Come Together

Alright, a sleepy saturday morning with nothing much to do except read and write on the blog! Now that doesn't come once a week like the calendar says it should. Seems like it was 1992 the last time a saturday llike this rolled around.

I'm still reading in this Luke Timothy Johnson book, Scripture and Discernment and he gives another good road sign that points towards how we think about the church. He suggests that the doctrine of the church must begin with the local assmbly, because of Jesus words, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:20).

does that suggest that this is the primary identity of the church? Is it primarily the gathering together of people in the name of Jesus? I think that opens a lot of doors of self-understanding for the church if we begin in that place. to meet in the "name of Jesus" is such a loaded phrase, and can mean so much. It gives us a good boundary too, since it would mean we can only do as "church" what we can faithfully do in Jesus' name. It is full of promise too, since it comes with Jesus' pledge not only to be with us, but to honor our askings. The more I look at it, this passage in Matthew 18 also deals with accountability(if a brother sins against you...), forgiveness(seven times?), mission (lost sheep), and even leadership (who is the greatest). I think this is a place I want to spend some time over the coming days, and see what it yields.

Grace.