Wednesday evening I had the privilege of praying with Ken and Steve. Thank God for their willingness to to seek Him together, and to counsel about several themes. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is when brothers gather together in unity." (Psalm 133:1 ESV) Stayed overnight at Steve & Donna's home. Thanks for your hospitality. Off Thursday morning to see my good friend John. He has suffered through some dangerous health issues recently, and I particularly wished to know what God has been revealing to him in this time. He mentioned a strong sense of the presence of God, and appreciation for even the little things like a drink of water. May all of us exhibit the same faith and dependence on God when our time of trial comes.
Thursday afternoon I visited Ben & Jill & their baby girl. She has gained a little peach fuzz on her scalp and had the most enjoyable time playing in a plastic laundry basket. Ben & I discussed creation, and eldership a little bit, but I had gotten there later than I had hoped and he needed to go. That evening our brother Matt joined me on a visit to our brother Nick. He is a new brother that has committed himself to our fellowship. I was delighted with the course of our time together. Only the Holy Spirit can work in us the blend of gentleness and firmness that we need in our interaction with one another. Looking forward to more time spent with Nick.
Friday morning disappeared into the bowels of the T (Boston's subway system) and emerged at Harvard, where I met with our brother Gary. We are (slowly) working our way through Romans, concentrating on 8:18-25 this time. We also prayed and counseled together. He is in the last year of a doctoral program and has begun job interviews. I think he looks forward to this new season of life. Finally this morning brothers from our house church met together to explore the topics of the purpose of the Church, and what structure best facilitates its fullfillment. We explored the reality that Jesus did not stay on earth to establish the church but gave that responsibility to the apostles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Believers rely on the teaching of the apostles for our doctrine. Why not our practice as well?
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on relying on the apostles for practice as well as doctrine...
ReplyDeleteA good book to check out which gives an excellent picture of life in the first two centuries of the Church is "Early Christian Fathers" edited by Cyril C. Richardson. It's mainly a collection of post-NT Christian writings, but the introductions to each of them really help put them in context and reveal a lot about how our earliest Christian brothers & sisters maintained unity among themselves despite massive growth and persecution. This may connect well with the study on biblical eldership, too, incidentally.