House Church Talk - Organism vs. Organization

[David Anderson]

>Hi Claire,
>
>You wrote:"I have sadly seen organisms transition into organizations.  
>Usually it is because a "leader" has shown up to exploit and manage what God 
>has created.  Or men seek to reproduce or expand what God has done with the 
>idea that it is possible to reverse engineer God's creation to learn his 
>methodology."
>
>Dear Sister, members in the body oif Christ who once functioned as healthy 
>body members may be conscripted or coerced to join and support an 
>organization, but that is NOT "an organizm transitioning itno an 
>organization"!

    Hi all, Claire and Bruce,

This process, if I understand aright, occurs only as the divine mandates 
of church life are trampled over. Instead of a house of brotherhood, a 
split-level house gets constructed - complete with those upstairs who 
lord it over and essentially silence the rest.

Consider how this gradual process is wiping out the mainline 
denominations of America, which are losing millions of members each year. 
The one to which I used to belong, the Presbyterian Church, USA, has 
spend the last 2 decades arguing over the issue of "ordaining gays in the 
 ministry." In fact, that one issue has dominated their largest 
leadership gatherings. The people in the pews are exhausted and want to 
move on, but no....

Instead of employing the "several speak and the others judge principle" 
the guy from seminary is completely free to inculcate his dubious 
doctrines, totally confident that no one will interrupt his "message." In 
other words, the built in arrangement of checks and balances became 
neutralized.

It is not my belief that everyone in the denominations of America is 
disconnected from God. My point is that the denominational system is one 
which has no warrant from Him.

Form really does determine function.

      David Anderson

We had a real good meeting in Bristol, yesterday. More than thirty. A 
good meeting is one with lots of interaction. Actually, we're just a 
small house church. Don't be discouraged no matter how small yours is. 
Just be faithful to HIM.