Updates from September, 2011 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Mark 8:44 am on September 15, 2011 Permalink | Reply  

    Where You Meet Matters 

    Sometimes it is the obvious thing that remains so hard to see.

    Lately I’ve been struck by the context in which the Christians in the First Century gathered to experience the Life and Community of Christ.  I’ve also been struck by the truth that the context of the New Testament is miles apart from the context we Twenty-First Century Westerners experience the Christian life.  

    For example:

    • Early Christians were persecuted and killed by the government, we are privileged by government.
    • Early Christians met huddled in homes, around a table; we meet in buildings that rival huge coliseums and event centers.
    • Early Christians made the “one-anothers” a central element to their faith, their gatherings and their relationships; we struggle to adapt the 54 “one-anothers” into a typical Sunday worship gathering.
    If we want the New Testament to be most applicable to our lives, we should assume the context of the New Testament!Over the past 6 years, as my wife and I have experienced the Christian life through the “house church” context – we’ve seen passages of scripture come to life that we never quite understood before.  Let me give you a quick example.  Read 1 Cor 11:7ff – Paul is talking about the Lord’s Supper, chastising the Corinthian Christians for causing division in the house church gatherings between the rich and poor members – the rich came early and brought all the nicest foods and wines – getting drunk, sick… while the poor showed up with nothing to eat, coming in after a long day’s work.  If this isn’t a problematic potluck, I don’t know what is!  

    There is just so much more sense that is made in this passage when the church meets in the home.  In fact, most English translations get the last phrase wrong – and it has troubled many Christians’ interpretation of the Lord’s Supper for years.  Paul warns (in the English translations anyway) that some people who incorrectly take the Lord’s Supper will get drunk, sick…and some have even… “died”– that word died has caused the fear of many that if we don’t have the right mind when we take the wafer and grape juice shot glass, that we’ll be struck dead.   Looking at the Greek however, the word is “fall asleep” not “die” – and while that can be a euphemism, think about it logically – when you eat and drink too much, you get sick and you fall asleep.  It just makes sense.  And it makes the most sense in a household context.  

    Think about the teachings of Jesus on reconciliation with a brother in Christ, Mt. 6 and Mt. 18.  Think about each time that Paul communicates to the elders and deacons in the Pastoral Epistles.  In every case they are meeting in a network of house churches!  

    I’m no patternist, I don’t believe in legalistically recreating First Century culture.  But if we want to live out the kind of life that Jesus invites us to – we can’t just pick and choose what that life is!  It is a matter of becoming family, living like family, acting like family – God’s Family.  Jesus invited his disciples to a Table.  The early Christians invited their seeking friends to their Table.

    In the End, we will all gather in the New Jerusalem around the banquet Table of God.

    Table Fellowship is Christian Fellowship.

    Share
     

    • Rusty Wimberly 2:43 pm on September 15, 2011 Permalink

      I’ve wrestled with this subject over the past 3 years now and most people still don’t get it. I fully agree, the form follows function. The place we gather will most often determine what happens when we gather. With house church being a great forum for “one anothers” it seems to be challenging for other things such as preaching, teaching, outreach and extended times of gifted ministry. The building setting could be more conducive for teaching, evangelism and community outreach…maybe? The bottom line in our culture is some people are not going to feel comfortable coming to a strangers house. All in all, we all need to be reminded that church is not defined by the building but in order to actually follow the Lord in discipleship we need to do it in community. 

    • Mark W 11:57 am on September 17, 2011 Permalink

      Rusty — good thoughts! We are finding that having a mix of “regularly scheduled events” both in and out of homes helps new guests feel welcome, AND it keeps the focus off “event” but places faith back into “all of life” where it should be. The book AND by Halter/Smay has been very helpful. Have you read it?

    • Mark W 11:57 am on September 17, 2011 Permalink

      Rusty — good thoughts! We are finding that having a mix of “regularly scheduled events” both in and out of homes helps new guests feel welcome, AND it keeps the focus off “event” but places faith back into “all of life” where it should be. The book AND by Halter/Smay has been very helpful. Have you read it?

    • Website Hosting 6:57 am on January 19, 2012 Permalink

      Really interesting thought and interesting post..

  • Mark 11:30 am on September 4, 2011 Permalink | Reply  

    If You Want Spiritual Maturity, then Start a Spiritual Community! 

    Take a look through the Christianity section of any bookstore, look at conferences and organizations like Renovare and Promise Keepers; books, Bibles, podcasts,  and so much more – it seems that in the last decade the shift in the Christian West has moved unarguably toward “maturity in Christ.” Col 1:28 Following Jesus is no longer (truly, was it ever?) just about “fire insurance” – playing nice enough in the “sandbox of life” that you are given the green light to enter heaven when you die.  No, discipleship was never that transactional in Jesus’ eyes.

    The pathway to maturity is a “Way” that ends in intimacy and identifying with God – to become “little Christs” as Martin Luther put it.  But if this is true, then why do so many Christians seem to be slogging through the same demons of immaturity that they were struggling with a decade ago?  In my opinion, its because we’ve forgotten the context and mission in which Jesus calls his disciples: community development.

    Yes, I know “community development” has its own connotations in our culture today – but think about it for a minute:

    What was Jesus Christ’s only investment here on earth? 

    He had no assets, no heirs or lineage to pass on, he had no books (his only written words were in SAND!) (John 8:6), founded no new political party…

    Jesus’ only investment on earth was community…

    Investing-in-community-development is the “Way” Jesus calls us to…

    …Which brings us to maturity.

    Much like parenting that can act as a “turb0-charge” for an individual’s maturity — (no longer does your money go to yourself alone, but now you are primarily focused on the thriving of a young child and the whole family!) — Similarly, when you begin to plant little faith communities, organic churches…even little MICROs, you will find much of the New Testament making more practical sense.  All of a sudden, you’ll find yourself depending on the words of Jesus in listening prayer, (not just coming to him with a list of self-centered requests), and you’ll see the basic mission Jesus commissioned us to begin to orient every part of your life.  ”Go into all the world and make disciples…”

    Yes – if you want maturity, then start a community.  

    Nothing should be more basic to Christian discipleship than this — so why does some leaders in the American Church resist their members from branching out and starting something new?

    Share
     

    • traviskolder 3:37 am on September 5, 2011 Permalink

      Absolutely.  You will grow in ways you never thought possible.  I have a book on my Amazon.com wishlist called “Spiritual Formation As If The Church Mattered.” Unfortunately I’ve been to busy with my church to actually have time to read it!  But community does call us away from even “the spiritual self,” and that is incredibly healthy for us.  Isn’t it amazing that we have a whole list of spiritual disciplines designed for individuals but almost no corporate spiritual disciplines?  I think you hit the nail on the head Mark.  Great to see a new post. Keep it up.

    • Mark W 3:29 pm on September 5, 2011 Permalink

      Travis — Great point! it is almost astounding to me that today’s Church has such a lack of awareness on Jesus’ strategy of discipleship. It is as if we believe that Jesus left us alone to write the manual on discipleship ourselves! But truly, when he said, “Go and make disciples” he immediately reminded us that “he would be with us always” — like a mentor in the process of disciple-making. So in terms of disciple-making, we can pray the perennial question, “What would Jesus do?” and then look at scriptures like Luke 10, Matthew 9, and so many more to see “What Jesus Actually DID!” But what would you suppose are some of the “corporate disciplines” you mentioned in your comment?

  • Mark 9:33 am on May 12, 2011 Permalink | Reply  

    Table Questions 

    One of my favorite habits we have in our house church is “Table Questions.”

    It isn’t anything super formal.  We gather in the evening time each week, and begin by sharing a meal.  We share, laugh, pass the potatoes, and catch up on each other’s lives and missions.  It feels like a family reunion of sorts.

    And then, before finishing up our meal and moving on to a time of prayer and worship, someone shares a specific question at the table that helps guide the conversation into a time of discovery, worship and common reflection.

    Table Questions are something you can do in your missional communities, house churches, small groups, or simply your family’s dinner each evening.  It is reminiscent of Jewish practices, where a question is asked at table and there is dialogue and learning – both for the children and adults.  This is where family learning happens!

    The table is a place of safety, a place of unity, a place for partaking in food and each other.

    To be honest, Table Questions, not carefully thought through before asking them, can lead to disaster.  Allow the potentially divisive question to wait for another time - Table Questions draws people out, it doesn’t recoil them into hiding.  It offers a simple starting place for each person to contribute no matter their faith maturity or intelligence, which will help them find their voice later in the evening as you all share in a “worship potluck” (1 Cor 14:26).

    Pass around the responsibility of Table Questions to new leaders in your community.  Give lots of people the chance of fascilitating meaningful conversation.  Even non-believers in your gatherings can lead this!  It gives all a sense of ownership, and helps the group cultivate new leaders for new churches not-yet-planted around other kitchen tables!

    How to ask a Table Question that leads to life:

    • Understandable. Think about the specific words to use.  Say the question once, and say it succinctly.  Make it easy to understand, and folks will be happy to answer.
    • Perspectives. Ask questions that point not to hard truths, but to one’s experience.  For example, don’t ask a question starting with, “Is it right to…” but instead, try, “When have you ever experienced…”
    • Value-Driven. Draw on questions that might lead to values your community holds.  For instance, ask, “What does love look like in your life?”
    • Collaborative Questions. Avoid trial matters.  Avoid doctrinal matters.  Avoid political positions.  Again, these things can wait for another time, perhaps later in the evening, or at another gathering all-together.  The aim here is to cultivate collaboration, not competition.
    • Have Fun. Give people opportunities to tell their own story.  Ask them to share favorite memories, challenging circumstances, and more from their own life.  Keep a playful spirit about you.  And always give people the chance to ‘pass.’

    Great ways to start a Table Question:

    • “When have you ever…”
    • “How might we…”
    • “In your experience, what does ______ look like?”
    • “If you could say one thing to someone else in the room that would build them up, what would you say?”

    The table is a sacred space for humans.  It is where our LORD waits for us – a great banquet table.  I am sure there will be many questions asked at that table (mostly, us asking God all those BIG questions we have for him…), imagine your Table Questions as an echo to that banquet feast coming soon in Heaven!

    Share
     

← Older posts

c
compose new post
j
next post/next comment
k
previous post/previous comment
r
reply
e
edit
o
show/hide comments
t
go to top
l
go to login
h
show/hide help
esc
cancel