Journal Ro 16 (all references are from the ESV; changes in punctuation are mine)
Scripture: “Greet Prisca (Priscilla) and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life; to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house…” Ro 16:3-5a
Observation: Where is “vision” found? Sometimes it has to be sought after in the most obvious places…like the Scriptures.
Analysis: How is the function of the Church to be pursued? Is it in “big” church or is it in “small” church settings? Is it somewhere in between?
Is it supposed to be big enough that the motivated few run the functions of a local church while others are gathered to fund the operations? Is it supposed to be small enough that it is composed of radicals who get burned out in a few years? Is it somewhere in between?
Big churches are great to hide in, small churches are not (unless they are trying to be big churches on small platforms so that people can hide if they want).
Small groups are today’s equivalent of house churches, if only in a sense. It is an organized way for informal formal care to Believers that cannot be done in a Sunday service. They are implied in Scripture, not mandated—implied in a sense that the expectation of Believers would be to fiercely pursue Jesus and use whatever means they have at their disposal to reinforce that pursuit AND local leadership to provide something for Believers to pursue against.
So, why am I reviewing this today? Perhaps a longing for something undefined. Perhaps hospitality that is more than snacks and game scores (although that is good as well).
Perhaps to cast vision…
Prayer: Lord God, I point this out to my wife often: Take the long view. If I get myopic and only see what is happening today, then I only tend to the urgent and neglect the important. If I want to walk worthy of the Gospel, then I must bring tending to the important as critical, without neglecting the urgent.
The culmination of the Gospel is just beyond the horizon, and I must be resolute in chasing it down.
How resolved am I?
Amen
Ricky Two Shoes