I've just realized that I don't journal our Thursday group's gatherings. I can't say why.
This group is, essentially, a subset of the Sunday group. It formed out of a desire in some for an even more obedient walk and a more intense approach to provoking each other on to love and good works. And it is all of that.
Sadly and curiously, it is also more closed than some dying CGGC congregations that have no passion for the lost nor love for the gospel and are purely internally focused. The reason for that, I think, is the intensity of the walk of everyone in the group and the fear, among some, that that intensity would be diluted with the inclusion of new blood.
This is offensive to Evelyn and me, but we are doing our best to be patient because so much of the other aspects of the gathering are so good for us.
Interestingly, it is less guided by 1 Corinthians 14:26 than the Sunday group. We rarely sing but our Lord's Supper times are often very, very intense.
Sometimes we come together outside of a home setting to minister to people in our "least of these" universe.
Currently, when we don't go out to serve together we have been devoting time to the study of Francis Chan's, Crazy Love.
Last night we concluded our conversation on chapter 5, which admonishes readers not to be lukewarm. Interestingly, Chan's definition of lukewarm resembles the piety that CGGC leadership advocates in walk, but not talk--a piety that understands church attendance to be the baseline for discipleship. Chan rips that to shreds in both chapters 4 and 5.
Powerful stuff. Convicting and empowering.
And, as always, the meal was tasty and the reflection on Jesus' death on the cross in our taking of the Lord's Supper was particularly convicting and encouraging.
Oh, how I wish some of you all could have the sort of experience we know we can take for granted when this group gathers!
It's far from perfect but it is moving all of us closer to the life New Testament people lived.
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