Just last night it occured to me that the early Christian Church (from Acts to the first 300 years of History) never used property or land for a building or a facility so that they could stop meeting in those house churches.
In fact, we do know from the book of Acts that the early church did receive property and land all the time. If they had wanted to use this land to build a large facility where people could meet, they certainly could have done so. At least we do know that they had the opportunity.
Instead, they consistently sold the property and gave all of it to the poor.
In 300 years of church history, beginning with the Biblical, New Testament Church itself, we never see the church using property, funds or resources for the building of their own empire.
They were interested in compassion, in the building of the Kingdom and in serving the least and the lost around them.
Just interesting to me....
I tried to post this at seed stories as a comment to your article I found there. Didn't work. I'll try it again later. But in case it doesn't work, I thought I'd leave you a comment here! See below. God bless!
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Keith-
I both read this article and linked to your blog to find out more of what you are doing. Keep moving forward as the Spirit guides and leads you! I would say this: I agree with you that no matter where we are or what we are doing, we are indeed the church; I think the importance there is "we." Our faith can't be isolated from other believers because as we know the church is the body of Christ in all it's forms ("parts"). So whether in church as defined by modernity or a church that tries to recapture something of what the church may have been more meant to be, "we" are indeed the church. I love what you are doing and how you are thinking. I am looking into the possibilities of what I will be doing next with my life and I have no doubt that a large part of it will be in a transformational, revolutionary type ministry such as what you are doing out there in Cali. Keep "being" church to your world!