(If you are looking for the "House Church Basics" series, please scroll down to the next post.)
George, at WaterCarriers, is questioning whether even meetings themselves are necessary to the Christian life. He asks, "Is it possible to be a believer following Christ daily and not have a regularly scheduled gathering time?"
Before you shower George with scriptures and exhortations, at least hear him out.
I'm not personally wanting a "meetingless Christianity," but I think stretching our presumptions is always a good thing. The bigger question for me is... what must I do to make this about Jesus... really about Jesus... everything I do about living for and with Jesus... rather than about the church or "going to church." If any meeting becomes a substitute for living the Jesus life...
And let's face it (I'm kind of warming up here) how often do Christians feel like they have somehow done the Christian life thing because they have "gone to church" or "gone to their house church." The meeting becomes 95% of what it means to live for Christ. "I went to church, did the religious thing, now I go live my life." Compartmentalized. "I did my church thing so now I can go do the rest-of-my-life thing." Or how many Christians are locked into Christian lives that revolve around the vision of others, the vision of "their church," or the subtle "understanding" of what it means to live Christian lives according to how "we do it" in "our church." In this way we become followers of church rather than followers of Christ.
No, I'm not personally jumping into a "meetingless Christianity" mode for many reasons... but I appreciate the challenge to get un-comparmentalized in my life.. seeking what the Father has for me above my comfortable routines or the plans of others... and maybe focusing even more on the adventure of finding the Father at work in, around, and through me everywhere I go and everywhere I am.
