Dag allemaal,
Een poosje terug zat ik te bedenken dat de meeste georganiseerde religies vergeten zijn wat het woord "ekklesia" voor inhoud heeft en wat een ekklesia in Jezus' tijd was, en waarom Jezus dit woord gebruikte om zijn volgelingen aan te duiden.
Voor degene die Engels spreekt/leest en geïnteresseerd is:
Op amazon.de vond ik een mooi boek, getiteld "Beyond Church - An invitation to experience the lost word of the bible - EKKLESIA". Steve Simms is de schrijver.
https://www.amazon.de/dp/1518744567/ref ... 11_TE_dp_1 Have you ever wanted something more from your faith? More than religion? More than church? One lost and forgotten biblical word, "ekklesia," holds the key to a more vibrant and life-changing Christianity. --Modern English language Bibles quote Jesus as saying, "I will build My church." However, the earliest Bibles have Jesus saying, "I will build my ekklesia." For hundreds of years, this Bible word-switch has misdirected the way the body of Christ meets for worship. --So what does ekklesia mean? Ekklesia was the name of the city council in ancient Greek city-states. It was a democratic, interactive, participatory body of equal citizens sharing their concerns and needs with one another. --In the Western world, traditional church is in decline. Religious categories now include millions who are "Dones" (done with church) and "Nones" (have no church affiliation). --Perhaps it is time for more than church. Steve Simms invites you to go "beyond church" and experience ekklesia, HEAVEN's CITY COUNCIL, not as a theological concept, but as a practical and living reality.
Misschien is het iets om over na te denken, ook over de "elkander teksten". Voor mij is het een eye-opener en het is niet een inhoud die je van te voren al weet. Het zet je aan het denken wat "de ekklesia der heiligen" is .........
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Ook "Unchurching: Christianity Without Churchianity" is een boek die je laat nadenken.
https://www.amazon.de/Unchurching-Chris ... NSAK5HA9CCMillions of believers are currently leaving the organized church, without giving up their faith. Sadly, many are only defining themselves by what they don't do, as Christians who simply “don’t go to church.” It’s time for these believers to catch a vision for genuine spiritual community, outside the walls of organized Christianity, a way of being the church without going to church.
Unchurching: Christianity Without Churchianity will challenge everything you thought you knew about church. Unchurching boldly examines whether organized churches are even biblical. It thoroughly deconstructs the idea of special church buildings, paid pastors, weekly sermons, mandatory tithes and offerings, gender inequality in church leadership, and much more.
Unchurching is intended to empower believers who are done with organized church but aren’t ready to abandon their faith. It will give non-churchgoing Christians a vision for genuine spiritual community that simply functions like an extended spiritual family. And it will equip them with the language to finally articulate that vision to others.
Here's what others are saying about Unchurching:
"I have written several books about church myself, but this one is better than any of the ones I have written." – Jeremy Myers, author of The Atonement of God
"If you are searching for the truth about the way we 'do' church … this is the book for you! I guarantee that it will completely rock your world." – Milt Rodriguez, author of The Community Life of God
"Richard Jacobson has been on both sides of this shift and is uniquely qualified to write about it—which he does well, with insight, humility, and scholarship … Highly recommended." – Felicity Dale, author of An Army of Ordinary People
"As I read this book I felt my pulse quicken and my heart leap for joy because everything Richard writes about is centered on, around, and in relation to the One who would rather die than live without us." – Keith Giles, author of This Is My Body: Ekklesia As God Intended
"Unchurching will help you capture a vision for a fresh start that is built upon the Lord Jesus Christ … " – Jon Zens, author of A Church Building Every 1/2 Mile
Ik heb beide boeken besteld :).
Voor wat het waard is .......
Groetjes,
Elle