We are part of a house church, and glad of it. Speaking with Mike today, though, he asked whether house church is what we are really looking for. (Remember, he is a house church coordinator for North America.) He believes that the ‘house’ part is not that which is really relevant, and I think most people involved in house church would probably agree with him.
The important part is not that we meet in houses, but that we express spiritual life in our daily lives. This requires seeking God to experience his love for us, which creates love in us for him; this overflows into our daily lives and our dealings with one another.
So what does ‘seeking God’ mean? Firstly, desiring his presence in our lives. Those of us who know Jesus have all experienced his presence at some time. Can you remember when the last time was? Or perhaps an occasion on which the experience was particularly strong? I can, and it was wonderful: great peace and sweetness, normally resulting in a love for others out of the certainty that God loves me. I’d like to experience that again, and regularly, because I’m sure it would change me, and hence many relationships and situations in my life.
How do we get there? I don’t have a method, but I know that the reason we don’t experience it more lies with us: God loves us so much that he sent Jesus to die for us. He also describes himself as a loving father, and as the one after whom all fatherhood is fashioned. So if we don’t experience that, we need to examine ourselves. Do you remember being in love? How often did we want to see our girfriends? Perhaps, if we remember how much God loves us, we will start to spend a similar amount of time with him. Will it change us? Did spending time with your girlfriend change you? Did you stop doing things she didn’t like, and start doing things she did? Maybe, just maybe, spending time with God and falling in love with him will have a similar effect on us, and through us, our surroundings.
What does that have to do with church? Plenty, because just as in any relationship, we can go through rocky periods, and need help from our friends. Did friends ever help you reconcile with your girlfriend or wife after an argument, or tell you when you were treating her badly? That’s why we need a group of friends to help us in our relationship with God – and that is church.