Ok, so once again I’m theiving someone else’s marketing campaign. So sue me.

Why do I choose the McSlogan for today’s thoughts? Perhaps because I’m thinking about our poor wayfaring McChurch.

I had the opportunity to visit a friend at his church this past weekend. I came, worshipped, listened, and left. I appreciated what the pastor had to share and even the time of worship. I tried to get into what was going on, and looked for a hint.. yes a glimmer of God moving, craving to encounter with Him and perhaps be different than when I arrived.

No such luck.

Fast forward to this evening.

On my drive home, I pass through a few neighborhoods and “back ways” to get to my house. It’s a ritual I follow every day, as my commute is nearly an hour and a half on a good day. I looked around as I passed through these neighborhoods and wondered what would change their world. What events could rock them to their foundations, and bring them face to face with a living God.

While I do meet God from time to time in the house of worship (for He most certainly still visits), it seems that major, life-changing events are fewer and farther between than ever before.

When can we go from playing church to major, life-changing, world shaking events? What does it take to eschew the status quo, and let God rock your world?

Yeah, yeah… I’m about to lead you to something that will certainly put me at odds with the brick-and-mortar idea of church.

There’s some things that happen when you start to consider planting a church. You immediately begin to think what comes after your living room can’t hold everyone any more. Your thoughts begin to wander to where is the best area off town to meet, and how to get a site big enough to hold your little group. So, let’s say you get the idea you want to borrow some school gym or other such location. Easy enough, you’ve contacts through teachers that attend your group.

All goes well in meeting with the principal, he just needs a couple of things to help absolve the school of blame in the event of an accident. An insurance rider should do nicely. “Well, we don’t have an insurance policy, as we are not a 501(c)3 charitable organization…we are a church.

Hold on, you might say… Your church isn’t a registered tax-exempt organization? Why not?

Bad News

Well, here’s the bad news. If you incorporate (i.e. become a business), you fall under the same regulations as any other non-profit charity in the world. From the church of Satan itself all the way to various organizations such as NAMBLA (North American Man-Boy Love Association…Yes, pedophiles), abortion rights activists, etc. You are now yoked via the tying bind of the 501(c)3 portion of the tax code.

One of the most popular set of regulations you have to follow is the anti-discriminatory clauses that government agencies are required by law to adhere to:

Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination, but also practices that have the effect of discriminating against individuals because of their race, color, national origin, religion, or sex.

This is the primary series of tenets that all federal agencies and employers are required to abide by, or face discrimination lawsuits.

Unfortunately, many federal agencies are beginning to add “sexual orientation” to this list. They are beginning to hold that you cannot “discriminate” against the various groups fuzzing the lines around the definition of “discriminate”. For instance, if you wish to have a sermon one Sunday on Romans 1 and take a stance that God finds homosexuality to be a sin, the federal government may or may not decide that you have discriminated against persons of other sexual orientations than what you yourself practice.

Moreso, if you wish to meet in a federally regulated location such as a school, you are bound by the above laws as well.

Now what do we do?

Well, you’re an agency of the state; A federally regulated and sanctioned non-profit organization and must abide by these guidelines. However, you are a citizen of Heaven and a child of God. You are bound by your Heavenly citizenship to follow God’s laws above all others.

Something is going to have to give.

Here are your options:

Not preach the gospel as God reveals it to you. (hopefully not an option)
Not meet at the school or federal location.
Not obtain a 501(c)3 designation or obtain insurance.

It would seem to me that you’ve got decisions to make. You have to decide where to go with your meetings and how to grow. Tradition puts you in a building with federal rules and regulations, but I believe things are beginning to take a new turn.

Church Growth
In the past, we’ve taken growth of a church plant to mean that God was wanting to have a church built and a ministry begun like the many dozens and dozens of churches that you can see on any city street in America. We’ve taken it to mean the development of church programs, the purchase of a church van and property, incorporation, employees…. a business if you will.

Much in the same way we are seeing a tendency toward “viral marketing” and grassroots distribution methods in media, I think our current culture is demanding a “new way” of doing church.

For the next few installments, I’m going to start to peer into where I believe the new directions of God into church growth and the spread of the gospel are going. Feel free to agree, disagree, or whatever. I’d love to hear your opinions below.

We’re at a new server out on the ‘net. I’ve moved all the websites I host out onto a data-center based server, and am removing all the extra hardware out of my home.

Why, you might ask?

Well, we’re selling our home and moving into town. As such, I might be able to find the home I want. If not, I will wind up in an apartment for a time. Usually, an apartment doesn’t have the room for the scale of server I have here at the house.

So, I’ve got a few things for sale.

My house is a 3 Bedroom ranch home in suburban Atlanta, GA. You can see the pictures of my home from before I bought it in 4/04 here: Our House We’re asking $159k. If you have any questions, contact me at jerald.sheets@gmail.com.

Also, I’ve got some servers hanging around. Since I’ve really gotten into the whole Dave Ramsey thing, I’, selling them to apply toward my debt. My hope is to pay off nearly half of my remaining debt balance with the sale of my home and these servers.

I have :

VA Linux Full On Dual Pentium3 800MHz, 80G HDD, 1GB Ram
VA Linux Full On Dual Pentium3 500MHz, 80G HDD, 1GB Ram
VA Linux Full On Single Pentium3 500MHz, 40G HDD, 1GB Ram
VA Linux Full On Chassis to use for parts. Has extra fans, power supplies, mobo.
Linksys WAP54G Wireless Access Point
SMC 24 Port 10/100 EZ Hub 5616DS
(See pictures at end of article)

In addition, I have about 6 white boxes from varying generations, including P2, P3, and some earlier stuff. There’s a few 3D Graphics cards in there, and a ton of disk space among them all. Mix & Match whatever you like.

I’ve got one crappy old monitor, and a bunch of cables, computer supplies, some CAT-5 and just ods and ends I’ve collected over a 15-year IT career.

I hope to sell it all together for $2000.00US. Buyer pays shipping. If I can’t sell it all together for 2K, I’ll have to ask more for each individual part.

Well, if anyone can help I’d appreciate it. If you need a server class machine, let me know!

(image grabbed from Ebay)

So here we are, Jesus has given instructions. “Hang out here until you get power. When you get it, go and do this stuff” Disciples hang, Spirit comes, power, healing, conversions, you name it. Truly the world is turned upside down at this point.

There are many other texts out there recounting the exploits of the apostles as they headed into other regions and did many good works, converted the masses, wrought miracles and healings, and the like.

Suddenly, as if by happenstance, Saul is mentioned 7 chapters into Acts, in verse 58. The evangelist is being stoned, and Saul is watching their coats during the act. You know the story, a short two chapters later Saul encounters a post-resurrection Jesus and is stricken blind, befriends apostles, does works together with Barnabas, etc.

Then, as if by another strange context switch, Paul is now going from church to church, leading ang guiding the leadership in these churches, many of which were being held in people’s homes. Paul writes many times to salute the church that is in this person’s house. It seems that more often than not, these meetings were being carried out in people’s homes rather than in public, the marketplace, the temple, or some other such location. Now many will jump right to the point that the church was under persecution at the time, and that would be correct. However, I would hold that just because churches were being held in homes due to persection that simply due to a stop in persecution, one should not infer this means that the church was there *only* for that reason, nor that the church should’ve exited the home when the persecution was done.

We see many different people “in the church” from centurions to tax collectors to former prostitutes. People came from all walks of life to be a part of what God was doing…what He was working in their midst. They were celebrating their deliverance from whatever form of bondage may have had them, and gathered with others of like faith to profess their worhip of God, hear His word, join in song, receive instruction and correction, and to enjoy the company of others of the faith.

Would it not be sensible, then, to consider your neighbors, coworkers, friends, and relatives as prime candidates to visit your home for a time of worship of God? Oftentimes you can get someone to visit your home church much more easily than a brick-and-mortar church, and possibly, just possibly since you can offer personal attention and love to this person, they will be open to hearing about what Jesus has done for them and begin to serve Him?

Semi-conclusion

I’m embarking on a study now of the home church throughout history. I am nearly convinced that the combination of the following items is a severe detriment to the working of the Church in the earth today:

1. Brick and mortar “built” churches
2. Business contracts with the government to be agents of the state (501(C)3 status)
3. Professional preachers and clergy
4. Politics from the leadership rather than preaching Christ

I will be following up here with ideas of where I think the church is and should be going in the future, and will take steps to quantify & qualify all my study with scripture.

Please do come along for the ride, and comment often.

After that diversion, I’m going to now continue in the same though vein I was in back in August.

Who…

It seems like a perfectly normal question… Who? And to what extent? What is the role of the believer, and to what ends?

Who is the churchgoer?

People go to church for a myriad of reasons. Some go for “fire insurance” while others for social interaction. Still others to serve and minister, and many to sing songs and feel better about their life.

Oddly, there’s very little mention of these types or even many of the activities we see in modern churches in the Bible. Jesus brought a sharp paradigm shift to the worshippers of the day. He came and literally turned upside down all thoughts regarding the church, churchgoing, and relationship with God. No more were people considered Godly just because they were rich or perhaps had many servants. Also neither was holiness denoted through broadcasting loudly all the great and wonderful things you had done (or were doing) in the name of God.

Instead, Jesus made point to specifically enumerate all the teaching of the day (You have heard it said _x_, but I tell you _y_. Amazingly counter-culture!

Jesus brought a bold new idea that people were not needed between you and God, but you could actually commune with Him without interference. You could boldly go where only the High Priest had gone before; into God’s very presence and commune with Him.

Of course, established religion immediately took action to put a stop to this one. He was interrupting the way they had made things. They had a comfortable existence with plenty of members there to help foster their way of doing things, their position in the community, and yes, their standard of living.

Like Nobody’s Business

The Temple had become a business. Jesus saw it. In fact, doing something totally against His character, you find him throwing things around, and weilding a pretty nasty whip when he found it so. I’d say he had a bit of a strong opinion on the matter.
A business… getting money into the religious establishment as quickly and efficiently as possible and making sure it stayed that way. “This Jesus is going to ruin everything!”. We read of multiple attempts not just to silence Him, but to outright kill and even commit Him to a mental facility. (such as they were at the time)

In fact, even His family were among those positively convinced he was stark raving mad.

“He doesn’t follow the way the Pharisees do things!”, “Born Again?”, “His teaching isn’t like the Pharisees. He Teaches as one in authority.”

Jesus wasn’t worried with ledgers and numbers, nor was He worried with building funds, shut-in programs, and children’s ministries. The “Business” we call church today simply didn’t exist.

Now don’t get me wrong, the work churches do is really good work. In fact, much like the woman who is the spiritual head over her household by default because the husband refuses to stand in his rightful place, the church as we see it in the earth today is doing the work of the ministry by default, I believe, because it simply isn’t being done as God would intend.

Now, since the church has so many little things to worry with from a business perspective, the work of the ministry gets done “as catch can”.

The Prime Directive

So in my little diatribe about what church is, where we should be heading, and how to get there, I have to go back and find our marching orders. Any army guy will tell you that his primary order is to guard what he’s been given to the limits of his responsible area and depart that responsibility only when properly relieved. What are those primary orders? What is the MAIN thing we’ve been told from the beginning?

Here are some quotes from Jesus’ lips as told by the Apostles:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. 17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Luke 24:46 and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 Ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high. 50 And he led them out until they were over against Bethany: and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 and were continually in the temple, blessing God.

The authors of the gospels each record a similar directive (although John had different things to impart, he gives general storyline symmetry via a narrative toward the end of the book) which in short speading the things Jesus taught.

Luke then adds emphasis to Jesus’ directive recorded elsewhere regarding staying in Jerusalem until empowered from heaven. Almost as if he wanted to set an exclamation point to his earlier letter, and expanding a little on that mission.

What of the “Context Switch”?

Now, many of you are going “huh?” after that little title but follow me. In programming, there is a little tool known as a “context switch”. Essentially (without getting too involved) it’s a method an operating system uses to store the current “state of things”, move on to something else, but still have access to come back and pick up where you left off.

I see Jesus talking about a myriad of things, healing and performing miracles to validate His words. He covers what the characteristics of a disciple is, what the Kingdom is and is like, what holiness was about, and a smattering of things contrasting the teaching of the Pharisees. He even gives the disciples a “trial run” under His personal tutelage, sending them out to do many of those things, later calling them back and commenting on their actions, the successes and the new sacrifices each of them would have to make to truly be called His disciple.

But then, a change…

(continued)

I love music.

In all it’s forms, expressions, and existences, I love music. It is the single most fulfilling pursuit I engage in beyond my interaction with my family or God.

Beautiful melodies in their harmonious entertwining, weaving a tapestry of sound that can excite, enliven, embolden, arouse, and even terrorize.

As a performer, music is a whole other beast; A beast that is difficult to tame. It requires time and attention to master its endless rules and regulations; Structures that continue forever and demand the highest levels of personal sacrifice to even begin to master them.

Music.

–noun
1. an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color. — dictionary.com Unabridged, v.1.0.1

This medium, created by God to bring Him glory and worship, is the highest of the arts. When dictators destroy the elements of expression and evil men drown our souls, music breaks forth from that barrenness giving life, freedom, and peace. Echoes of the very halls of God Himself…music.

I don’t know why I wandered to this topic, I was just amazed today at God’s brilliance in His creation of this beauty, this majesty of expressive communication.

Today I am thankful to God. Thankful for the gift He has given in music.

So… Here I am. Where do I start?

Well, like the title says I would assume the beginning.

Known #1: Called.

Ok, so I’m called. That means I’m more broken than the next guy, and need serious fixing and maybe….just maybe I’m a little bit crazy.
Known #2: Prepared.

Not at all. Folks, I’m laying this out as I get it, or as I hear it, or as I think about it. This is a direct look into the life of someone who is being called and what he’s doing throughout the process. Unedited, uncensored.

Known # 3: Scared

Fact is, I’m scared witless. I don’t have the knowledge or skills to do this kind of a work, but plan on doing everything I know how just to do what’s asked of me. I can only pray for God’s guidance, His grace, His Spirit, and His wisdom. Outside of that, I’ve got nothing to offer to this exercise. Sure, I can play some guitar, sing, and teach a little, but outside of that, as they say, “I got nothing”.

Oh yeah, the beginning

So I started to dig into some bible regarding church, threw down some dictionaries, even peeked at some greek. I was essentially looking to go back to basics like I did here in this blog and figure out just what church is.

The word church is used throughout the New Testament, starting with Jesus, and going form there. Same word everywhere, too (except one place that was added by translators, but essentially meant the same thing).

From what I was able to put together, I’m going to throw out a working definition:

church. n. an assembly of the followers of Jesus Christ.

Simple, but I like it. It doesn’t denote a particular place or ideology. It emphasizes one who follows Christ (which He himself outlines as the definition of a disciple). It also points out that it is an assembling together of these folks, and does not impose a particular denomination, religious afiliation, building, synagogue.

While many will feel this shows a lack of structure, a same amount on the “other side” of that definition will point out that it also frees that “assembly” from the constraints of a particular place. It can be someone’s home, a local coffee shop, a school, a gym, a park, a town square. You name it, they can meet as Jesus’ followers anywhere by this definition.

I chose this idea becaue it appears more and more over time that God is moving away from the mega-church idea, and even the brick-and-mortar idea and further into a home-based church movement. I see it all over the ‘net, in the news, and even hear about it on the radio. God has come to a place where He is doing a new thing, a new work in the Earth, and here we are receiving the marchhing orders like so many soldiers on detail; Waiting for orders. Not leaving their post until dispatched.

It appears the dispatch has been made.

Back on topic.

“An Assembly of the followers of Jesus Christ”

That’s a meeting of those who follow Jesus’ teachings, His Spirit’s guidance, and His Father’s heart. Followers also implies adherents to His teaching as well.

Simple Beginnings

There we are with a full, detailed explanation of who we are, and what we do. What an incredibly humble beginning to a new work God is purposing.

The ride is starting to get fun.

Yeah, I said it.

In fact, as I sit here at the neighborhood coffee shop (having thoroughly sinned in some fashion on chili and cookies) simply quaking, (Quaking not from a fear that destroys, but from a fear of the unknown), I realize that an enormous task/weight/job/mission/call has been placed before me.

Surveying the awesome requests that have been made of me by my Father, I cannot even begin to see a start, a point from which to jump off. So many have gone before, so many have failed. So many have gone before and met with wild success, the success that corrupts and leads down a path to comfort; a comfort strewn with running after mammon and a desire to belong, to appease.

WHO AM I??!?

The posts you guys have been reading from me over the past months have been prayerful considerations of a heartfelt desire to see church done God’s way…the New Testament way. I want to see Jesus lifted up high, whether rejected or accepted, I want to see Him exalted above all else. So much so, that out of that cry of my heart, I have been called. Not called to build yet another building or pave another parking lot with car washes and free water for passers-by, but to bring people face-to-face with a living God.

It has beeen an exercise in healing all the wrongs done to me in the church over my life, and an earnest desire to never see anyone else ever have to endure some of the pain I myself have been through. Instead, purpose and direction for God’s people fills every fiber of who I am for people that are like I once was…wounded. Adrift on a sea of past hurts and disappointments because they didn’t look, act, or perform like a duck in the sea of swans looking for nothing more than a plaything to make themselves feel better abouth their own dark hearts.

Stepping Out

What exactly can and does this mean? It means that things are about to get pretty darned weird. It means that the few remaining desires I have for myself, the life *I* wanted to lead, the direction *I* wanted to go now have to die.

Not die a slow, lingering death with a eulogy and a long greiving, but a sudden violent death that propels me away from where they were and on to a new place. A place where God reigns, and His Kingdom is welcomed and His presence is fostered. A place where He is allowed to do what He will without interruptions from wordy clergy or antsy members, but a group of people who are dedicating their every free moment to fully discovering God, His plan, and their mission (both individually and corporately).

How Did This All Start?

The first moments I began to realize what direction I was heading in were inspired by a question from my best friend. (thank you, bro…you have no idea what your little poke hass engendered in me)

He was playfully suggesting (as we do one to another on a fairly regular basis) that I should move to his town and start a church. My response to his jab took me by great surprise, but it flowed like water, like I was meant to write it my entire life. It follows with some abridgement for confidentiality’s sake:

Starting a Church:

The church I will be starting (yes, I am becoming more and more
positive each day this is why I am here(Earth, not Atlanta)) will not
have walls, and will not look anything like anything seen in the
Earth today (as far as I am aware). It will not be a business (501(c)
3). It will neither have employees nor a staff, although whomever is
charged with regular operations may need to rely on donation for
sustenance at some point in the future.

As much as is possible, the “ministers” will be bi-vocational, and
all church work will be an offering. It will exist solely for the
furtherance of whatever we read “in the book” without a preconceived
notion that culture or “churchdom” has foisted upon what God can and
will do when you stay out of His way.

There will be a focus on meeting house to house with less frequent
full-body meetings for fellowship and worship.

The poor and downtrodden will be the highest priority…homeless,
widows, orphans, addicts, shutins, and the sick. God gives clear
mandate these are precious to Him, they should be precious to us.
(This is the “hospital” part of the mission.)

There will be a de-emphasis on the ability to start kingdoms by
employing the Vineyard “centered set” societal model, and the
encouragement to further *the* kingdom will be foremost, to be a true
family and brotherhood. There is much to learn from fraternal
brotherhood about giving members a sense of “belonging” and
“ownership” to a group, and a responsibility out of honor and love
rather than browbeating and condemning into service. (The “family”
part of the mission)

There will be a focus on the things of the Spirit (gifts) with a
discouragement of the error that comes along in a standard
Charismatic church. Exuberance without education is not a good thing.
Healing is and should be normal. Prophetic utterance is and should
be normal. Words of wisdom and knowledge are and should be normal.
All operating in the assembly on a regular basis as a normal part of
the ebb and flow of God’s intervention into the assembly. These are
gifts that can be imparted through laying on of hands as led by God
and instruction and training should accompany the impartation to hold
in reverence that which God has given you. This will include
instruction and training in basics of human adulthood which is so
severely lacking in church people today… being on time. doing
what you say. planning. preparing. (This is the “school” part of
the mission. [already have first lesson on this one: "Life 101"])

Outreach to those in darkness of whatever type will be new and
unique. parties, get-togethers, cookouts, picnics. Moving into the
commons areas of society, and reaching out through non-traditional
means. We re in a postmodern, pst-Christian era, and new ways should
be developed for reaching the targeted groups. There will be an eye
toward seeking out and saving that which was lost (backslidden),
bringing in new fields to harvest (evangelism) and reproducing
evangelists to propogate that work. (This is the “army” part of the
mission.)

There will be no emphasis on outward appearance, but inward holiness,
honesty, love, dedication, virtue,etc. After all, the guy with the
nose ring that lays hands on the sick and they recover is infinitely
more important to God than the guy in the suit and a Mercedes with no
power evidenced in his life.

Music will be used for the worship of God, but without manipulation.
Translation: When the church moves in a time of worship to that place
of true communion with Him, we will not stop for a form or ritual
(offering, special music, communion service, pastor’s message,
ANNOUNCEMENTS), but let God change us while at that place. No one
will interrupt this with their words, but allow God’s intervention to
run its course. Then and only then will someone else have something
to say/do,and then typically only through a leading. God’s
involvement with His people will be cultivated and encouraged and
NEVER interrupted. This will present some logistical issues from
time to time, but I believe God is faithful to instruct us in those
as this develops.

Members will be encouraged to bring something to share, a word/hymn/
song/spiritual song. Interactivity with and conversation between the
chosen speaker for a given gathering and those spoken to will be
nurtured and encouraged, within guidelines, and in order.

Services will not consist of “bless me” ritual, but education in
maturity, and planning for the next outreach. Other churches will be
lifted up and prayed for. (There is *NO* competition in God’s
house.) The infrequent large gathering for fellowship will be
balanced with a gathering for action. Instead of talking about
“doing the stuff”, the service will consist of exactly that.
Volunteers will stay behind to manage children, and everyone will
depart to serve others in whatever capacity is necessary and presents
itself.

–snip–

How little did I know the ramifications of what wass burning in my heart, is burning there. God has spoken, and all I have to do is listen and obey. With His grace, and my obedience, may God’s will be done in whatever way He sees fit.

I’m waiting, Lord. Show me what’s next.

I found an excellent post with many points worth pondering.

Unfortunately, the commennts ramble off into hallmarks of “endless geneaologies” in some places, but overall a good read. Check that out here.

One of the things I’ve been contemplating of late is the concept of brotherhood.

There are dozens of organizations around that are considered “brotherhoods”. Fraternal Order of Police. Moose Lodge. Masons. Knights of Columbus. Many ex-military consider their platoon or unit a brotherhood. Others would argue that their bridge club or their cycling club is their “brotherhood”.

Brothers “in the House”

There’s a tendency for church folks to refer to each other as brother or sister. We use the term very often and very loosely. We toss it about sometimes as just another pronoun and even are known to apply it with great sarcasm and even disdain for its target.

In the context of God’s people, though, what defines a brother?

Matthew 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. KJV

What does and should this mean to us? How should we treat our brothers? What does it mean not only to have brothers and sisters in Christ, but to actually be a brother or sister in Christ?

Esprit de Corps

There’s an old saying, not sure of the etymology, “Esprit de Corps”. This term has several meanings, some of which follow:

1. A common spirit of comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among the members of a group.

2. The spirit of a group that makes the members want the group to succeed

3. A spirit, as of dedication to a common goal, that unites a group: the high morale of the troops;
dictionary.com

Sure, these are common-language definitions of a word that has both spiritual and non-spiritual connotations. However, I’d challenge you to think closely what it means to be a brother or sister in Christ.

There is a common bond among those you labor with. There is a dedication to the common goal of spreading the gospel. There is a uniting joy in the Spirit, a high morale if you will. There is a bond that forms that closely binds you one to another.

March to Glory

Let me relate what I mean.

I am a member of a Drum and Bugle Corps. What is that you might ask? My online friend Nikk Pilato has a nice treatise of what a Drum Corps is here. My own favorite description is :

Think of a marching band. Not just any marching band, though. Imagine, if you will, a group that is to marching band what the X Games is to skateboarding. A high-energy, passionate display of artistry in motion unparallelled in just about any namable art form.

The corps has a central goal. To put on the best product humanly possible while in the meantime having as much fun as possible. Now, this sounds like a very simple exercise in rehearsal and repetition to hone an artistic product to a specific level of excellence. Cut and dried, no?

No. Something amazing happens in the repetition, rehearsal, and work exerted by such a group. A bond starts to form between the performers. There is a common goal between them that begins to weave them together in a most inextricable way. The sweat, work, tears, joy, and hours off rehearsal spent for a short 11 minute production have an incredible effect on the hearts and minds of the musicians…they become a family throughout the experience.

It is no exaggeration that I would gladly take a bullet for anyone in my drum corps. The bond between my “family” and I stretch beyond the borders of common acquaintance and into a realm of intense devotion one can only term “brotherhood”.

Common Children

How much more should we, as children of the most high God, creator and architect of the universe share a devotion one to another? We share a common goal of introducing this earth to our Father, arguably the most noble of pursuits. We share a peek into eternity imparted to us by an omnipotent God, creator and lover of our souls. A savior of such sacrifice that he would gladly put Himself between ourselves and assured destruction out of love. (what an amazing brother!)

A Sense of Belonging

What I’m getting at with this particular thread is the dearth of devotion one to another that we see in churches. It is most unfortunate that church has turned into little more than fire insurance for so many. They come to church because they feel it is right, or that they have to. They don clothing they never wear, act like they never act, and sing songs that have no meaning. They exchange pleasantries with people they have no real relationship with and leave just as empty and purposeless as before.

They walk among the others that are playing the game, just as empty as they themselves are.

A Challenge

What it must mean to have such a tight connection with both our God and our brothers.

How involved are we one with another? When our brothers are in need, are we the first there to assist them, or do we rely on federal assistance to help them? Are you more ready to spend time with them to instruct them in God, or is it too much of a bother?

How can you better be a brother?

In a church of God representative of His kingdom, there is:

Brotherhood
You are Unshakable
Relevance
Culture-currency
Giving God the Highest Priority
Worship
Relationships