Transmission for Wednesday November 15th 2006
November 20, 2006
The very first Christian “churches” to exist were house churches. Every week on the Sabbath Christians would gather at someone’s house to eat, pray, sing, dance and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. These early Christians lived in a very harsh, cold world. They were generally peasants who were often sick and on the verge of starvation, and their Christian status meant they were persecuted by the Roman government. But when they met in their house churches they could forget about these troubles. Everyone brought what little food they had, so there was plenty for all. In these small communities there was no differentiation between slaves and free, between women and men, or Roman and non-citizens. (Gal 3:28) For just a few hours these poor persecuted people could forget about their troubles and experience the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth.
In our present day we are fast approaching the last Sunday of the liturgical year, before it all starts over again with Advent. In some traditions this Sunday is called “The Sunday of Doom,” because on that day we think about the future when Jesus Christ will come again and Judge the world. It is said he will break through the murky clouds of this earth with a shaft of light and a trumpet sound and restore the Kingdom of Heaven on this world. (Rev. 1:7)
These two elements created the back drop and the theme for our worship experience last Wednesday night.
We started out with a game, usually played at youth group or leadership events, where everybody gathers in a cluster. Each person then grabs the hands of two other people, at random. Now we are in the natural state of this world, disorganized, confused, and uncomfortable. With a little team work and God’s help we were able to untangle this disorderly knot and create a circle without letting go of each others hands. Once in a circle we heard Matt 18:20 “For where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am, in the midst of them.” Then, we all joined in a rousing chorus of “Jesus Walk with Me.”
After this the lights were turned low and we broke bread and drank wine together. The food was a little delayed, but as we waited and eventually ate, we began to share with each other our own experiences of God. The question, “When have you felt God’s presence, or experienced the divine, in your life?” There were many deep and passionate stories. Some people told of finding God at a funeral in the deepest despair, or when they were far away from home. One person talked about getting lost in the Spirit at a concert where that person was able to sing out with his\her whole being. And still others said they did not find that God came in an epiphonic moment, but rather in small everyday actions.
After our bellies were full of food and our minds full of stories, we passed around a bowl of oil and blessed one another so that our hearts would be full of love.
To close the service, we said prayed together, ending in a unison Lord’s Prayer. Then, because we were trying to create a little slice of Heaven on Earth with our worship experience, we sang “Donna Nobis Pachem,” or “Grant Us Peace.” This quiet song quickly gave way to a spontaneous but quite uplifting chorus of “I Got Peace like a River in my Soul.”
After that, we cleaned up Bowie’s apartment and wished each other well.