75—WS #1
My name is Tom; this is Simple Church Minute.
In a style that mimic’s Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, which he used to point the church back to orthodox belief, German writer Wolfgang Simson has written what he called “Fifteen Theses towards a Re-Incarnation of Church”.
Simson’s Thesis #1 is “Christianity is a way of life, not a series of religious meetings.” On this idea, Simson wrote in his book, “Houses That Change the World,”
"Before they were called Christians, followers of Christ were called ‘The Way’. One of the reasons was that they had literally found the way to live. The nature of church is not reflected in a constant series of religious meetings led by professional clergy in holy places specially reserved to experience Jesus. Rather, it is the prophetic way followers of Christ live their everyday life in spiritual extended families, as a vivid answer to the questions that society asks, and in the place where it counts most—in their homes.
Unquote.
Even if you have never heard it said before, it is self explanatory to a believer in Jesus that the easiest place to fake being a believer and act like a religious fake is in a ceremony, and the place where one’s faith may be most difficult, but most real and powerful, is in totally informal situations, of which at home is the most common. The meeting in a house, whether it is actually called a house church, or is called a Bible study, or just believers meeting together at a spot naturally without agenda, is potentially where the Holy Spirit can move most powerfully, without warning, and without our supposedly intentionally helping.
You can read ahead on Simson’s 15 Theses at www.simsonwolfgang.de. You can email me at simplechurchminute@gmail.com. More info on simple worship is at http://www.simplechurch.com/ and locally at (local website).
On the recording, at this time, it says, “house churches.” While that phrasing is OK, to say “organic church” is better. I comment on that in blip 94.
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