I wonder...
What if a church happened in my apartment? I don't mean just a small group chat session... I'm talking full-fledged community of believers, with a preacher and everything, some wise chap who loves the Bible better without all the fluff we add to it (Lifeway didn't write the Bible, ps). I've got a "hobby room" that's mostly empty, except there's a keyboard plugged in and a guitar I can barely play. And now a lamp, too. We can make a joyful noise, at a respectful hour that won't disturb the neighbors, of course. Maybe sometime in the afternoon, when everybody's wide awake, but not in the middle of dinnertime because then people will sneak to the kitchen. We won't need a building and grounds committee or recreation committee, because I expect you to clean up after yourself. (We can do recreation out at the rec dept with the people we don't know yet, because they might need Jesus and how else will they meet Him? They certainly won't come to us at church.) We'll mostly be about studying the Bible and getting to know God, and there will also be music because 1. It's in the Bible. 2. I live here and I said so. You can even dance if you want. We might stay awhile, but only once a week so the rest of the time you can be saltin and lightin up the neighborhood. Outrageous, I know. What has the Body become?
I hope you don't take this the wrong way, because I believe we need to be reverent and in awe before holy God. I don't want to promote a spirit of rebelliousness. You know I'm all about following rules and respecting authority and structure. I need structure. But... does that mean God wears a suit to church? I don't know, because every time I see Him, it's all over somebody's face who just got a stronghold busted or a best friend adopted into the Family or suddenly got the point after years of fakeness. I don't know if God wears a suit and tie, or if He even ties His shoes... and that one time He told Moses to take off his shoes... I mean, what if wearing our best for church meant wearing our best heart? You wouldn't wear your frumpy clothes on a hot date, but you wouldn't go grumpy, either. So why not put on your favorite jeans that you can sit on the floor in, and make sure you're ready to get your heart changed? That's usually where it happens for me... in the floor with my Bible, wearing 2nd day jeans.
This is a bit of an exaggeration... or is it?
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