When we gather, on what ground exactly do we gather?

Most often we gather around a concept or an activity, rather than the person, our Lord. We gather round a program called "church service". We gather to carry out this thing we call church service and all the activities and program therein. We just get occupied doing church services.

Fine, there are those who feel we must come out of church and find another way to fellowship. But when you fellowship on what ground do you gather? Too often we gather around our concept on "how to do church". We gather around a concept call "house church", and we get so occupied doing that thing, trying to conform to that concept.

Yes, it is mainly about our concepts; our concept on kingdom community, ekklesia, fellowship etc. We are no different from the church service people, we have fallen into the same trap. A true gathering of believers should be around Christ, the person. No, not Christ a concept, it has to be the living person.

Concepts are dead things and death can only produce death. The body of Christ is alive, and it is the body of Christ. Not the body some concept, but the body of a living person. So how are we to gather around the person?

Most often our gathering comprises of people of like minded. People who share our concept; our concept of what Christianity is, our concept of how to do church, our concept on kingdom community, our concept on ekklesia etc. When you have this kind of people you will definitely end up gathering around this shared concept.

To gather around the person (Christ), you must have a people who have come to know him as a person. People who have developed an intimate relationship with him, people who have living experience in their walk with this person. Yes, when you have such then it is possible to gather around him.

For as they gather they would want to talk about this person they have given so much of their time to, the things that they did with this person, how this person is coming to influence them, the beautiful moment that they had with this person. Yes, the meeting becomes all about relationship, not religion, not theology, not dead things.

The meeting becomes alive; you can see the life in people's face. Look at them, they are talking about a living experience not some concept in their head. Some even burst into tears as they speak about this person they have come to know so intimately, they have come to know this beautiful man, this man that goes about doing good. He is truly alive to them and he has filled their lives with his goodness. They can't stop talking about all the wonderful things they've experienced walking with him.

And when it's time for more sobering stuff you see those with greater walk with him encouraging the others and telling them of his unfailing ways — they encourage each other in hard times and remind each other of how good this person is and how he never fails to show up, strengthen us, and bring us out of the pit.

You can see that what is going on here is not mere religion, these people are bonding. They have all come to know the same person and on that ground they meet and began to bond. A strong relationship is being built, they are becoming part of each other's lives because this person (Christ) has become their life. Everything is based on this person, not some concept or some ideology. He (Christ) is their bond, he is their gathering ground, their goal and their pursuit. It is all about Christ, the person.

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Christ alone

Gathering isn't bad!
Only that you should go there to be enlightened or educated of scriptures, then you catch your fun interacting with fellow Christians.
But a situation where you go there and present yourself to be brainwashed by fallacy preachers, then it's better you don't go at all

paxonel:
Gathering isn't bad!
Only that you should go there to be enlightened or educated of scriptures, then you catch your fun interacting with fellow Christians.
But a situation where you go there and present yourself to be brainwashed by fallacy preachers, then it's better you don't go at all

Exactly, what we need is true fellowship, not brainwashing, religious rubbish