Alternatives to Local Church Type of Gatherings and Essence?

[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by alwayscurious

Are there any other alternatives to the LC type of gatherings/essence?

Thank you so much alwayscurious for reaching out with this extremely relevant and important question. It's a very natural thing for those of us leaving a group like the Local Church to want to land in a place that is comfortable for us when we've been suddenly "released out into the wild" as it were.

My take and my advise is to take a little time away from meeting in any formal, corporate way on Sunday. One good thing about this terrible pandemic is that we have lots of opportunity to "visit" all sorts of Christian gatherings without the burden of traveling out of the comfort of our living rooms. I would take advantage of this opportunity if I were you. Nell has given you some good advise- "Finding a church isn’t the answer. Finding Jesus is the answer." I will now steal, and then slightly change, a quote by C.S. Lewis: Aim at Christ and you will get the church thrown in. Aim at the church and you get neither. Of course this kind of consideration is counterintuitive to all that we learned from Witness Lee, who taught us that all we need to do is simply "aim at the church" and then we will get Christ and everything else thrown in. Just aim at the church and your marriage will be healed. Just aim at the church and all will go well with our children. Just aim at the church and our careers will take care of themselves. This turned out to be a false teaching. This turned out to be a damaging teaching.

All this being said, I would give you an encouraging word: "Yet God did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17) Even to this day, God has not left himself without witness, nor without witnesses. The Body of Christ is still very much alive...not as well as she could be or should be...but alive nonetheless. She is not without "spot or wrinkle"...not yet. She is not the glorious bride fully prepared for her awaiting Bridegroom....not yet. Maybe she will never be without spot or wrinkle until the end. Maybe she will never be as glorious until the wedding day. "The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegrooms face". Let us all be found eying our dear bridegrooms face, and leave the building of the church to him.
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[Nell]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

... I will now steal, and then slightly change, a quote by C.S. Lewis: Aim at Christ and you will get the church thrown in. Aim at the church and you get neither.
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A very long time ago in Houston I heard Benson Phillips offer this CSL quote. I don't remember him giving CSL credit though. Of course, Benson apparently didn't believe this himself because he continues his aim at the church (of WL).

Nell

(I'm trying not to blow away UntoHim's post...again...this is my rookie season.)