As I sat with these brothers and sisters, sharing, eating and worshiping with them, words cannot express the emotions going on inside of my soul. It was all so spontaneous, yet felt so right! Even though I was the invited guest speaker, I was the one who was blessed beyond measure. In those few minutes shared with a handful of Cuban brothers, my life was forever changed. I saw in that gathering of believers something I had longed for my whole life. I now understood better than ever before, what the church was supposed to be. Wasn't this what the church looked like in the Book of Acts? Finally, I was able to see in living color what the writings I had been reading looked like! I knew in my heart this was what we must strive to recapture in our own church planting in Ecuador.
<idle musing>
Yep! As I've said before, once you've experienced real church, it is hard to go back to the pew and watch performances by the few up front.
</idle musing>
2 comments:
Could find a place to post a comment on Guy's blog - I must be dense, sleep deprived or some combination of the two...
For me, an area of concern with home churches would be the quality of theology taught and practiced. Due to a interpersonal conflict that was since been resolved my wife and I went "Sunday School Shopping" at our church recently. I was appalled at the rudimentary theology being presented and discussed. We ended up back at the class we had originally left. Even this class is moving in a more experience-sharing direction which is resulting is some really shoddy thinking. Let's face it, Paul experienced this very thing himself. My hope is that periodic use of guest speakers and quality videos will keep us grounded. I suppose the use of guest speakers implicit in Guy's description of the home church in Cuba serves the same function.
Scott,
That is why there are traveling "supervisors" if you will. Note that Guy says he makes the rounds to the various churches, as did Paul.
And, don't think that bad theology is unique to house churches. As you relate, it is everywhere :(
James
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