If you can’t get to the conference, gang, but you want to have meetings… and you have at least a few who will join you in your meetings… as an ecclesia… I might recommend two things.
- “GIVE HEED TO THE READING”… says Paul to Timothy.
So, just have a meeting to read one of the letters of Paul. Pretend that you guys are just like the Romans saints who just got Paul’s letter and you’re so exciting about reading it aloud.
Unlike those churches with buildings, your gathering will be small, and you’ll get MORE out of this type of gathering…
Plus… when you READ the whole letter aloud, you’ll get more out of it. You see, those “church people” who go to churches-with-buildings have to listen to a dude on stage READ ONE VERSE AND GRANDSTAND FOR 40 MINUTES.
But if you get READ THE ENTIRE LETTER OF PAUL – or some other book in the scriptures… YOU’LL catch a glimpse of things you’ve never seen before.
- HAVE A POT LUCK SUPPER WITH THE SAINTS. — It would make sense that most of the meetings of the early church were pot luck suppers.
If you read I COR 11… where Paul talks about “the Lord’s Table” — you know, the passage where the Baptists and Catholics get that “communion” ritual with the tiny wafer and tiny amount of grape juice/wine… well… that chapter is all about THE POT LUCK SUPPER… in that chapter Paul warns of some folks overeating and some getting drunk. You can’t do that with a tiny wafer, etc. It must be a pot luck supper.
So, if you don’t feel qualified to “teach” the evangel, you can at least read it and say to one another, “Pass the potatoes please.”
Oh, by the way, you might want to include singing at the pot luck supper. Good singing and good conversation… good reading.
The Ace Theological Company 