Pedrito
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2015
- Messages
- 1,032
- Gender
- Male
- Religious Affiliation
- Christian
- Political Affiliation
- Conservative
- Marital Status
- Married
- Acceptance of the Trinity & Nicene Creed
- Yes
A couple of thoughts.
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When I was young, I attended a church belonging to the evangelical denomination noted for its staunch pride (which it denies) and its intense internal doctrinal conflicts.
There were over 100 adults at each “service”. Just after I left, a building project was launched to make the building both larger and more attractive to passers by. The pride was alive and well.
I looked it up on the internet recently. The building had been sold, the venue had moved to an industrial unit, and the attendance had dwindled to a handful of families.
I couldn’t help wondering about the teaching that Christianity will spread throughout the whole world and be dominant. As in the card game “500” Christianity seems to be “going out backwards”.
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There have been movements around for some time where groups of believers meet in houses or rented premises of various types.
The house meetings can be particularly intimate and uplifting. They do not necessarily have a preacher/minister/priest, and those that do not have one have no need to “pass the plate around” as it were.
One can imagine many places in apostolic times having meetings like that.
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Where is “Church” now?
If we are talking about the body of true believers, it is probably where it’s always been in its various forms over time.
==============================================================================================
When I was young, I attended a church belonging to the evangelical denomination noted for its staunch pride (which it denies) and its intense internal doctrinal conflicts.
There were over 100 adults at each “service”. Just after I left, a building project was launched to make the building both larger and more attractive to passers by. The pride was alive and well.
I looked it up on the internet recently. The building had been sold, the venue had moved to an industrial unit, and the attendance had dwindled to a handful of families.
I couldn’t help wondering about the teaching that Christianity will spread throughout the whole world and be dominant. As in the card game “500” Christianity seems to be “going out backwards”.
==============================================================================================
There have been movements around for some time where groups of believers meet in houses or rented premises of various types.
The house meetings can be particularly intimate and uplifting. They do not necessarily have a preacher/minister/priest, and those that do not have one have no need to “pass the plate around” as it were.
One can imagine many places in apostolic times having meetings like that.
==============================================================================================
Where is “Church” now?
If we are talking about the body of true believers, it is probably where it’s always been in its various forms over time.
