TAKE TEN
I WROTE THIS BLOG IN 2021, IT IS SO PROPHETIC —- FORETELLING FULL MEASURE’S “THE GATHERING” WOW, THE SWEET PROVIDENCE OF GOD!
A thought I want to share with you.
Curiously this question came to mind in the last week: "How many people did it take to form a synagogue? This is the answer I found:
Jewish worship requires a minyan (a quorum of ten adult males) to take place. In an Orthodox synagogue, the service will be conducted in ancient Hebrew, and the singing will be unaccompanied. Few British synagogues now have a choir, but they are more common in the USA. Aug 13, 2009
This is what I thought might be the case. It is ten. Despite the gender reference, I find it curious that a community of believers in Jehovah constituted an official "gathering" or "assembly" when there are ten people present. Isn't this amazing that in most cities in America, that have not been ordered into complete lockdown people have been asked to gather in groups no bigger than ten? In fact, Austin is now in shelter-in-place, but allows congregations to gather in groups no larger than ten to produce electronic worship service for their congregants.
Wow! in my limited research of the synagogue it was an assembly of Jews and is translated as a congregation. A synagogue is not a temple. And, the gathering, assembly, or congregation is often used synonymously with the building where the congregation is gathered. The word church is often used similarly.
But, in actuality, neither church nor synagogue is the same as the building. Rather, the church is defined as the "called out ones." It is the Greek word, ekklesia used in reference to a gathering of citizens." Ekklesia is defined as a political assembly of citizens of ancient Greek states especially: the periodic meeting of the Athenian citizens for conducting public business and for considering affairs proposed by the council.
The Council of 500 represented the full-time government of Athens. It consisted of 500 citizens, 50 from each of the ten tribes, who served for one year. The Council could issue decrees on its own, regarding certain matters, but its main function was to prepare the agenda for meetings of the Assembly.
Greek Boulē, is the deliberative council in ancient Greece. It is probably derived from an advisory body of nobles, as reflected in the Homeric poems. A boule existed in virtually every constitutional city-state.
An Ekklesia is a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly, an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating.
The Assembly (ἐκκλησία) was the regular opportunity for all male citizens of Athens to speak their minds and exercise their votes regarding the government of their city. It was the most central and definitive institution of Athenian Democracy.
So this assembly, this gathering was always meant to refer to the people rather than the building in which the people gather, in Greek democracy, and Christian-Jewish worship services.
The Church is defined as:
the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven
So in a time when we are not able to gather in great numbers to pray, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and deliberate, meditate on the assembly of heaven, let us remember that the Church universal is the people, worshiping the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus the Christ. And, God inhabits our praises.
This is how the assembly of heaven is described in Hebrews the 12th chapter. This is what the Church--- the called-out ones is gathering to come into:
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12:22-23)
My God, how powerful this is! We who are gathered in Jesus' name come into the heavenly assembly that includes those saints who, while on earth, have been declared in right standing with God, through their faith in the salvific work of Jesus. They have been made complete in heaven.
We are called into the company of those whose names are written in heaven.
The gathering, called the Church comes to God when they gather.
The gathering called the Church comes to Jesus and to the blood of Christ that speaks as the broker of a new covenant, louder than the blood of Abel. And, God paid heed to the blood of Abel, so how much more shall God heed the blood of Jesus.
What is the point? The Church universal is not confined to a building or to the internet. The Church is the gathering of people and the people coming into the heavenly assembly, with God, Jesus, and the saints who have gone before.
The blog that preceded this one emphasized Hebrews 10:22. But here is the full passage of scripture. Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;21 And having an high priest over the house of God;22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
This is so incredible to me. First, in a manner of speaking, when we assemble we are entering into a divine parallel universe, And, then we enter into the Holy of Holies, where God resides and we can draw near to this presence, even as God draws near to us. Our approach is with a true heart in full assurance of faith. And, God is faithful that promised, for all God's promises are yes and amen (so be it; it is done). We gather to provoke one another to good works. For we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God ordained us to walk in from the beginning.
This is the nature of the Church and this is the why and the how of our gathering.
About 25 years ago I remember sitting in a building where the congregation to which we were then committed gathered at the time. I was talking to the pastor of our congregation, the leader of our praise and worship team, and my husband. I was loudly, emphatically conveying the point that in 25 years the American Church would look totally different than it did at that time. I was declaring that I had the sense that in 25 years we would not recognize the Church as we knew it then.
My linchpin scripture for the aforementioned revelation was Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22 and Luke 5:33-39. Here is one of Jesus' parables. Jesus uses the analogy of wine in old and new wineskins. No one he says, puts new wine in old wineskins, as it will waste the wine and ruin the wineskin. New wine must be put in new wineskins.
I understand this to mean that a new and living way cannot be contained in an old structure. A new way must be embodied by a new structure. Hear me when I say there are fundamental elements of the Church that will never change. Christ will always be the head of the Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church's offense. When we gather, we will always have access to God, Jesus, a great company of angels, and to the spirits of those righteous humans, who have been made perfect in heaven.
How we gather and how we deliver our message of hope or assemble to worship, pray, and sing songs hymns, and spiritual songs may change. Could this be the new wine poised to fill a new wineskin?
I must admit, when I first began to muse about this, 25 years ago, I ran ahead of God, trying to impose this concept and determine the structure of the new paradigm. God had to show me through experience that there is nothing wrong or bad about old wine. In fact, it is coveted. Old wine is good wine, however, old wine must stay in old wineskins, and new wine in new wineskins.
I have learned my lesson. The word of the Lord never expires. God will bring God's word to pass. I suspect we are on the precipice of a new wine skin that contains the fresh wine that the Holy Spirit is poised to pour out. Perhaps it begins with gatherings of 10 people. Perhaps this gathering is on the telephone. Maybe it is calling across the back fence.
I am waiting on the Lord for answers. In the meantime. I am going to use the rod in my hand in faith and begin to assemble with at least ten people to pray, sing, worship, and join the great assembly in heaven. Just those in my immediate household almost half. I can join my family via phone or zoom and make the other 10 and then some. How long has it been since we had family devotion? How long has it been since we sat around the table and deliberated on the things of God versus the news or who is running for office? Let me encourage you. Now is the time for the new wine. And, perhaps we are discovering a new paradigm. If a person lacks wisdom let them ask God and God will give it to them liberally without scolding them. Now is the time to ask God, to deliberate and meditate in the presence of the divine assembly, "What is the Spirit saying"? Let us be the church even as we sheltered in place. Could it be that this is a place of the Lord? Could our homes, our households, our immediate neighbors, our clusters of koinonia, be God's new Holy Spirit wineskin? pastor jen