LIFESTYLE....Ingredients for Integration

I have been prompted to begin a series on the church life with a borrowed tag "Lifestyle".

In this series I would be considering the need to embrace requisite disciplines essential for church integration.

Most contemporary churches are really as they are called "congregations". Little interaction and superficial relationships.

This is born out of previous experiences in the world or possible hurts and offense within the church.

I am encouraged that the aim to integrate the church is first of all the will of God as Jesus Christ prayed "That they may be one even as we are one". The early church practiced these elements.

As the world is increasingly becoming more fragmented and the basic understanding of family and community is being lost, it is up to the church to rediscover and guard the truth I hope to explore in this series I have tagged "The Church Life".....For the sake of perspective, I have used an alternate tag "Lifestyle"

Psalm 133

A Song of degrees of David.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

In the next few days we would reflect on three characteristics of an integrated church using Psalm 133 as our anchor scripture.

The ingredients are:

1. Unity
2. Spiritual Authority
3. The Blessing

The reflection will focus on the importance of true christian unity as necessary for the power and anointing of God to fall on everyone in the local assembly which will then lead to the ultimate experience of something tangible which Israel understood called "The Blessing".

I look forward to the next few days of study.