the bible: tradition. I even worked as a salaried pastor for a few years, embracing all sorts of things we don't see in scripture.

As for things that differ significantly from what we read in the bible, I'm not talking about stuff beyond our control such as where we live. For example, you don't need to move to Ephesus or Corinth to attempt to be biblical. I'm referring to what happens when Christians come together, how it happens, who's involved, and why it occurs.

So, what do you think?

Out in Left Field

With spring approaching, that means baseball will be starting soon. This reminds me of the phrase “out in left field.” These words refer to being outside the norm in some area of thought or action.

Well, when it comes to church practice, I’m out in left field. Way out in left field. In fact, I’m on the warning track near the fence.

Recently I was thinking about the general Roman Catholic expression of the church. I also pondered the general Protestant expression of church. Then there’s where our family is when it comes to the church. The startling thing is this: when it comes to practice, the Roman Catholic and Protestant expressions have much more in common with one another than either does with me. To keep the baseball analogy going, if Rome is at home plate, and Protestantism is at the pitcher’s mound, then I’m practically beyond left field in the bullpen on the other side of the wall (I apologize if you are not familiar with baseball terminology; I still struggle with cricket even though I’d like to understand it).

Our family frequently feels this “left fieldness” when talking with other believers. When we speak of Jesus, we are all on the same page. This is wonderful. However, when we begin to talk about Jesus’ church, things often get a little uncomfortable. I’m not referring to arguments, but rather a lack of understanding.

I suppose this is the price we pay to follow Christ as the church he designed. Not only are we far outside of Rome, but we are far outside Wittenberg and Geneva as well.

My encouragement to you is that left field, while lonesome at times, is a wonderful place to be. There are others there as well. You may have to look to find them, but they are present. At the same time, let us continue to fellowship with our brothers and sisters who remain in Wittenberg, Geneva, and even Rome.

What I'm For

I desperately do not want this blog to be a litany of things I’m against when it comes to the church. Rather, I hope it is more of a description of what I’m for. In light of that, I’ve compiled below 25 things I’m for when it comes to Christ’s church. This list is in no particular order, but describes what I believe the church both can and should be.

I’m for:

1. A Church that honors the Triune God in all aspects of life

2. A Church that cherishes Jesus Christ above all things

3. A Church of equal laity with Christ as the one and only Head

4. A Church that follows the lead of the Holy Spirit in all things

5. A Church that is most notable for its love

6. A Church that is united in Christ

7. A Church that knows that it is saved through the gospel of grace alone through faith alone

8. A Church that easily forgives when wronged

9. A Church that sacrificially takes care of the needy and suffering both inside and outside the church

10. A Church that unashamedly proclaims the truth of the gospel in an understandable way

11. A Church that sees each Christian as a brother or sister and each non-Christian as a potential brother or sister

12. A Church that lets nothing hinder the taking of the gospel to the ends of the earth and works with all Christians everywhere to make this happen

13. A Church that accepts suffering as a part of the Christian life

14. A Church that gives liberally and generously but not out of compulsion

15. A Church that spends the vast majority of its giving on others

16. A Church that clings to scriptural truth in all aspects of life

17. A Church that views itself as a people as opposed to an institution

18. A Church that stuns broader society by its good works

19. A Church that dies for others

20. A Church that seeks justice for the wrongly treated in this world

21. A Church that is composed of peacemakers

22. A Church that exhibits personal holiness and self-control

23. A Church that gathers simply, striving to follow the biblical model

24. A Church that assembles for the purpose of mutual edification

25. A Church that embraces each member as a key component of the body

Why Infant Baptism is Not an Issue in Simple Church

Jesus Christ gave baptism to his church as a wonderful celebration. He designed it to be an outward act of obedience by believers to show the world and the church that they are in Christ.

Quite sadly, baptism has become a source of great division within Christ's church. Multiple denominations exist as a result of baptism alone. Throughout history, scores of Christians have killed and been killed over this issue. What Jesus meant for beauty has often been reduced to pain.

I'm happy that this is not the case in the simple church. Although my experience is somewhat limited, I'm thrilled that baptism is a source of unity and joy rather than pain and division within house church life.

One of the primary reasons for this is that infant baptism is not an issue in simple church. Only believers are baptized (I realize that exceptions may exist; I'm speaking about the general rule). Why is this?

The reason is simple. It comes down to method of scriptural interpretation. The method is one of following what the bible commands, teaches, and models for us about church life. The bible shows us churches that meet simply in homes for mutual edification. The bible also only shows us believers being baptized.

Christians who are attracted to house church life are also convicted to follow biblical baptism practices. This results from consistency in biblical interpretation (it is certainly possible that some parents within simple church will desire to baptize their infants. If this occurs, my hope is that the local body they are a part of can remain united while finding a way through this disagreement).

In general, infant baptism is not an issue. This allows us to rejoice in baptism without there being any angst about it. For this I am very thankful.

How Big Is Too Big?

Church size is an interesting issue. We’ve had some good discussions about this previously on this blog. I’d like to revisit the issue because of a real-life situation my church family finds itself in.

Last week we had 39 people at our church gathering. That’s a lot of folks to fit in a living room. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone, but I wonder if we’ve gotten too big. In fact, one of my good friends brought up the very issue as we met. We’ve decided to pray about it and not make any hasty decisions. However, we’ve sort of been avoiding the issue for some time. That’s not to say that we have to or even need to multiply/divide/split in some way; rather, we simply haven’t really talked about it.

This question, of course, immediately leads us to scripture and forces us to ask why we even meet in the first place. Ideally, Christians get together throughout the week so that the Sunday gathering is not the epicenter of church life. Despite this, with work schedules being what they are the reality is that the Sunday gathering is very special. That said, why do we meet?

Biblically speaking, followers of Christ normally gather to honor God through mutual edification. This is not to say that every gathering must be for this purpose. Rather, this ought to be the norm.

We’re all familiar with Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” I believe the most significant aspect of these verses is that they tie together the assembling with meeting for the purpose of edification.

In order for edification of all by all to take place, everyone must feel free to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. This usually involves at least talking to others. In fact, edification almost always involves speaking of some type (along with other things).

A body of believers should, therefore, be a size that is conducive to people talking with one another. If the group is too large for this to happen, then “Houston, we have a problem.”

Last week as we gathered, I noticed times of freedom in speech. I also noticed times when only some seemed comfortable talking. Not surprisingly, the differences depended on the structure of what was happening. When we were all sitting together sharing with one another as a full body, the group just felt too big for everyone to share. In fact, although we had solid participation, many of the folks didn’t say anything at all. However, when we were all just hanging out in smaller groups (ranging in size from roughly 2 – 8), everyone appeared comfortable talking.

Our group’s size has also reduced the number of homes we can gather in. For example, our family simply cannot host anymore on Sundays. Because of my current work schedule (65 hrs. per week), it is very difficult to have anyone over during the week. Therefore, we aren’t really hosting anyone right now. I wish that could be different. As for Sundays, only a few families are now able to host; this puts an unfair burden on them.

Have we as a body reached the point of being too big? I’m still not sure. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this issue. Additionally, I’d appreciate hearing about if you have gone through a church division (in the good sense), how it happened, and what the result was.

Two Good Posts

Worth reading:

Felicity Dale - How Are Simple/Organic Churches Financing Mission?

Milt Rodriguez - 10 Myths About Organic Church - Part 8

Tired but Gathering for Joy

Like many of you, I'm tired from working this week. I'm tempted to stay home and rest this morning, which I do on some Sundays. However, I also want to meet with my church family.

Our church usually gets together on Sundays because this is the day that is easiest on the schedules. We will occasionally see one another during the week, but since we don't all live close together it is almost impossible for everyone to be there.

My point in this short post is this: I'm going because I want to not because I feel I have to.

There is a big difference between those two motivations. We should not get together with other Christians because guilt drives us to do so. God's not angry with us if we stay at home some of the time. Instead, we have the privilege of gathering with brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a joy to do so.

My hope for you is that you are in a situation where you want to spend time with other believers. I'm guessing that you are likely going to meet with them today. What drives you to do so? Is it joy or is it guilt? Regardless of the form or length of your gathering, I hope it is joy you are seeking.