Question for church-goin Christians...

[Cow Poke]

Follow up question to original: how does one "go to church"?

It's not as important to "go to church" as it is to fellowship with fellow believers.

[KingsGambit]

Looking at what the earliest Christians practiced: There is no mention of church buildings in the Didache (because they probably could not practically exist before the Roman Empire officially tolerated Christianity); just talk of Christians meeting together. However, they met together on a regular basis.

http://www.paracletepress.com/didache.html (chapter 14)

[Steven]

Bill the Cat - there's certainly some like comparisons between modern Christendom and Judaism--regarding congregational traditions--but not all traditions are good... or Biblical.

Regarding "rolling down the aisle", it's true I left a few things out of my broad-brushing... for how could we forget square-dancing with rattlesnakes, laughing, slain the spirit, drunk in the spirit, roaring, monstrances, thuribles, the Christian Faith MasterCard, WWJD bracelets, Ostene self-help best-sellers, feel-the-wamrth Jesus icons that you can plug in (spirit not included), name it and claim it and the Left Behind movies. I could mention Harold Camping and plethora date-setting but, I fear that would be flogging a dead horse at this point... no pun intended.

[KingsGambit]

Bill the Cat - there's certainly some like comparisons between modern Christendom and Judaism--regarding congregational traditions--but not all traditions are good... or Biblical.

Regarding "rolling down the aisle", it's true I left a few things out of my broad-brushing... for how could we forget square-dancing with rattlesnakes, laughing, slain the spirit, drunk in the spirit, roaring, monstrances, thuribles, the Christian Faith MasterCard, WWJD bracelets, Ostene self-help best-sellers, feel-the-wamrth Jesus icons that you can plug in (spirit not included), name it and claim it and the Left Behind movies. I could mention Harold Camping and plethora date-setting but, I fear that would be flogging a dead horse at this point... no pun intended.

With all due respect; this seems like a strawman of the worst excesses. My church isn't involved with any of these. Snake handling is non existent outside of a few churches in Appalachia.

[Steven]

Let me ask a different question; why would a Christian not want to be in fellowship with other Christians (even if this takes a different form than traditional church services?)

KingsGambit, I agree; we should not alienate ourselves from meeting with believers on a regular basis.
"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."

I always found that last part interesting: "and so much more that more As you see The Day approaching," as if the author (my money's on Paul) is indicating that there might one day be a time when believers would no longer assemble themselves together in Christ.

[Steven]

Cow Poke, don't feel left out. I did quantify my audience in the original post with the words "modern Christendom." :-)

[Steven]

With all due respect; this seems like a strawman of the worst excesses. My church isn't involved with any of these. Snake handling is non existent outside of a few churches in Appalachia.

Hey it worked for the Wizard of Oz, lol. Yes, it was tongue-in-cheek, which why I included the self-depreciating phrase "broad brushing." I keep forgetting that Sarcasm doesn't translate well on forums. :-)

[Cow Poke]

Cow Poke, don't feel left out.

I don't.

I did quantify my audience in the original post with the words "modern Christendom." :-)

I was referring to your reference to "protestants". Not all "protestants" are Christians, and not all Christians are "protestants".

[Steven]

I was referring to your reference to "protestants". Not all "protestants" are Christians, and not all Christians are "protestants".

Cow Poke, I agree. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”(Matt. 7:21–23 NKJV)

[myth]

Steven, I'm a bit confused. You seem to agree with most of what was said here. So...why'd you even start this thread?

[Thoughtful Monk]

Looking at what the earliest Christians practiced: There is no mention of church buildings in the Didache (because they probably could not practically exist before the Roman Empire officially tolerated Christianity); just talk of Christians meeting together. However, they met together on a regular basis.

http://www.paracletepress.com/didache.html (chapter 14)

It is unfortunate that church means both church the body of the people and church the building. The body can met without a building and building may not actually contain a body of believers.

In this thread, of course, we are discussing the body of believers. It's probably somewhere between no good reason and a very few good reasons for a believer to NOT be in fellowship. The norm for a believer should be to be in regular fellowship with a body of believers.

[Thoughtful Monk]

Jedidiah - Ah the great Paul of Hebrews debate, but moving from that one... thank you for addressing the post.

It seems to me that there's a large number of protestants who feel very strongly about the importance of church attendance, almost using it as a form of 'absolution' and the protestant church seems willing to play on this guilt for the sake of revenue. And don't get me started on the Catholic viewpoint on this issue... lol

I suspect in Protestant circles, emphasis on attendance is more a sign of legalism especially if tithing is added in to the mix. (For the record after much study I have come to the position that the Christian is not under the tithe.)

[One Bad Pig]

KingsGambit, I agree; we should not alienate ourselves from meeting with believers on a regular basis.
"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."

I always found that last part interesting: "and so much more that more As you see The Day approaching," as if the author (my money's on Paul) is indicating that there might one day be a time when believers would no longer assemble themselves together in Christ.

We ought to take a look at how "the Day approaching" is described for clues - namely, tribulation and persecution. People were not meeting out of fear. In the early church, there even arose a canon law that decreed that anyone who was otherwise able to attend missed three weeks in a row would be excommunicated.

We should also see why the people assembled together: 1 Cor 10:16, Acts 20:7; Acts 2:46 - the breaking of bread, or the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:17-34).

There is quite naturally little instruction on how to meet in the NT; none of the books therein are obvious vehicles transmitting that, and it appears to have merely been an adaptation of the synagogue service. The liturgy was only written down in an attempt to standardize the language as orthodox.

[Truthseeker]

I suspect in Protestant circles, emphasis on attendance is more a sign of legalism especially if tithing is added in to the mix. (For the record after much study I have come to the position that the Christian is not under the tithe.)

You're RCC?

[Truthseeker]

We ought to take a look at how "the Day approaching" is described for clues - namely, tribulation and persecution. People were not meeting out of fear. In the early church, there even arose a canon law that decreed that anyone who was otherwise able to attend missed three weeks in a row would be excommunicated.

We should also see why the people assembled together: 1 Cor 10:16, Acts 20:7; Acts 2:46 - the breaking of bread, or the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:17-34).

There is quite naturally little instruction on how to meet in the NT; none of the books therein are obvious vehicles transmitting that, and it appears to have merely been an adaptation of the synagogue service. The liturgy was only written down in an attempt to standardize the language as orthodox.

I'm not certain Acts 2:46 belongs here.