Below is some pix of a weekly ritual that we have been doing for nearly three years now. On Friday night we set the table with our best, we light candles and sit down to eat a fabulous meal (the best of the week) with a couple of wines. As we eat this meal we share the about spiritual things. At the moment we are talking about spiritual experiences. I shared about spiritual things I have experienced in my life and each week one of us including our three boys will share about spiritual things that have happened in their life. We don’t do this as a set devotional but as we actually eat and drink, and with plenty of dialogue between us. After our meal we often do a family activity together. Tonight we travelled down to Devonport and caught the ferry to the city and had a Danish ice-cream before catching the ferry back. The whole family loves this gathering and it is the centre of our family life. All our boys kick up a fuss if we don’t do it and are the first to ask about spiritual matters. Strong families make strong churches. If we can’t gather together as a family and be the church together, what is the point going along to a church service or even a house church expecting for it to raise our kids and make us a better family. That’s nuts!
* Church begins with family (what ever your family make up is)
Strong Families make strong churches (not the other way around)
* The Parent is primarily responsible to raise there child in God not the gathering (service).
(excuse the red eye!)
-
- http://www.alexandercampbell.blogspot.com
- 25/06/2005 @ 03:44:47
-
- http://www.homechurch.org.nz
- 04/07/2005 @ 22:22:53
Hi Alexander
Sorry I have not replyed sooner. Yes I have had the same thing said to me. What I say is that when I talk about family I mean a far broader and flexible term then the nuclear family. A better word might be the greek 'Oikos' meaning household. This could mean a group of friends or flatmates, a multi generational family, solo Mothers etc. One of the big changes in youth cultures is the incrediably tight groups of friends that form now often because the 'home' has become so dysfunctional and broken that the friends have become the family. The TV programme 'Friends' is a good example. Imagine that apartment of people being the 'church' in there apartment block, Awesome!
PS I will post this and then read your blog!


Totally with you on this Philip. One immediate comeback I often get after saying something similar is 'what about single people?' how would you answer that one?