By Lawn Griffiths, Tribune, April 30, 2005 Henry Staggs handed out a hodgepodge of Bibles — of various translations — and instructed everyone to find 1 Peter 1:13. The five well-behaved children sitting on the floor in the middle of the room were preoccupied with petting Jezebel, a poodle-schnauzer mix. Yet they took Bibles and opened them on the floor.
Eighteen people — eight adults and 10 children — had squeezed into what was once a small bedroom for a Sunday afternoon of "house church." Each in the tight circle took turns reading a verse until the 13 verses of the Bible had been read. That children occasionally struggled with words was part of the faith adventure.
Everyone, including a 6-month-old girl, was affirmed as part of Living Hope Christian Fellowship, gathered in the condominium of Henry and Cindy Staggs in Mesa. During the two hours, no sermon was given, no offering plate passed. No organ or piano played, and no four-part choir sang. Missing were hymnals, stained-glass windows or roomy pews.
But no one was a stranger.
Todd Spence strummed his guitar as the group sang such popular songs as "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High." A discussion focused on the Bible passage, and everyone held hands in a circle for a closing prayer. Then the group moved to the dining room for a "full meal communion" in the tradition of the Last Supper. Their hearty conversations cemented friendships.
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