We would go on Sundays and often Wednesday evenings, her for book studies, the kids for Church school, and for me to catch up on the sermon I missed the Sunday before...
I worked a rotating schedule were I had every other Sunday off. So the next Wednesday was catch up.This worked fairly well. It was a much more intimate setting, fewer people in a smaller room and our Pastor reviewing the previous sermon... There was lot of question and answer sections, prayers, praises and "what is God doing in your life right now" time.
I am a sermon kind of dude. Some people go to Church for the Worship, some for the fellowship, but I myself am a meat and potatoes, Sermon studying and dissecting guy...
I sing uncomfortably, mostly in an attempted example for my children. I don't want them to feel self conscious ( like I do) about praising The Lord in song.
Long ago I learned people praise in a hundred different ways, none much better or worse, than all the others. My preferred way is not song, but I do join in. Communal Praise is important, even if it is uncomfortable...
For a few years, Monday ( actually, still) was Men's night at our Church. It used to be " Men's Fraternity", three separate rounds of study of Biblical manhoods direction. I enjoyed those and the opportunity to get to know the names and faces of the guys I saw during the services...
My job changed recently. Better hours, weekends off, less money.
Not a bad trade, but we had to make some adjustments. Gas became quite an expense and travel was cut back. Sometimes we had to choose" something else" from the long list of " something else's", instead of another trip to our Church during the week.
It is very hard to try to stay part of a body that you are physically distant from. Theoretically, it shouldn't be , but in practice it does limit your ability to fellowship, support and contribute.
We spoke to each other about the definition of local Church, my Wonderful Wife and I...We have over a dozen years invested in relationships with congregation and Pastors alike...
So how do we make this work???
It is not the easiest of situations, sometimes...
So once again the idea of hosting a Bible study at our house, thirty five minutes from our Church, comes up. I am not a Bible study leading kind of guy. I would rather sit back, compare thoughts and ideas that are shared and plop in my personal two cents. Sit in the back. Think, ruminate...
I share often that being a Christian, for me, is a struggle, on a lot of days. I'm beginning to realize that it probably is supposed to be, that if it felt like a walk in the park, I'm probably doing it wrong...
If it were easy, I probably am either oblivious or in total denial of my nature...
I met with a trusted and wiser friend over breakfast, as we discussed this idea. To be fair, I informed him, after the fact, that I had announced this study on Facebook the night before...
I tend to do things like that. Jump in and then get direction...
Beg for forgiveness instead of asking permission...
The " fire, aim, ready" type of plan...
It seems in my incorporation of this, I forgot to include a simple word, when running this by my Wonderful Wife. A little word really, practically inconsequential...
She heard " Thursday". I thought I included the word " this"...
It seems that is not as small of a word as I initially thought...
God Bless my Wonderful Wife. I cannot count the confusions and disagreements we have had, thru the years, because I earnestly believed I stated a noun or verb or article that somehow stayed trapped in my head, while every other thing in my brains master plan escaped...
Needless to say, she is a little excited..
Maybe not " excited", actually, but some word much like that, with the same level of adrenaline...
I had volunteered her to put up a Facebook group and post it to both our pages.
Truthfully, she was o.k. with that, before the infamously and conspicuously absent " this".
But it is out there now.. I did not type in " this" when I posted it.
So, I must plan. Come up with an itinerary and a simple description of purpose; prepare pertinent questions and possible answers to a topic I have yet to decide, let alone finalize...
Familiarize myself with a section of Scripture enough to legibly guide its discussion...
By Thursday...
" This"..
All I can say is that I'm glad this is not about me. It's not about how well or badly I plan and prepare. It's not dependent on how organized the house is. It doesn't matter whether the amount of people who show up ( if any) will require a one cup Kuerig, ten cup Mr. Coffee or the big stainless steel monstrosity we have in the space above our pantry...
We planned this as non denominational, with no Churches doctrines . I love that our Church has a set of beliefs that we all agree on, when we join, that guides our purpose and worship. Communal agreement in a local Church is awesome and powerful..
But I am hoping that all types of Christians will feel welcome and attend. Catholics. Baptists. Pentecostals...
That is why I would like to focus on "The Words in Red".
No debates on differences; no attempts at conversions.
Just a bunch of fellow Christians, a group of Gods kids, studying, worshipping and praising Him...
"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there, in their midst".
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