House Church Talk - Re: Yet another newspaper article...

[Glenn Frank]

Hi Jeff,

I think it is great that you question if this is really a good thing or
not... The move from big corporate church organizations to small groups or
individuals who gather as they can. Let me explain my reasons for thinking
that this is a GOOD thing.

Fist, moving to a more open and less programmatic form does not negate the
need for unity or even for gathering. Hebrews 10 reminds us that we still
need to gather, and we are constantly shown throughout the NT that we NEED
each other and the variety of gifts we each have... Otherwise we are body
parts separated... Waiting to die.

But beyond this person to person connection, there is a sense too that we
should PRIMARILY be plugged into the vine (as in Jesus' description in John
15... Plugged into Him the vine, the Father is the gardener... We are the
branches. This is the real unity we need. Not some
easy-to-spot-on-the-street-corner facility that we call 'a church' but
rather a fluid, changing and living body that is connected by relationship
and led by Jesus himself.

Maybe we as the church should look more like the wind described by Jesus in
John 3:8 -- where you see the Spirit working but there is no 501c3
organization, group, leader or building to attribute it too.

What did Jesus say? "...So it is with EVERYONE born of the Spirit."

Note this is not JUST talking about the Spirit of God. It is speaking of the
Spirit of God living INSIDE OF THOSE BORN OF THE SPIRIT... (I believe He is
speaking of the Church -- made up of individuals -- itself).

To be sure, not having an "organized" church has the potential to breed
strange doctrine, but I find it comforting to see that Paul was not
concerned about this...

1 Corinthians 11:18 - 19
"In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there
are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there
have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval."

He seems to be saying that there will be divisions and differences... But
these are the indicators. They are part of the fruit, by which we can
recognize true believers and tell them apart from those who are pretending.

It is also interesting to note that most of the big heresies of the church
were doctrines promoted inside of large organized churches with doctrinal
statements and the like -- groups with a leader bent on leading.

In smaller groups of people who are not interested in forming an
organization, believers simply seeking the truth and unity will balance each
other and bring insights and wisdom to one another. I actually think this is
'safer' from an adherence to doctrine than a cookie-cutter statement of
faith that most people in the 'church organization' could not explain or
defend anyway!

I guess the biggest part of understanding this is that you can't "leave the
church". You ARE the church. You can't leave the true church. But you can
stop attending an organization that calls itself a church.


I find no violence done to the Gospel or to the Body of Christ by
dismantling the machinery of "Christian organizations". In fact, I tend to
think that if we were more like the underground churches of China, we might
be closer to what we need to be anyway. Think of it... If we had the
flexibility and agility of the 'underground church', but had it in a free
society where we can have a bigger personal impact on our culture than they
can, because they have to be more careful about being "found out". And yet,
they probably influence their society more than we do!


Glenn F.



On 11/16/04 6:37 PM, "RoyalHeirling at aol.com" <RoyalHeirling at aol.com> wrote:

> I have to admit that this is not the most comforting of news.
> 
> With people leaving the churches to worship at home as families--is this
> organic, or are we seeing the ultimate division of the body into the least
> common 
> denomination. (A play on words). This way, every person can believe however
> they choose. Religion personalized. And, they are accountable to themselves
> only. No duty to a church body.
> 
> It used to be that when people in a church couldn't agree they would split in
> half. Now we are splintering into families. This cannot be totally the
> churches' fault. 
> 
> I am truly sorry if I am unable to see justification in why many people leave
> their church families. I can't find any examples of people leaving their
> church family by choice in the scripture. I read about a lot of them that were
> cast out for preaching Jesus and I know about a time in the 1800's when many
> were 
> thrown out for preaching about Jesus' second coming. Even Martin Luther, the
> great reformation leader, was stunned to be excommunicated from the church he
> loved. 
> 
> Please help me understand why this is happening? Is it healthy for the body
> to be disjointed? Can the body function when the members are separated from
> each other? Can it rightly be called a body when parts are missing? Perhaps a
> severed piece of flesh, but a body? I can understand home churches in a
> country 
> such as China where open worship is forbidden. And, I even know about
> corruption in the IC. But I don't understand "just leaving."
> 
> I am confused and not sure this is all of God, since God is all about unity
> and not division, and organization not confusion. Please set me straight,
> gently...
> 
> Jeff Logan in Richmond
> 
> *****************************************************************
> [God¹s] heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even
> by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that
> perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear,
> for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the
> universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is
> too small for Him to notice.
> *****************************************************************
> 
> 
>

        ------- <><><> -------