Church
As I mentioned before (I think), I'm reading a book called Organic Church, which calls for a remake of how church is done in America. It's an interesting read, especially since I current attend a home church, while my best friend is currently attending seminary to pastor a "standard" church. Anyway, I'm just sorting through some thoughts, so you get to hear my ramblings...
I'm through 3 chapters. First of all, the general attitude I'm getting is that "regular" church, as America understands, *can't* work, which I think is a little bit of an exagerration, although it definitely needs a shot in the arm. That being said, a lot of the indictments towards regular church seem to correspond with my experiences. I liked a line on pg 41 which states, "She has joined the thousands of others who find Sunday church service to be an isolated and lonely experience." This corresponds very well to me, although some of it is my personality. I think one of the big keys to church, in a big or small setting, is to make it personal and interactive. It's real easy, at least for me, to do the "church" thing with very little actual fellowship or personal accountability. You can worship, raise your hands, honestly praise Him, and yet not get a lot out of the service of lasting value. The quote before Chapter 1 is about dreamed God-sized dreams of making the world different--and that's been my experience with smaller house churches. Everyone is involved, you are "forced" to interact and contribute, as it's expected. At my current place, periodically people get called out for not contributing/sharing enough (not always in a personal way, but more like "regular members need to make sure they are sharing"). When that happens, God comes down in tremendous ways. It seems easier to expect big things from God in smaller settings of truly devoted believers than in a group of 150 people, many of whom are only nominally Christian. But, in some sense, I think the current American church doesn't even know they can expect bigger things from God--things you can *only* consider miraculous. What's the best way to show them? I don't know...
One quote from someone in the persecuted church in China (given at the home church I currently attend): As leaders of the underground church, they want the persecution to continue. Because if church because tolerable, you get people who aren't 100%, totally, even-if-it-kills-me committed. You get, in his (the guy from China) words, the American church.
Thoughts?
I'm through 3 chapters. First of all, the general attitude I'm getting is that "regular" church, as America understands, *can't* work, which I think is a little bit of an exagerration, although it definitely needs a shot in the arm. That being said, a lot of the indictments towards regular church seem to correspond with my experiences. I liked a line on pg 41 which states, "She has joined the thousands of others who find Sunday church service to be an isolated and lonely experience." This corresponds very well to me, although some of it is my personality. I think one of the big keys to church, in a big or small setting, is to make it personal and interactive. It's real easy, at least for me, to do the "church" thing with very little actual fellowship or personal accountability. You can worship, raise your hands, honestly praise Him, and yet not get a lot out of the service of lasting value. The quote before Chapter 1 is about dreamed God-sized dreams of making the world different--and that's been my experience with smaller house churches. Everyone is involved, you are "forced" to interact and contribute, as it's expected. At my current place, periodically people get called out for not contributing/sharing enough (not always in a personal way, but more like "regular members need to make sure they are sharing"). When that happens, God comes down in tremendous ways. It seems easier to expect big things from God in smaller settings of truly devoted believers than in a group of 150 people, many of whom are only nominally Christian. But, in some sense, I think the current American church doesn't even know they can expect bigger things from God--things you can *only* consider miraculous. What's the best way to show them? I don't know...
One quote from someone in the persecuted church in China (given at the home church I currently attend): As leaders of the underground church, they want the persecution to continue. Because if church because tolerable, you get people who aren't 100%, totally, even-if-it-kills-me committed. You get, in his (the guy from China) words, the American church.
Thoughts?
posted by spocktongue at 11:55 AM
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