There is a good discussion going on over at Eleven started by Kyle and provoked by Sam (I think Sam provoked the whole thing from the start). It's about "Church" - it's relevance to our lives personally. Here's the comment I posted (but the other comments are better than mine - check it out!)
Sometimes, in discussions like this it seems like we are trying to determine whether church is necessary or not for one to be a Christian. I believe we can not "escape" the church if we are a Christ follower. It is something Jesus is building and nothing will stop Him from building that church.
Sometimes it seems like people think I've given up on church but I never have. It's just important to me to try to deconstruct our modern idea of church - it's not very close to original version, in my opinion.
It's interesting to me that Jesus never called his followers "Christians"; Christians didn't even first call themselves Christians; the "world" first called us Christians. Christ folowers were originally called just that - Christ's followers or disciples; later the Followers of The Way. A follower denotes movement and BEING; something we are actively doing and pusuing. Now - today - we call ourselves Christians and name our churches but don't focus much on what it means to be a Christ follower.
I fully believe Jesus didn't come to start a new religion called Christianity. He camed to call people to follow Him. Those followers ARE his church. When I think of church in these terms it is impossible for me to think of church as something I go to. I'm not saying we shouldn't go to meetings or worship or fellowship. If we a following Jesus we will worship together, pray together, work together - aren't there about 30 "one anothers" in the New Testament part of the Bible that indicate what our life together will be like - what we are - what we are doing?And the first Christians did "meet" from house to house and in the temple. So there are meetings whether in houses or in buildings.
What Sam or Kyle or whoever started all this is trying to put out on the table concerns "why" of "going to church" and the "what" is the church - not the "whether" we should go to church.
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2 comments:
Thank you for that clarification. You tagged my brain right on.
Hey Chel gave me your address here. Cool.
I went to a service last Sat. evening at New Hope.It was really different. I liked it. It made me think about why I dislike regular chruch so much. I am not sure what I think yet, but I am going to go back on Sat. evening and try it out again. Maybe I can revisit my questions after Sunday cuz I am going to a service at Salem Community Church in the morning. Mark Daniel is speaking. I have heard him before. He is very funny and powerful. (I love funny)...powerful is good too. Sometimes I wonder if we are missing the point when we are, "in church." Also I feel like I know a lot less now than I used to know....but in a kinda good way. I haven't been anywhere for a long time. I guess I miss it.
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