Comments on: Questions on church gatherings http://solarcrash.com/2009/03/questions-on-church-gatherings/ Creativity, Faith, and Culture in the City Thu, 17 May 2012 21:18:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Twenty most noteworthy posts of 2009 http://solarcrash.com/2009/03/questions-on-church-gatherings/comment-page-1/#comment-50288 Twenty most noteworthy posts of 2009 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:18:12 +0000 http://solarcrash.com/?p=1627#comment-50288 [...] noteworthy posts of 2009 When love comes down Hoping for the death of your child… Being Asian Questions on church gatherings Human garbage Asian Christ Burning, hot, raging, lust Embracing Judas Befriending our gay neighbors [...] [...] noteworthy posts of 2009 When love comes down Hoping for the death of your child… Being Asian Questions on church gatherings Human garbage Asian Christ Burning, hot, raging, lust Embracing Judas Befriending our gay neighbors [...]

]]> By: Lon http://solarcrash.com/2009/03/questions-on-church-gatherings/comment-page-1/#comment-34458 Lon Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:13:45 +0000 http://solarcrash.com/?p=1627#comment-34458 great comments Chris, and totally agree, there is something unique about the church gathering together in service.. great comments Chris, and totally agree, there is something unique about the church gathering together in service..

]]> By: Chris from Canada http://solarcrash.com/2009/03/questions-on-church-gatherings/comment-page-1/#comment-34403 Chris from Canada Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:22:04 +0000 http://solarcrash.com/?p=1627#comment-34403 Awesome questions - love it! Here are some (partial) answers - <i>What do you call yours? I was going to say Sunday gathering, but lots of folks don’t meet on Sundays. Worship service came to mind, but ain’t all life worship? and are we really being serviced?</i> A gathering is a gathering. A service is a service. Ever been to a party with no reason to party? It's a waste of time. The church gathers together for lots of things (social, relational, etc) but when they gather together for a <i>service</i> it's very unique and distinct. The <i>service</i> is not for us, it is for God - we come together as part of our serving Him and His Kingdom. Yes, all life is worship. But there are certain kinds of worship which can only happen by the church gathering together in service. <i>Does ‘the gospel’ need to be proclaimed with every gathering?</i> Isn't the gathering itself part of the proclamation? We are declaring that there is no event, no schedule, no thing more important at that moment in time then bringing ourselves together as the redeemed body of Christ to remember, celebrate, worship, hear about and commit ourselves to the great work of God. That, for me, is a big motivation in seeing churches grow - that the statement to our community and our culture of this "redeemed community" would grow in numbers and influence. The <i>gathering itself</i> speaks to those around us that we have been redeemed and brought in to new life. That is, I believe, proclamation in itself. <i>Could the full weight of the gospel ever be transmitted this side of life?</i> Clearly we could say that <i>enough</i> of the gospel can be transmitted to have transformational impact in the lives of sinners and saints. Isn't that enough? <i>Could we compress the gospel to a 140-character tweet and spend the rest of our time living it out?</i> If God found it fit to reveal the gospel in 66 books then I think we should spend time learning the whole story :) .. Some great questions. Thanks for asking them! I'll check back to see if there are other answers. Awesome questions – love it! Here are some (partial) answers –

What do you call yours? I was going to say Sunday gathering, but lots of folks don’t meet on Sundays. Worship service came to mind, but ain’t all life worship? and are we really being serviced?

A gathering is a gathering. A service is a service. Ever been to a party with no reason to party? It’s a waste of time. The church gathers together for lots of things (social, relational, etc) but when they gather together for a service it’s very unique and distinct. The service is not for us, it is for God – we come together as part of our serving Him and His Kingdom.

Yes, all life is worship. But there are certain kinds of worship which can only happen by the church gathering together in service.

Does ‘the gospel’ need to be proclaimed with every gathering?

Isn’t the gathering itself part of the proclamation? We are declaring that there is no event, no schedule, no thing more important at that moment in time then bringing ourselves together as the redeemed body of Christ to remember, celebrate, worship, hear about and commit ourselves to the great work of God.

That, for me, is a big motivation in seeing churches grow – that the statement to our community and our culture of this “redeemed community” would grow in numbers and influence. The gathering itself speaks to those around us that we have been redeemed and brought in to new life. That is, I believe, proclamation in itself.

Could the full weight of the gospel ever be transmitted this side of life?

Clearly we could say that enough of the gospel can be transmitted to have transformational impact in the lives of sinners and saints. Isn’t that enough?

Could we compress the gospel to a 140-character tweet and spend the rest of our time living it out?

If God found it fit to reveal the gospel in 66 books then I think we should spend time learning the whole story :)

..

Some great questions. Thanks for asking them! I’ll check back to see if there are other answers.

]]>