Hope that you will enjoy the holidays, that is for us on holiday. This is a article by Matthew Berry, you can visit his BLOG at rawreligion.com

May you have a Christ-centered time. Hope to hear from some-one soon.

Peace

Charl

Source: Article by Matthew Berry
On my way to work last Thursday, I noticed a new billboard on Highway 494.  In the 5:00 o'clock pre-dawn darkness the orange and blues shouted a message to passersby: "Windows - Life Without Walls."

Let me introduce you to The People formerly known as The Congregation.

There are millions of us.

We are people - flesh and blood - image bearers of the Creator - eikons, if you will. We are not numbers.

We are the eikons who once sat in the uncomfortable pews or plush theatre seating of your preaching venues. We sat passively while you proof-texted your way through 3, 4, 5 or no point sermons - attempting to tell us how you and your reading of The Bible had a plan for our lives.

Jesus proclaims a “Gospel”. The Gospel is “Good News”, not good advice. Advice is a recommendation someone offers us about something we should do. The Gospel is Good News about something already done for us.

Wow look at this one!

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Peace Charl

This was taken from the book Reimagining Church by Frank Viola page 23.

I was raised in a Christian home and attended church every time the doors were open. I knew how to live and behave like a Christian should. You might say I was the poster child.

Late in high school and early college, I met some Christians who sparked a passion in me that I never knew was possible. I saw their passion to know Christ in deep ways, and more than that, they actually seemed to know Christ much more deeply than I. In meeting them, I discovered that my own faith and knowledge of Christ was very shallow. You see, I realized that although I enjoyed going to church to be with my family and friends, I really viewed church as an obligation to endure in order to ‘hang out’ with them before and after Sunday school, services, or youth group meetings.

by Frank Viola

I’m looking forward to 2009. I believe it’s going to be an important year for the church of Jesus Christ.

In August, I was privileged to be one of the speakers at a conference for Christians who gather outside the institutional church. Some of the other speakers were Tony & Felicity Dale, Paul Young, Wolfgang Simpson, John White, and Jon Zens.

In one of the leadership sessions, I gave a very short talk in which I stated that I’m not someone who goes around saying that there’s a new move of God happening in our day. In fact, for the last two years I’ve heard many others say this, but I’ve suspended judgment. I then announced that I’m now forced to say that I am convinced that we are in the beginnings of a new move of God.

Why are we dressing up for Sunday mornings? We sometimes use the phrase that say: “We do everything by this Book. Everything!” See sometimes we say things that is not 100% true. Do we read in the Book (the Bible) that we should dress up for church? Is dressing up for Church by the Book?