Church: What It IS!

A man of God who I respect and trust has posted this in the comment section of another blog asking some of the same questions.

Here is some of what Ryan Young has to say on the issue...

"1. It is intentional... So you and your buddy are not the church unless you have come together with the intent of exemplifying the kingdom in a unique and powerful way.

2. It is not a building. I know we have heard this before but I wonder how you answer the question “what are you doing thing sunday?” I would bet cash money that in general we would answer “I am going to church.” Now someone might accuse me of playing word games here but the way the body acts today suggests that our poor use of language accurately describes our belief about where it is that we perform the functions of the church.

3. It is a community. This is a literal statement. Unfortunately we have bought into the American/Suburban gospel which has taught us that getting together twice a week was the spiritual equivalent of literal community. The scripture teaches that we (plural) are a city on a hill or the salt of the earth or the light of the world (these are all presented in the singular) meaning that we are not any of these things alone.

4. The church gathers regularly.

5. At these meetings everyone brings something (teaching, gifts, prophecy… “…When you assemble each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” Additionally if revelation comes to someone other than the guy who is speaking he is supposed to sit down and give way. Hmm…

6. It is powerfully gifted. It is supposed to be the group to whom people come to be healed through prayer (not just a house of prayer) It is a group which exhibits supernatural love, hope, peace and so on.

7. It disciplines its own and does not judge those outside.

8. It meets the needs of 1. the brethren and 2. its local community.

9. It prays

10. It testifies of Christ.

11. It is governed by elders.

12. It is the body of Christ, meaning that it represents [re-presents] Christ in the world.

13. It is a body that worships"

I encourage you to check out Jesse Phillips' blog,where a similar discussion is being held.

A Music Monday

I have something to tell you. It's something wonderful.

I am in the middle.

"Of what?", you may ask.

The answer is "a musical enlightenment."

I was born in 1983 and was raised by very southern, Christian parents. Growing up, I never was exposed to much music except country music while riding in the car and hymns & southern-gospel music at the church I was raised in. My parents never tried to convince me that rock music was the devil, but I wasn't really allowed to watch MTV or VH1 either.

I left public school after 6th grade and went to a small, pentecostal church-school from 7th - 12th grades. During this time I entered into a new musical phase of my life. A friend I went to elementary school with introduced me to "Christian" rock music in 1996/7. For the next 4 or 5 years, the only music that I would really listen to was dc Talk, the Newsboys, and other such religious rock acts. Looking back on that period, it's easy to see that most of that music was very bad. Most of it is not fit for anything other than a laugh. There were gems to found in that music for sure (Third Day, Bleach, Plankeye, and various songs here and there), but mostly it was just not that good musically.

In the year 2000, I happened to stumble upon VH1 Behind The Music profiling Lynyrd Skynyrd. I liked the rock sound of the band and loved the southern attitude that drove it. I had heard "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird", but until I watched this I hadn't heard much else. This planted the earliest seeds of my current enlightenment. Skynyrd was, for quite a long time, the only group I listened to as I pulled myself away from the religious rock scene. I also checked out emo (Taking Back Sunday, Saves The Day, The Get Up Kids), but I decided I'd like to not be so depressed all of the time and that the music was not all that good.

After a long period of time where I just listened to whatever was popular at the time, I met a new friend who is into a lot of music. He collects a lot of vinyl and also listens to some modern rock. After he learned that I like Skynyrd, he introduced me to the Allman Brothers Band and Eric Clapton. From there he brought me to modern times with the Killers and the Foo Fighters. On my own, I seriously discovered Elvis for the first time. Although I had heard his most popular stuff on the radio, I got to know alot of his more obscure material through Elvis Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Between this friend and games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band I am getting taken on quite a journey through the history of Rock n' Roll.

Back in March, I had epiphany as I sat here on my couch. I need to know the Beatles, and after I get those guys down I need to know Led Zeppelin. So I went out that night and bought the album "The Beatles" (better known as "The White Album"). Since then I have bought and soaked in 9 of their 13 studio albums and their Anthology discs. I also bought the Led Zeppelin Boxed Set but have yet to really sit down and let them saturate my ears. Before I go on vacation in a couple of weeks I plan on grabbing the rest of the Beatles' studio stuff and maybe a couple of other discs to listen to while I'm away.

Just thought I'd share my journey with you all as I get ready to sit back and listen to "The Beatles" some more.

Feel free to throw out some suggestions on music for me to check out. Not sure when or if I'll get around to it but if I do check it out I'll let you know.