when parting ways is necessary

{collaborated thoughts with Vince, my spouse}

I’ve had that sinking feeling for two weeks now. You know the kind, when things go wrong? When you feel squeezed and pressured to explain so many things over and over again. I’ve fasted and prayed and had long, long nights of little sleep.

Nothing’s really changed for us as a family. How others see us, that has changed.

Church to us, is our small fellowship and that is all. No dramatic swing or epic explosion caused it, we have always felt that way. We never left the church building to become part of another church movement or something beyond a little house group. This is enough for us: to worship Jesus and be lead by His Spirit.

How can we yoke ourselves with everyone as multiple groups grow larger and larger?

Nor, can we submit to every church denomination for some uptopia of “unity” {which isn’t really unity, but compromise or some other such thing}.

There is only one mind and one body that unites us and that is Jesus. To say we need to submit to other groups for some case of unity, is the epitome of contradictions, when they, themselves don’t “submit” {nor even agree} with other churches in our area.

If “unity” is to be applied their way, we all need to be one for ”unity”. At least that is, our group needs to be one with them or we are divisive in their eyes. But they themselves don’t even apply their “unity” on themselves, but only as they see fit.

We only know in part, prophesy in part, speak in part and so we are parts of Him and He is the One Body that makes us whole. Unity isn’t trying to make everyone agree with us or with eachother. Unity, is only by Jesus, not by groups or men or denominations or churches.

And submission is based on trust relationships and that takes time. Unity isn’t based on how well you submit to someone, it is based on our focus of Jesus Christ as Lord. It’s by the Spirit we are lead to do what He says, and go where He leads, and to speak what He speaks. That is all the unity we have, whether Baptist, or Methodist, or some other Protestant denomination, or Pentecostal, etc. There are various directions which these different churches believe, but the one constant is Jesus.

We don’t see {separate} churches as being evil, but as a way of peacemaking between brothers and sisters, so that we can worship Jesus. It doesn’t mean we can’t ever meet with other body’s of believers if we are focused on the perfect Body.

If I go down to the Baptist church or the Methodist Church, or some multi-denominational worship service {once a month} doesn’t mean I am Baptist or Methodist. It just means I worshipped Jesus with them.

Are there barriers for worship?

I don’t have to be part of your “church” to worship Jesus with you. Because as far as I can see, He is the ONLY perfect body that makes us One body. Why is it so hard for some to understand that we can worship together and still be in separate churches, unless people have taken ownership of us, in some way?

There should always be freedom to come and sit at His feet, no matter where we “church”. All of our homes are eternally in Christ and this is where we meet when together.

These times of adversity for our small group, have brought up the workings of the Spirit which have knit this little organic body more closely together. We aren’t mad. We aren’t angry. Even if others wondered about ulterior motives. We are all fallible. Every last one of us.

And ‘though other people trying to understand this “new” thing about us, feel as if something had to have happened, it didn’t. Really.

We just want to worship and focus on Christ. That doesn’t mean we can’t still see them (as we have) or fellowship with them (as we have), it just means we are separated by relationships that are minimal at best, NON-existant at worst, beyond a brief monthly meeting. It is very simple and uncomplicated.

Our love hasn’t changed. Our ideas haven’t changed. Our “church” hasn’t changed. The only thing that has changed are words. We are speaking from our hearts, what was already there the whole time.

Unity isn’t found by one man, nor is it found in large groups {for us}, nor is it found in multiple groups. It is only found in Love.

Unity doesn’t come and beat us down to agree, but it gives itself up for Love. Unity is having the like-mindedness of Christ where all power to love was Bodily poured out for us.

So to say, a small group IS our church, is enough for us. I can’t speak for them.

Yet we know none of it matters, because Christ is our all-in-all, and there is no more to say. If we have Him, then we can trust eachother to Him. And if we have the Spirit, we leave eachother with the Counselor. If we believe God is big and even bigger than we imagine, then we hand eachother over for His good purposes. And if He is our Father who hears our prayer, then we tell Him to bless them and care for them. And if we have faith, we believe He is able and more abundantly so, to Shepherd His people.

There are only two commandments that sums up the whole law and they are bound by love. We can be separate and still love, if nothing else.

“Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,  ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40

Related articles

• Unity in the Body (goldenbible.wordpress.com)

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