From January

I started this in January fully intending to post it here.......and then I gave a recital......and then the semester started......but here it is now. :) More to come.....

As someone who is not an active part of a group of believers that meets in an institutional setting, I've wrestled a great deal with the question of what is important about being "inside" or "outside." I think it's very easy for folks in both settings to get caught up in that question. Not only that, but my experience on InterVarsity staff showed me that a lot of time is spent on figuring out the best way to "do church." It's the same now that I meet with folks in other ways. So much emphasis is placed on finding the right model.

But the reality is that if believers aren't connected to Jesus, if we don't know Him and walk with Him as a way of life, it doesn't really matter how we come together; God won't move as He truly wants. And if we ARE walking with Jesus, if we do know Him and spend our days enjoying His love, He will move powerfully among us no matter how we come together--don't take that statement too far :) .

To say that it is a matter of whether we meet in an institutional setting or in homes misses the main issues in the church today. The "right model" doesn't matter if we aren't walking with Jesus. I've recently read a book that gets at the core of this, and I highly recommend it to anyone willing to take the time to read it. Please don't let the title turn you off before you check it out, as it could easily do that. It's called So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore, and it's available here.

The Lord continues to open my eyes to the system of religious obligation that has been at work in me for many years. So often in the past I've been much more concerned with living up to the expectations placed on me than on simply knowing Jesus more each day. I'd be happy to take some time to explain more anyone that wants to hear, and I may do that sometime soon on this blog.

Addendum: Sorry if this post doesn't explain things very well; The God Journey podcast has a great deal to say about some of these ideas if you're interested in learning more. Please know that I'm not on some crusade to say that Sunday morning meetings in church buildings are wrong or that everyone should meet exclusively in homes. The Lord has each of us where where we are for His purpose. And if you find life in Him in a more traditional setting, I praise Him for that! When I mention the "system of religious obligation" above, I'm not referring a type of meeting; that sort of obligation can exist in any environment. What I am referring to is obeying rules and following certain patterns of life in order to manage our own shame and gain a high opinion of ourselves from others, thinking that this is what God wants from His people--that is religious obligation (at least in part).

Yeah.......

It's been a while........I read The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn last month, and I think it's one of the best I've read on the proper biblical use of money. His main point is that our money is God's (Ps. 24:1, Dt. 8:18) and we ought to use it as such. I'm a little foggy since I read it a month ago, but it was very timely. My funding for next fall is a bit up in the air (I found this out while reading the book), and the Lord used the things written here to remind me of how He is in control of those things. I highly recommend the book; Alcorn has one that's a bit more comprehensive that Lisa is reading right now, and I'm guessing that's good, too.

Also, a question I'm pondering: what does it mean to not forsake the gathering of the bretheren (Heb. 10:25)? I suppose the ensuing words help clear that up--"but encouraging one another..." Not meeting together is contrasted with encouraging. So being in the same room with other believers doesn't cut it. And it isn't that we are to simply receive encouragement; we are to be encouraging. So it seems that fulfilling this command involves being around and encouraging other followers of Christ. So, when you are around other believers, do you seek to build them up and encourage them?

I don't think the American model of Christianity always encourages that, at least not in the typical Sunday AM gathering. One brother shares, and the rest sit and listen to what he has to say. That is a good thing, but for the body of Christ to operate as it ought, for the gathering of the brothers and sisters to not be forsaken, everyone needs to encourage each other when we come together. If that never happens, the body does not grow in the proper way.

It's interesting that that question arose for me tonight. I went running the other night (outside!) and was burdened with a desire to pour my life into believers in a more significant way than I do currently. Perhaps the Lord is pushing me harder than I thought. :)

I won't give a specific date, just so I don't break my word, but I hope to post in a more timely fashion next time. The busiest time of the semester has almost passed, so that should make it easier. May His grace and peace fill you with joy.