How is house church different? Our friend Mark says, “Jesus is completely relational and His church should be 100% relational!” This comment made us reflect on the elements of regular church, or the church we have grown to normalize versus what we have come to experience in our last year and a half in house church.
- Stopping to address needs. If someone comes in sad or grieving, the tone immediately shifts. Song selection changes. Prayers are longer and more comforting. This is Jesus. He is the Lord who leaves the ninety-nine to go to the 1 who is in need. He is the one who stops and speaks to Zaccheus. The body collectively adjusts. This is a beautiful thing to watch in house church.
- Speaking the truth in love. There are times when one of us isn’t functioning well in the family of believers. Sometimes its being overly political or talking too “super spiritual” and not being real. Sometimes it is as simple as not talking at all, that makes a room of disciples feel awkward. These moments create an opportunity for the family of believers to come together and actively mature each other in real time.
Relational skills develop in a relational model. We are very eager to keep following a very dynamic Lord as we practice the “masterful friendship of Jesus” in Sarasota.
