Comments on: Sunday, Sunday http://yourtown4jesus.com/2008/01/16/sunday-sunday/ Michael Tummillo Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:40:32 +0000 hourly 1 By: Lynn Alford http://yourtown4jesus.com/2008/01/16/sunday-sunday/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Lynn Alford Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:54:10 +0000 http://yourtown4jesus.com/2008/01/16/sunday-sunday/#comment-167 Good article and super points here in your article, Michael - thanks! This article causes me to think of Pagan Christianity, a book just released by Tyndale, one authored by George Barna and Frank Viola, the authors make similar great points. There's a question and answer at the end of this book that is excellent as well. The authors also go beyond talking about the bondage and on to speak about Jesus as the center and Heart of it all, and how our ways together either have Him as center, with life overflowing as the result or make central the traditions and ideas of man, with stymieing consequences. This book's chapter about Jesus as the ultimate revolutionary who has set His people free to live by His own Life is almost alone worth the price of the book. Frank's other recent book, God's Ultimate Passion, is awesomely terrific on this same central Heart of it all, and God's Passion which is Jesus. A couple of thoughts on two points made by this man you spoke of made that aren't so hot, to the side of the good one you highlighted. I question the idea of this man about not meeting at all that given week, when others were yearning to. This is very much not a simple church way that reflects our Way in Christ. It is this kind of thinking that reflects the hierarchical-control error too prevalent at times among us, an unScriptural take that is part of the "fatal flaw" that causes so much damage in Christianity today, and in our eras past, negating Love's call on us and through us to "submit one to another." Much has been written on this, so no need to belabor it, just suggest a look at : http://www.searchingtogether.org/articles/clergylaity.htm In addition, on that same man's decision to cancel because there "only a few" were coming, If only "two or more" are the Church gathering according to Jesus' take on it, then why cancel because there's just that "few" planning to come? My own home fellowship in the Simplicity of Jesus is three at present. This "big numbers" issue is also one of those bondage things that is drummed into us by man's fleshly thinking, ours and others, that numbers big are what make things significant. God has a different take, wherein in His Way of dong things, just one of us in Him puts to flight a thousand, and His parallel determination that it shall be the weak things confounding the wise, that He be glorified instead of the fleshly things of no power (1 Cor 1:23-31). "Not by might, nor by power by but my Spirit, says the Lord!" It takes time to recognize such traps, but then time is one of His major gifts to us, and time we've got. We have found that more than about 7 to twelve max pushes the real intimacy capacity of sharing hearts deeply in Him. Godcidentaly, when I shared this same point from our own fellowship experience, with Peter during our Church in the Marketplace visiting at our stores last Sunday, a young guy who is starting to recognize how these things like you share about yourself, are needing clarity among us, he flipped, having just said to his wife on the way their store that morning that when their "gathering" group got beyond those approximate numbers there was such a loss of some of the glorious reality in Christ they'd previously been having together. I am loving your articles, and look forward to the continuing joie de livre you overflow with! With Love and Laughter in our Christ, Lynn Good article and super points here in your article, Michael - thanks! This article causes me to think of Pagan Christianity, a book just released by Tyndale, one authored by George Barna and Frank Viola, the authors make similar great points. There’s a question and answer at the end of this book that is excellent as well. The authors also go beyond talking about the bondage and on to speak about Jesus as the center and Heart of it all, and how our ways together either have Him as center, with life overflowing as the result or make central the traditions and ideas of man, with stymieing consequences. This book’s chapter about Jesus as the ultimate revolutionary who has set His people free to live by His own Life is almost alone worth the price of the book. Frank’s other recent book, God’s Ultimate Passion, is awesomely terrific on this same central Heart of it all, and God’s Passion which is Jesus. A couple of thoughts on two points made by this man you spoke of made that aren’t so hot, to the side of the good one you highlighted. I question the idea of this man about not meeting at all that given week, when others were yearning to. This is very much not a simple church way that reflects our Way in Christ. It is this kind of thinking that reflects the hierarchical-control error too prevalent at times among us, an unScriptural take that is part of the “fatal flaw” that causes so much damage in Christianity today, and in our eras past, negating Love’s call on us and through us to “submit one to another.” Much has been written on this, so no need to belabor it, just suggest a look at : http://www.searchingtogether.org/articles/clergylaity.htm

In addition, on that same man’s decision to cancel because there “only a few” were coming, If only “two or more” are the Church gathering according to Jesus’ take on it, then why cancel because there’s just that “few” planning to come? My own home fellowship in the Simplicity of Jesus is three at present. This “big numbers” issue is also one of those bondage things that is drummed into us by man’s fleshly thinking, ours and others, that numbers big are what make things significant. God has a different take, wherein in His Way of dong things, just one of us in Him puts to flight a thousand, and His parallel determination that it shall be the weak things confounding the wise, that He be glorified instead of the fleshly things of no power (1 Cor 1:23-31). “Not by might, nor by power by but my Spirit, says the Lord!” It takes time to recognize such traps, but then time is one of His major gifts to us, and time we’ve got. We have found that more than about 7 to twelve max pushes the real intimacy capacity of sharing hearts deeply in Him. Godcidentaly, when I shared this same point from our own fellowship experience, with Peter during our Church in the Marketplace visiting at our stores last Sunday, a young guy who is starting to recognize how these things like you share about yourself, are needing clarity among us, he flipped, having just said to his wife on the way their store that morning that when their “gathering” group got beyond those approximate numbers there was such a loss of some of the glorious reality in Christ they’d previously been having together.

I am loving your articles, and look forward to the continuing joie de livre you overflow with! With Love and Laughter in our Christ, Lynn

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