Churchless Christian

The Inner Circle (2 or 3 People) by Neil Cole

The beginning of every family starts here at this size. The Bible often elevates a group of two or three to significance. Both the Old and New Testaments mention the phrase "two or three." It is interesting that at least 10 times “two or three” is suggested as an ideal size at which to conduct ministry. The Bible does not say “two or more” or “ three or less” but always “two or three." Perhaps it is good to have some flexibility without too many options. There are several reasons why this may be the ideal size for effective fellowship and ministry that will penetrate the rest of the church and ultimately the kingdom of God:

*Community is stronger with two or three (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12).

*Leadership is stronger with two or three (1 Corinthians 14:29).

read the rest of the article here http://www.cmaresources.org/articles/thenetworking_ofgroups.asp

Sam's highlight at Parachute, creating a deeper commitment to eat every pizza in sight.

John Eldridge in his book "Wild at Heart" www.ransomedheart.com mentions that the reason that the Promise Keepers small groups don't work is that it's all about guys sitting around doing nothing but talk. Now that may be okay for the girls but guys dont sit with there mates and share there feelings they do 'stuff'. They build something, they go to the cricket, they hunt for pigs and while they do it they share life and hearts truths.
For myself I think this is so true.
For House Church I think many of us have got stuck into the trap of just doing the sitting around thing which becomes stale and one dimensional and actually often becomes very unintimate. Because we are small we are flexible and can do anything quite easily compared to larger church models and we should!
This weekend a House Church in Glenfield have gone down as an entire group to set up tents together at Parachute Music Festival. They are going to work together, drive together, eat together, sleep together(not that way!. And because they are doing stuff together they will be much stronger as a church together http://websites.parachutemusic.com/festival/2007/
We need to stop being boring and get out and do different stuff, as we live life together church happens.
PHOTO IS OF A GATHERING CAMPING AT PARACHUTE 05

Okay I have been slacking with the blog this week. I reckon its the humidity, too hot to think straight. I was going through Spaghetti Junction heading back to the shore when I saw that the digital temtreture gauge on one of the buildings was saying 29 degrees celsuis and us in a car without air conditioning and even the fan broken.

I have been rejected this long weekend (Auckland Aniversery Weekend). Kim and Sam have gone to Parachute Music Festival in Hamilton. They are expecting over thirty thousand to turn up and camp. headline acts are Third Day and Joyce Meyer. Kim reckoned it was around 30 degrees celsius at the venue.

Alex has also rejected me and is doing an 11 hour hike up Mt Pirongia and back with his best mate Danny. Hopefully they have reached the top as I write this and are camping with a great view.

My mate Isaac has stuck by me and is enjoying McDonalds, lollies, DVD;s, Playstation in unlimited quantities!
PARACHUTE

MT PIRONGIA

Kim has not been well over the last three weeks or so and it has been incrediably humbling to see peoples care and support for us at this time. People have been popping around, making dinner, helping pay some of the medical bills, praying etc etc. It is so touching and we just want to say thanks to all you guys out there for careing.

Even though Kim is under a health cloud she is still preparing to gear up to head to parachute music festival on friday with sam. She is planning to pump the neurophene in and party hard!

We (well Kim and the kids, I was busy doing the dishes) went to the top of the road last night (about 10pm) and caught the Comet McNaught. Kim said it was incrediably clear and surprisingly big especially the tail.

When we started doing church in a more organic way, a common accusation that was 'hinted' at was that we were in heresy.  Heresy being that we were doing something different from the status quo.

It is interesting to note that often when Christians start thinking, questioning and wrestling with things the word heresy is instantly thrown in.  The sad thing is that if the church has in the past succeded in not letting people think, question, wrestle or wonder it was called 'The Dark Ages'. 

A very well written article on the point I'm making is in todays herald.  In some ways I totally agree with the writer and at the same time I totally disagree with him.  Read more here
There's Heresy Afoot in the Christianity Debate by Michael Hewat  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/466/story.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10419216

A Cadenza is the part in Classical Music where the Orchestra stops playing, leaving the soloist to improvise alone without instruction before the orchestra reenters the piece (just like a Jazz Soloist does today). Basically composers such as Mozart used Cadenza's to allow them selves Artistic License and also to adjust the performance depending on who they were playing to.

However in Modern times the focus in Classical Music has not been originality but on perfection through exactness and sameness. For over 100 years practically no inspiration has been allowed into classical music. Wikipedia says “ Nowadays, very few performers improvise their Cadenzas, and very few composers have written concertos or vocal pieces in the last 100 years that include the possibility of an improvised Cadenza”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadenza

I was watching Billy Conolly (the comedian) on TV1 last week. He joked that the instant a person became a born again Christian they must rush off to K Mart and buy new clothes because for some reason all Born Again Christians look the same. Though his joke is a sweeping generalisation, as in all jokes there is always a kernel of truth to it. The outward desire for conformity that the rest of the world notices is only an outward manifestation of us as Christians trying to conform in every area of our faith. But is this really what Christ has turned us into a new creation for?

Have we as Christians also forgotten what it is to be a truly new Creation, an original creation, the one that broke the mold?

The reality is that as Christians we have been so shaped by our Christian culture through learning to fit into Church Culture (whether we do House Church or Normal Church), being taught to read the Bible a certain way, reading all the self help books in the Christian Book shop etc etc that without realizing, we try and aspire to be clones of what others are, and yet we lose sight of that divine spark that Christ places in each of us.

The way we have faith in Christ is going to be different, the way we work it all out is going to be different because Christ has designed us differently. Jesus is not into monochrome.

In 2007 don't accept a paint by numbers faith but dare to live in God's Cadenza. Be creative, improvise and play the instrument God has given you with a risky attitude, don't accept the status quo and don't try to be like every Christian you know.

Well the water tanks are nice and full which is great but depressing since its meant to be the height of Summer. Sam (our Eldest) is camping with the Holtons up at Whangateau. We went up yesterday and had an awesome time, but I notice they are now issueing heavy rain warnings for the area so am expecting a knock on the door tonight!
Heres some pics of Sunday when it was hot and we barbied

I have noticed that Zondervan (the big multi national corporate that publishes the NIV Bible etc etc) has listed this blog in its top five of house church resource sites in the world and top blog. You can go to www.zondervan.com to sign up.
The funny thing is that for years I have talked about Zondervan as the Microsoft of the Christian world. Why does a Non Christian multi national publish the biggest selling version of the Bible and all the extra add ons. Does that not seem a tad wrong and creepy? But hey I love them now

House Churches Are More Satisfying to Attenders Than Are Conventional Churches by George Barna http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrowPreview&BarnaUpdateID=255 Okay so I was pointed to it by the latest article on house church at www.tallskinnykiwi.com I'm slacking but it is the summer holidays

Air New Zealand has apologised after the airline screened a version of The Queen that bleeped out all references to God. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10418270

We had a family gathering on Sunday. We had real coffee, fresh lemon muffins and talked about loving one another. Was awesome, each of us, prayed for one other person, and we each committed to show thoughtfulness to someone else outside the family this week and share about it when we are next together.

I have written several times about my concern for Palestinian Christians and how they have been forgottern by Western Christians as they focus strongly on Israel and the Jewish people. As Brother Andrew (of Open Doors) points out in his recent book where once Palestinian Christians were a large segment of the population, there numbers are now plummeting. Sadly this is happening across the region.

Middle Eastern Christians are fleeing their biblical birthplace in greater numbers, searching -- mainly in the West -- for safety, freedom of religion and brighter economic or educational opportunities for their families.

"Unless something drastic happens in the next few years, there is the possibility for the end of Christianity in general in the Holy Land," says Leila Sansour, who directs Open Bethlehem, which promotes the city's biblical heritage. "The churches will become museums that Franciscan monks will only open for tourists."

If those churches "cannot maintain a Christian presence in the Holy Land," she says, "it is a huge failure." read the rest of this article here http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/middleeastreports/s_485626.html

I finally got around to buying a diary for 07 today as part of my grand strategy to overhaul my life in the New Year. I want to overhaul my body in eating better and heading back to the gym, also overhaul the trust as well (Its 2 and a half years old now and due for a shake up. Also how I approach my personal faith and the outworking of it is going to get a shake up. Basically I am going to kick some but, 99% of it my own.

Took the Whanau up to North head this afternoon as it was such a buetiful day and then down to Cheltnem beach where I alone had a swim, fabulous. The first real summer day which is depressing as we are half way in to the hot spell.