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Where are the Philadelphia house churches?
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Sometimes when God wants to do something of great magnitude He uses people who boldly come to His throne and say, as Isaiah did, "Here am I. Send me." God used Martin Luther and John Calvin to bring about the Great Reformation.
A recent series of books, manuscripts, and activities centered around a topic known as "house churches" may be another such instance of God's strong arm. Back in 2002, Frank Viola wrote Pagan Christianity and recently published the second edition with co-author Frank Barna. He followed up that work with Re-imagining Church and From Eternity to Here. The third player to come into the picture was me. I wrote three manuscripts that nearly mirrored the thoughts and intents of Viola and Barna. I wrote Christian Mythology, The Remnant, and My Little Children about the same time their books were published. What exactly did God have in mind?
The first matched pairs of books, Viola and Barna's Pagan Christianity and my Christian Mythology both discussed the contemporary practices of Christian churches that are rooted in paganism and the traditions of historical cultures. Viola claimed that such activities hinder the the church from being what God intended. In my books these activities are not just a hindrance, they are sin according to God's Word. They completely prevent right worship of our holy God.
The second pair, Re-imagining Church and The Remnant, pick up and complete the question left open by the first pair. Okay, so we know what is wrong, now what do we do that is right and Biblical? The books paint the picture of God's Church as He formed it and intends her to be.
Basically each of these books conclude that today's institutional churches (the buildings, the organizations, the rituals, the denominations) are not God's design. The church is not a "what, where, or when". The Church is a "who" founded upon God's Word. "And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church...." (Colossians 1:18) The Church is a people no matter what building they are in, where they are, or when they meet. "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (I Corinthians 6:19)
Viola also claimed that God's people should more properly meet in "house churches", that is, the homes of like-minded believers gathered together in fellowship to worship the Lord. There is much in the Bible to support this claim. However, the "house church" is still not the main point. Simply by moving from an institutional church to a house church does not set everything right and in line with the Bible. No. That result comes upon the Church Body of Christ through the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. That single act is unhindered by time, place, or people. It is the basis of our salvation from sin.
Whether you choose to worship in an institutional church or house church pales in comparison to what you choose to do with your sin as a believer. However, I do agree with Viola that being the Church in a house church setting is profoundly easier than within an institutional church. Rid of the sinful practices, traditions, and rituals, believers freely worship in the beauty of holiness, spirit, and truth. (Psalm 29:2, Psalm 96:9, John 4:24).
If your curiosity is piqued and you want to learn more about these books and house church, check out the following websites:
www.paganchristianity.org/
There are eight registered house churches in Philadelphia, five according to www.housechurch.org and three others according to www.hccentral.com. If the movement is as large as Viola claims (in the millions) then perhaps there are more in Philadelphia and its surroundings. Please share your comments about your experiences with house church and your thoughts on Viola's books.
