Too Hungry For Words – Discovering the truth and beauty of the Gospel

After reading the first chapter, I recalled stories of kids playing a game at Camp Cilca. I never went, but they talked about playing this one game like it was the most fun they had ever had. I am not sure of the name, but it was something like Hidden Church. I listened jealously as they discussed teams and team members and team names. I had a very vivid imagination and had quite the game worked out in my head. I’ve still never played.

But after reading the first chapter, I thought it would be, well, fun is the wrong word, but I thought I would like to, well, play is the wrong word too. I imagined people having to walk to church at strange hours and sneak in at different times just in order to meet and discuss God’s Word.

Then I read chapter two only to discover that’s sort of exactly what the author’s church did. The picked Friday evening, 6pm to midnight, and they stripped down service to just people and their Bible’s. They didn’t quite get rid of their comfy chairs, but it was certainly not the dazzling service full of music and power points that they were used to. They were uncertain of how many would come. In the end, 1,000 was not unheard of.

The author also spoke of going to rural Asia and being asked to stay for 10 days in order to teach the Old Testament. When he was done, he was asked to teach the New Testament on his last day.

And I try to think of someone that I would be willing to listen to for 10 days while they teach me the entire Bible.

And it occurs to me that it didn’t so much matter who, BECAUSE it was all so very new to them. If I had never heard the Bible Stories growing up, I would probably be captivated as well.

As it is, I would love to sit and discuss the Bible with an intense group of people for an indefinite amount of time. I don’t want to sit and listen to the same thing from the same person at the same decibel for much longer than an hour. Probably more like 10-45 minutes.

We’re the ones that put the Church inside a church. We don’t need more church. We need more Church.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)