Rebecca’s poignant thought reflects what I spotted yesterday. On our day out in the Emsworth-Chichester area I spotted a billboard leaning on a wall by steps up to a church. It read, ‘We are NOW open for prayer and reflection’. Whilst focussing upon traffic I briefly thought, “Why ‘now’?” – it implies a welcome change and encouraging invitation for passers-by to drop in. And there was a similar one a few miles back!
Richard's Watch
Looking for the signs of Jesus' return
Richard's Watch 
Richard, if you get a chance, read Pagan Christianity and Re-imaging the Church by Frank Viola and George Barna. I would like to know your thoughts on what they describe as church and what is not.
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Read a fair chunk of the latter a couple of years ago Tony but regret don’t recall much of content. I agreed with most of what I read and I guess the first book would come as little surprise to me.
‘Re-imaging’ was loaned to me by an ex-Anglican couple as it had so strongly motivated them when setting up a house church upon retiring to a secluded valley near Devon’s southernmost tip. A mutual friend recommended we stay in their converted barn and we were delighted to find they held small Spirit-led gathering in their house the next morning. (So we’ve been a few times)
Now and then I’ve noted Frank’s works online. Thanks for the recommendation. Will run off hardcopy of latest interviews on their blog for reading later as it’s going to be a busy week.
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Richard, the dreams that I had about the puzzle pieces and the crayon signify relationship building. I see the house church or simple church, if you will, as a beginning of what the Lord is doing.I believe that the Lord is bringing about a unity in the body such as hadn’t been seen since the book of Acts. The people gathered together holding the individual puzzle pieces had to work with one another to form the image of Jesus. They had to relate to one another to do so. If you recall, in the vision of the pastor holding ask the pieces, the congregation were spectators and not active participants. I see that beginning to change because people are desirous of relationship and it is only in relationship with each other and with Jesus that the puzzle gets put together so that it’s not only those fitting the pieces together are able to see the image of Jesus but also unbelievers. Jesus said that all would know that we were His disciples by the love we had one for another. As persecution arises, this will be more and more evident.
Any thoughts?
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Agree 100% Tony. Re. our earlier discussion, I still intend to refer to this as a lead-in to aspects of my personal testimony as your penult sentence has always been important to me. Altho’ am blessed with not needing to work it’s true that life gets even more active when retired!
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