- Watching a sermon? (I know I'd like to believe that's true since I'm the guy delivering the sermon). This could however be accomplished by TV or at least via a podcast.
- Singing? From my observation most folks aren't singing at church anyway, but if you're an exception you could still sing at home. You could even pick the music and sit and stand as you please!
- Giving? Online giving is an option (though some folks want to deliver the check as an act of worship just like Biblical times).
- The Lord's Supper? Now I'm sure you're thinking that here is the place where attendance is required. Really? I don't know about the church you're a part of, but most churches I'm familiar with make COMMUNION basically a private event...complete with indvidiuals in various forms of the holy fetal position around the room (errr... sanctuary) with mini-shot glasses (errrr....cups) & chiclets (errr... bread) in their hands with their eyes firmly closed in funerary contemplation. This goes off the same whether there are 2 or 200 people in the room.
- Prayer? Since only one guy usually prays I'm not sure how to handle this one. Most of the church prayers are generalities and fairly detatched from the lives of the people.
- Fellowship? If you mean walking by people in the hall or chatting briefly about the weather or football or American Idol then I could see where this would be difficult to do on your couch. But, honestly, fellowship is mostly non-existent in "church services" and we know it! We have about as much fellowship as people have at the movies - think about it.
That's what I'm talkin bout.
8 comments:
And thus that is why I love house churches. In many ways, the house church incorporates the home life more into the fellowship of saints than in the traditional buildings.
Good post! It makes people think!
I just started reading "Why We Love the Church" -- by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. I'm only three chapters into it, but I'm loving it so far. You have to overlook some reformed theology, but I think you will appreciate what they have to say about the CHurch.
to answer your question, you must answer why do we even have church. its not for giving, evangelizing, praying, etc... you correctly state that pretty much all of that you can go at home in some ways.
i believe that the purpose that Christ established the church was for believers to be able to edify and exhort one another. that is why we are to not forsake meeting (Heb. 10:25).
there is no place more suited to edify the most fellow Christians than church. by developing relationships with these people you increase the effeictivness of ministering to them.
church is not supposed to be a passive, audience-driven experience. it is to be active.
thanks,
russ
background: i'm currently a grad student and on part-time staff at a Baptist church in Ames, IA.
Russ,
Thanks for stopping in. I appreciate your comments.
I see your blog has turned to shit. No post in 39 days. Because Im watching you and exposing your fraud ass on my blog under the feature "This Week In Dave the Fraud".
Gotten tired of being exposed???
Why didnt you attempt to refute my Christmas article? The one about Jesus' birthday being celebrated on the last day of Saturnalia, which is only the most pagan festival that has ever existed. Why dont YOU do stories on Jesus' birthday being celebrated on the date of a pagan festival?
Hmmmmmmm.
LOL
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