By Nathan Hobby for Oikos magazine (not
published)
If
meeting in a home is not essential to the Oikos idea of ‘home church’,
what is?
I
believe the ‘church’ aspect should be.
The
house church movement should not simply be disenchanted evangelicals trying new
things. If we want a dynamic movement at
the cutting edge of the kingdom, we need to be theologically brave.
The
house church movement needs to be a movement which reframes issues and
Christian life in terms of the Body of Christ - that is, the church. The home church restores the collective
nature and responsibility of faith-living.
Instead of being anonymous believers watching a performance, we become
parts of a body working together in the service of the kingdom.
This
involves a radically different way of approaching everything from abortion to
business evangelism to ‘reaching’ the present generation.
Abortion
becomes more than the individual against the system. Instead, we have the opportunity to provide a
lived alternative to the world’s way of doing things. As a radically loving people who believe that
humans are made in the image of God, we are not just opposed to the killing of
the unborn - we in our home churches will be offering to take in and look after
unwanted babies and/or their mothers. We
will be sacrificial in our time and money.
Yes, we may end up in prison - but we will just as soon end up in the
poor house. Our tool will not be
co-ercion but love.
As
a radically loving people who believe that Christ is lord of all, even
business, we transform our commercial practices in the light of Christ. Because we share everything, even money, we
are scared of nothing - not even losing our jobs or profits.