I just was sent this link from someone on the emergent list-serve that I participate in …
Fairlie is a small farming village in the center of New Zealand�s South Island. For the last two years I had heard about some believers whom God led to give up the religious structure they had become part of to live as the body of Christ together in this region of the world. It was 1986 and some of its leaders felt like God was asking them to give up the structures that constrained their life together, which included not only the institution but also the building where they met. After weeks of praying together and considering this leading, the people unanimously agreed that this is what God was saying to them.
They agreed to lay it all down and let God lead them. The building they used was quite old and after donating all the furnishings that were worth anything to the denomination�s district they were leaving, they offered the building to the fire brigade to burn as a training exercise. (I told you this was an incredible story!)
here is the link to read the article …
SORRY BUT THE ARTICLE HAS EXPIRED FROM THE WEB … (The CHURCH and the CHAIN SAW)
Two things that jump out at me: I particularly like the paragraph that explains how the church did not feel that this was to be the latest church growth method. Secondly, this happened 20 years ago, this is not some idealism created by a controversial new book, but rather a proven enjoyment of God, done because they felt His pleasure in it.
Recently the Marshall Mcluan truism. The medium is the message has been in my mind. One of our greatest mediums is the building in which we meet, I wonder what an outsider would think that they say about us?
