Monday thru Sunday

I posted on our family blog that we want to start a Bible study in our home soon, but that I don’t really want it to be affiliated with our church or any church. I wanted to elaborate on that just a little.

I feel like the body of Christ has been condensed into what we see on Sundays. Sunday mornings have become our entire Christian reality. What I mean by this is that everything we call ministry is somehow connected to Sundays. We say we’re involved in serving the Lord or in ministry because we do something at church. That can be service to the Lord, but not always, but even more important, we can serve the Lord outside those parameters. I never hear anyone say, “I serve the Lord at work”. But we’re called to that and in my opinion it is more important and has far more reaching effects.

Next, what we call fellowship, “most of the time” is just hanging out with people we go to church with. Again, this may or may not be fellowship, but fellowship is not confined to those you attend church with. Is it possible for a Baptist and a Methodist to fellowship together? Of course, but it seems rare doesn’t it?

How about this one; having been involved in church leadership in the past, I’ve seen people who’ve felt genuinely called to start a Bible study or home group, only to be told by leaders, no. Now, in defense of that church or just about any other church that has done this (I’m sure it’s most) it’s their prerogative to say no and not have their name attached to someone else’s Bible study or event. But, the saddest part is 100% of the time the person who felt “called” did not end up having the Bible study. Why? Were they not really called? Probably some of them weren’t. But, the others set aside their convictions for one of two reasons (there may be more). 1. They cared about man’s opinion more than God’s or 2. They wanted recognition from the church for their “service”. Both those reasons are pretty sorry, but I’ve seen it first hand.

What I feel like is the real problem is our comprehension of the body of Christ. We all know that the body goes way beyond the group we meet with on Sunday morning. In fact part of that group isn’t even the body. So, we know it, yet we don’t live like it. Sundays have become our Christian bubble. Everything we know and do that is Christian is affiliated with Sunday. Is this making sense? Here’s another picture; churches always talk about how lame church hopping is. You need to stay in one place to really be a Christian and that place is here. How biblical is that really? Why would it be wrong for me to hang out with a different group of Christians every week, to hear a different guy teach the Bible? To me, that actually seems more biblical. Was Paul a church hopper or a missionary? Don’t get me wrong, there is amazing value in a core group of friends that are believers, but it’s okay if they don’t hang out between 10 and 12 on Sundays.

What I’m trying to say is that it all goes way beyond Sundays. It comes down to walking the Christian walk Monday through Friday (Weekends too). Sunday is meant to be an encouragement, a time to worship God with family, it’s not meant to be all of Christendom. It’s suppose to be a supplement for the rest of our week where real ministry should be taking place whether anyone else sees it or approves of it (except God, He sees everything and we want His approval).

All that from wanting to start a Bible study huh? Jesus ministered to all the misfits not the religious church-goers; I want that to be my ministry too. I covet you prayers.

Peace,


Harold