Life is peculiar. Ditz, down with the lurgy, curled up with the cat & the t.v & a hot lemon drink while Dearest & I went to church. Liddy was at the morning service on the mainland ~& she didn't think much of the sermon.I worry about us sometimes ~ all of us, not just me. Normal just doesn't fit us very well ~ & that applies to church too. Not all of that is our fault, though we did choose to live here. Here there was either the Anglican service once a month or the Catholic sung mass every Sunday & while I love a sung mass I am not Catholic & part company very early on on theological grounds. For a while we traveled to the nearest Presbyterian church ~ with 4 small children. Not fun. For a while we went nowhere. For a while it was hit & miss depending on how well I kept track of which Sunday the Anglican service was on. Then there was the non~denom church & that worked really well for a long time. It met every week & had to accommodate the Christians of every denomination who wished to gather for worship. Leaving was hard but some things just can't be tolerated. There is just no excuse. Back to travelling ~ or not travelling. Being all too human I would groan in spirit at the thought of having to catch yet another boat, roll over & go back to sleep. On the positive I could go to meeting ~ if I could remember which week the local meeting met, otherwise into town I have to go! The local meeting is small & very liberal ~ which is a problem for conservative little me. I know ~ conservative but not normal. How strange can you get?
Round & round until our friends also parted company with the non~denom church & we fellowshipped together. And very nice it has been too, just the 6 of us. Now God is graciously growing us & I am just awed at what is going on because this is not rocket science, people. There's nothing the least fancy about what we do. Indeed it can be a little muddy & waffly. There is no *ministry* as such but...we have made it very clear this is a *body* & as such everyone has gifts that should be exercised. Christ is the head & depending on where we meet depends on who leads the worship & the style of worship. As the head of his house the man of that house leads. It has worked very well. It allows everyone to feel included. It allows everyone to offer hospitality & to serve their fellow believers. It allows for everyone to feel they are important, can have their say, have things their way occasionally. lol. I have always been big on people knowing their scriptures & being able to check any teaching themselves so we encourage self monitoring but not a critical spirit. What a fine line to walk!
Music isn't the best. We usually listen to a couple of songs on cd because only Ditz can sing. I use that time for meditation & am often reluctant to emerge. We read through & then discuss a chapter of the bible ~ so in a sense more like a bible study than a worship service. We keep the children with us. We pray ~ whoever feels like it ~ & then we eat. Often it is the host's mammoth task to move the bible discussers to the table & conversation revolves around the scriptures while we eat. I've never experienced a church fellowship where this has happened so regularly & consistently.
This week we were at one of our new member's home. What a treat! They live almost directly opposite us across the water. We can see each others homes from our verandahs. His living room has doors that slide right back so the whole room is open to the verandah & outside! It was spectacular. We were a very small group. It being that time of the year people are away but the time was profitable, getting to know each other's spiritual journey & needs a bit better.
As we were leaving, & we are always the first to leave because of Dearest's back, our hostess said these times have really helped her to grow, get back into her bible, really enjoy the scriptures again & the genuine fellowship! Not the first time I've had similar comments made but it made me think. Regular church creates artificial fellowship because most of the congregation probably only comes together once or twice a week [& so do we] but have no opportunity to really get to know each other while our group grew out of an established friendship & now friends bringing friends. It seems to have changed the whole dynamics. I just can't believe the whole thing. Everyone is contributing. Everyone feels safe to ask questions, give answers, contribute to the discussion. Everyone is very respectful of each other. I keep thinking this must be very like how the first churches operated.
I am treading very gently, breathing lightly. I am terrified something will happen & blow the wonderful thing we have right out of the water. I have watched with distress our last church disintegrate & am all too aware we are all fallible human beings & fallible human beings do stupid & damaging things when others are supposed to know we are Christians by our love ~ & love is a verb ~ with actions.
2 comments:
I found this post to be inspiring. I would LOVE to attend your church. Sounds to me like you put Christ just where He belongs. I thank my God for people who love Him as you do. I know the Lord will bless you. However, the enemy is never far behind waiting like a lion... I will pray your church continues on the right path and many are brought to the saving knowlege of Christ.
Ganeida, Are you thinking of moving somewhere near us in the foreseeable future? :/
Your church sounds absolutely delighful and delight-filled.
Have a great week,
Blessings,
Jillian
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