Church, a bit of an overview

Before I go to break down the different elements of early church practice, I'll give a bit more of a familial overview than just a technical list.

We arrive at Fred's house by 3 in the afternoon. We put the food we brought into the kitchen. It's good to see our friends; we hug and chat for a while before everyone has arrived. It feels like getting together for a family occasion a celebration. At 3pm ish!! We shut up, usually prompted by Gary who has been plucking away up the guitar, only now he has started playing in earnest! He gently warms up the music and we all play guess that tune, until he starts singing, then suddenly we know it and we are off! We sing so loud sometimes I wonder what the neighbours think, but then I hope it witnesses to them.

He plays a couple of songs that we all sing, then he puts the guitar down. John prays, he's good at prayer. He always remembers to pray for those who aren't there and for anyone he knows who's sick.

A few others pray and after a while Gary picks up the guitar again. As he does, someone says, "Gary, can we sing ......?"

"Of course we can!" Gary says with a big smile! And off he goes. There is a kind of layered prayer and worship sandwich for a while, then after a few rounds of that Andy opens his bible and tells us that this week while he was reading his bible something struck him. He reads the passage and explains how it impacted him. We all moo gently!

After Andy has shared, Belinda reads a passage. She is such a good reader, she doesn't explain anything, she just reads it, a psalm, so encouraging. Joel, pulls out a piece of paper and reads and gives us a mini bible study. This breaks out into discussion, people asking for clarification and others, giving examples relating what he has said to their own lives.

It is different each week, you never really know who's going to share, and what they will share. Of course, John always makes sure he has prayed for everyone!!

About 4pm we wind down and usually the host lets us know that there is coffee in the kitchen. we break into small groups and twos and catch up on what's been happening, and mingle round. While this is going on a few people are in the kitchen preparing the food. about 5.30 we are told the meal is ready. The host usually prays a prayer of grace. We then queue up for the food, the visitors and children go first. A few wait for the queue to die down before they get up.

In the kitchen the different foods are lined up on the side. We pick up a plate and buffet style take what we want. Of course we all take a piece of bread and a drink of wine (usually juice). If there are a lot of us we sit where we can and chat as we eat together. If there are only a few for some reason then we sit round the dinning table.

It really doesn't feel like "church." I was so used to sitting down and being done to. This really is like getting together for a family gathering. I have been so conditioned to be "anonymous" in the church crowd that at first I feel very self-conscious. Like I say, it doesn't feel like church, not what I have brought up to know as church anyway. But even though I have been conditioned to sit and be done to, it feels so free. I would ask whether God wants us to feel free, but freedom was what Jesus died for, not to be locked up into a religious system that is a copy of Old Testament temple worship. Why are we so drawn to religious systems and hierarchies?