Sunday, November 22, 2009
House Churches: Something to Consider
Tweet
The duly-respected and much-venerated, not to mention well-traveled and extremely-attractive Tall Skinny Kiwi has a couple of short posts trying to show that house churches are alive, well, and growing across the Christian West.
The first simply states that we should not ignore house churches, because there are tens of thousands across Europe and Australia. In addition, somewhere between 6 and 12 million people in America attend house churches.
The second offers six different types of house churches, per Wolfgang Simpson.
A couple of quick thoughts: 1) It's cool to see that Xianity in the "West" isn't totally dying, but is just growing in uncharted and unusual ways. IMO, house churches are really interesting and exciting.
2) I have been a part of a small group that now has a bit of a track record (more than 2 years for the Emergent Cohort now!!). I wonder if I should consider myself part of a "house church"?? Would I be in the first category, that of an "off the grid," the "God-yes-church-no" crowd?
Regardless, it is tough to answer the question people often ask when they find out I am a Christian: "Where do you go to church?" Well, I go all sorts of different places: coffee shops, parks, friends' homes, sometimes my own kitchen.
In all honestly, I sometimes wish for an easier answer that will "count" for my due responsibility of church attendance. I usually end up responding with something like, "Some friends and I kinda hang out and talk about God and stuff." Then I can see it in the face of the person to whom I am talking, "That's not really church."
But maybe it is? Or should be?
The duly-respected and much-venerated, not to mention well-traveled and extremely-attractive Tall Skinny Kiwi has a couple of short posts trying to show that house churches are alive, well, and growing across the Christian West.
The first simply states that we should not ignore house churches, because there are tens of thousands across Europe and Australia. In addition, somewhere between 6 and 12 million people in America attend house churches.
The second offers six different types of house churches, per Wolfgang Simpson.A couple of quick thoughts: 1) It's cool to see that Xianity in the "West" isn't totally dying, but is just growing in uncharted and unusual ways. IMO, house churches are really interesting and exciting.
2) I have been a part of a small group that now has a bit of a track record (more than 2 years for the Emergent Cohort now!!). I wonder if I should consider myself part of a "house church"?? Would I be in the first category, that of an "off the grid," the "God-yes-church-no" crowd?
Regardless, it is tough to answer the question people often ask when they find out I am a Christian: "Where do you go to church?" Well, I go all sorts of different places: coffee shops, parks, friends' homes, sometimes my own kitchen.
In all honestly, I sometimes wish for an easier answer that will "count" for my due responsibility of church attendance. I usually end up responding with something like, "Some friends and I kinda hang out and talk about God and stuff." Then I can see it in the face of the person to whom I am talking, "That's not really church."
But maybe it is? Or should be?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Have you guys made any kind of commitment to each other beyond the bounds of friendship?
No Jason, we actually have nothing formal or official written. We basically gather around the draw to "emergent" and the hopes of finding another way to follow Jesus more faithfully than what we have experienced in our past.
I would say our experience goes beyond friendship in that we are all trying to live like Christ and we realize that obviously goes beyond just being friends, but we do not write down or solidify any creed or commitment so as not to force anyone from the outside to feel like they must conform to our standard. It's still very much an "open" gathering -
Who knows where it will go from here....
I've enjoyed following the progression and growth of underground vineyard - blessings.
You've articulated the "beyond just friendship" dynamic well. That's pretty much what I imagined but I was curious to see if you guys had pushed it further.
Personally, I think anytime "two or more" are gathered around Christ it qualifies as the Church, so I would affirm your participation there as being "church." Lots of folks would disagree with me, obviously, but I don't subscribe to bounded definitions of church.
Here's where I might challenge you a bit: is such a loose association of affinity (even deep affinity for Christ) the best way to be formed into Christ's image? Maybe it is, I honestly don't know for sure, but at this point I'm inclined to mimic the high-level of commitment (covenant really) exhibited by Christ's merry little band - not in order to meet some minimum qualification for being a true church, but for finding the best means of spiritual formation. I don't think the commitment has to be written down, but it probably should be clearly and publicly articulated - like any other vow. Just my two cents : )
Thanks for the encouragement by the way.
Post a Comment