Here is one of the pups again, nosing around under the table looking for "crumbs that fall from the master's table." I wonder if the other silent subscribers are like me---kind of intimidated by the amazing amount of bible knowledge and the command of the language shown by those who post. Even those who post in english as their second language! Hope you don't mind our cold puppy noses and the occasional paw print on your pant legs.

Our family had determined to return to our neighborhood church two weeks ago. It didn't happen. It became apparent that we weren't just enjoying a vacation in homechurch--- we had come across a better way of celebrating the Lord's day. If Sunday is a day set aside for praising and worshipping Jesus Christ then the purest form of worship we can partake in is at home with no other distractions. When we thought we were going to attend the IC again it was impossible to NOT start planning logistics: Sunday school and/or worship service? Early or late? Nursery for the toddler? Dress clothes for seven? Where can we sit where the kids can hear and see w/o bothering other people? And THEN I finally get the chance to read "What's Wrong with the Gospel" by Keith Green that one of you good people had made available on this list. Gulp. How embarrassing! And how ironic that with all of the WWJD marketing going around that the church is such an odd caricature of what God must have intended. What Would Jesus Do?

Fortunately, Mike was having the same train of thought. Although he missed the company of several at the church, he felt that it was more valuable to spend our Sunday mornings as a family with Christ as our only concern.

About that same time, the post about Helen and Warren and Vijay in India came to haunt me. It is stunning! Read it again: "Some of the thoughts shared during fellowship time with Helen and Warren are as follows: 1.Without a continual exercise of humility it is not possible to serve one another. 2.If we offend our brothers/sisters we offend God. 3.Learn to receive help from others. 4.A knowledge and understanding of scripture is necessary to build one another, but our success in experiencing the Body of Life in our HC's depends upon the measure of Divine Love practiced. God needs men (and women) today in HC's. What kind of men? Men who are so rooted and grounded in humility that neither human praise nor their spiritual growth, neither a divinely ordained ministry will make them to lose awareness of their being less than the least of all saints. Men who are so deeply secured in the love of the Divine Father that they are not after seeking the honor and glory of men. Men and women who have received the revelation about church as the Body of Christ gathering in simple NT ways - and are willing to give all their energies, time, talent and money to build that Body. Your brother Vijay"

That is so simple, and yet so different from our church experience! Mike and I were so susceptible to human praise and the power of "serving" in a ministry, that it didn't take much to distract our eyes off of Jesus. Not blaming anyone else---but there WERE times when we thought Satan was enjoying our church misery waaaaay too much!

And then there was the post from Peter who introduced his family of clergy to homechurch over the holiday. We are in the opposite boat: we are the only believers on either side of our families and as such are viewed as a curiousity. We have invited and brought various relations with us to church over the last couple of years. We were REALLY nervous about explaining to our families about homechurch---worried that they would think our "religious kick" had run its course and that we were washing our hands of it. Praise God that we were wrong again! There was actual understanding of our desire to concentrate entirely on Christ and to forego the organized system. It is SO much easier to share Christ than to share Christ-and-the-church-with-all-of-its flaws to unbelievers!

One last thing....we agree that there is good in the church and that there are followers of Jesus therein. We also know that there is good in 4-H and that there are followers of Jesus therein. (We are a big 4-H family.) Let me share an example with you: Our oldest daughter, Miki, had attended church camp each summer for the last three years. She always had fun but didn't grow spiritually. There wasn't even much emphasis on study or growth. Lots of fun with other christian kids though. Well, this last year she went to 4-H camp instead. She is involved in the Leadership Project and wants to train to be a camp counselor which is an opportunity they offer. So she goes. Has a really tough week being amongst a rowdy group of wild-n-crazy kids (she is homeschooled and not super outgoing). HOWEVER, she had the strength in Christ to quietly witness to the other girls in her cabin. She explained to the girls that cussed how they were using God's name in anger. She kept up her bible study each day and answered questions as they were asked. One girl asked to read what she was reading that day - she hadn't read the bible at all before. Even the counselor was curious what made Miki "different." One the day I came to bring her home we both cried and hugged each other like we couldn't let go. It was hard on both of us to be separated from each other and we knew from her letters home that it was a tough experience. To God's glory, all of her cabinmates didn't want to let go of her and her counselor confided in me that she didn't know how she would have made it through the week without Miki. On the long ride home Miki was tearful but so happy as she explained that she felt like she had "finally done something for the Lord." She finally had a chance to apply some of that stuff she had been learning in Sunday school and Awanas. Praise God. He is good!

If there is a common thread to my post, it is a heartfelt thankyou to all of you for sharing your strengths and admitting your weaknesses. It has been a blessing.

Sincerely,
Jan