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So in my last post I criticized the "church" as we know it in America. I dislike the organization we have turned it into. I dislike the corporateness of it. I dislike the specatorship that it has become. I dislike the idolatry we at times participate in as we worship a building, a program or the pastor. Ok, you know where I stand on all this.
So here are my thoughts on what "church" should be.
My wife and I and our three boys recently moved to Honduras. Shortly after we arrived we started what we refer to as a fellowship group in our home. We missed having Christians around us to encourage us and with whom we could share life. This wasn't the first group we had started. Over the years we have been part of several.
This is what I realized. Real "Church" should be family. The Bible refers often to the "family of God". I don't know about you, but when my family gets together, we don't have a board meeting, or form a committee. When one of us in in need, or in the hospital, or leaving the area, we don't make a phone call and see who is next on the list to take a meal or check the deacons fund to see how much money is available in the account. No, we pitch in and help, we do whatever is needed. Why? Because we are family. Bottom line.
So back to this home group here in Honduras. Why is it different than a church service? Does it even qualify in Biblical terms as a church?
Let me answer the first question first. We meet in our house, or an other's. We share a meal together. We laugh and talk and catch up with each other. Eventually we gather around and we share our week, the ups and downs. We study the Bible. Usually the men take turns each week as we study through one of the books. This gives everyone an opportunity to grow in being able to accurately teach the Word. Then we have a short discussion time. If we feel something was presented inaccurately we talk about it, or share how this has impacted our lives. We sing, we take communion together and then we pray. We pray for each other, we praise God, we bring our needs before the throne. From start to finish we're together 3 - 4 hours and we enjoy every minute of it. It's like a family get together
Question 2. What I just described is, I believe far more Biblical than anything you'll experience in a typical church service. Why? Because it is life. It is family and it is community.
You may ask, "What about structure, bishops, pastors and elders and deacons?" Let's follow this family thing for a bit. If your father is a good father, even though you are an adult now, do you still ask him for advice. If he came to you and was concerned you were taking a wrong road, would you listen to him? Do you have older men in your life who you respect and who have insight into life and you trust them enough to desire their input on decisions? I do. That's the way I see church. It's elders who have enough living and enough God given giftedness to be able to lead the "family" through tough times. Sometimes there is someone who takes charge of an event or a need. You know, a coordinator, like who is going to bring what for dinner or whose turn it is to take Grammy to the doctor. That's ok, that's family too.
What about gifts and calling? Well, I'm a pastor. Not by education or as a job description, but by calling. A pastor, or more literally, a shepherd, is one who watches and cares for a flock. That is what shepherds do. Part of what I do in our home group is I watch out for those who are in our family. It comes naturally, it is a God given gift or calling. I don't have to work at it. It's what I do. I recently had a young person call me and ask what I thought they should do in a life situation they found themselves in. I talked it through with them, but in the end I left that decision up to them. There was no right or wrong, just two choices. The important thing is that this person knew that I cared enough about them to take the time to talk and they trusted me as a shepherd.
We add people to our family all the time. But here's the thing. We aren't trying to build up an organization. I feel absolutely no pressure to try to get people to join. I am free to tell them about Jesus without inviting them to church...although sometimes we invite them to dinner. We don't take up an offering. Wait, correction. We have taken an offering once when one of our "family" was really in need. But there's no light bill to be paid, no staff, no pastor, no rent.
For me, it works. Our time together is the highpoint of my week. It seems to be for everyone else too.
What's your opinion?
So here are my thoughts on what "church" should be.
My wife and I and our three boys recently moved to Honduras. Shortly after we arrived we started what we refer to as a fellowship group in our home. We missed having Christians around us to encourage us and with whom we could share life. This wasn't the first group we had started. Over the years we have been part of several.
This is what I realized. Real "Church" should be family. The Bible refers often to the "family of God". I don't know about you, but when my family gets together, we don't have a board meeting, or form a committee. When one of us in in need, or in the hospital, or leaving the area, we don't make a phone call and see who is next on the list to take a meal or check the deacons fund to see how much money is available in the account. No, we pitch in and help, we do whatever is needed. Why? Because we are family. Bottom line.
So back to this home group here in Honduras. Why is it different than a church service? Does it even qualify in Biblical terms as a church?
Let me answer the first question first. We meet in our house, or an other's. We share a meal together. We laugh and talk and catch up with each other. Eventually we gather around and we share our week, the ups and downs. We study the Bible. Usually the men take turns each week as we study through one of the books. This gives everyone an opportunity to grow in being able to accurately teach the Word. Then we have a short discussion time. If we feel something was presented inaccurately we talk about it, or share how this has impacted our lives. We sing, we take communion together and then we pray. We pray for each other, we praise God, we bring our needs before the throne. From start to finish we're together 3 - 4 hours and we enjoy every minute of it. It's like a family get together
Question 2. What I just described is, I believe far more Biblical than anything you'll experience in a typical church service. Why? Because it is life. It is family and it is community.
You may ask, "What about structure, bishops, pastors and elders and deacons?" Let's follow this family thing for a bit. If your father is a good father, even though you are an adult now, do you still ask him for advice. If he came to you and was concerned you were taking a wrong road, would you listen to him? Do you have older men in your life who you respect and who have insight into life and you trust them enough to desire their input on decisions? I do. That's the way I see church. It's elders who have enough living and enough God given giftedness to be able to lead the "family" through tough times. Sometimes there is someone who takes charge of an event or a need. You know, a coordinator, like who is going to bring what for dinner or whose turn it is to take Grammy to the doctor. That's ok, that's family too.
What about gifts and calling? Well, I'm a pastor. Not by education or as a job description, but by calling. A pastor, or more literally, a shepherd, is one who watches and cares for a flock. That is what shepherds do. Part of what I do in our home group is I watch out for those who are in our family. It comes naturally, it is a God given gift or calling. I don't have to work at it. It's what I do. I recently had a young person call me and ask what I thought they should do in a life situation they found themselves in. I talked it through with them, but in the end I left that decision up to them. There was no right or wrong, just two choices. The important thing is that this person knew that I cared enough about them to take the time to talk and they trusted me as a shepherd.
We add people to our family all the time. But here's the thing. We aren't trying to build up an organization. I feel absolutely no pressure to try to get people to join. I am free to tell them about Jesus without inviting them to church...although sometimes we invite them to dinner. We don't take up an offering. Wait, correction. We have taken an offering once when one of our "family" was really in need. But there's no light bill to be paid, no staff, no pastor, no rent.
For me, it works. Our time together is the highpoint of my week. It seems to be for everyone else too.
What's your opinion?
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