I left my hat at Elvis's house. My beloved, grey Stetson hat. I left it
downstairs in the yellow basement where Elvis had 3 TV's on the wall. He
used to watch all three at one time - a 1970's forerunner to fine art of channel surfing.
But it was the kitchen, not the basement that formed the heart of Elvis's
house. It was here that friends and guests used to hang out, hour after
hour, waiting for the meatloaf to cook. Once Elvis had meatloaf everyday for
6 months!
You really get to know people when you hang out in their homes. I never
personally met Elvis but visiting his home in Graceland has given me an
intimate look into the man and the legend
Houses are fast becoming the place where the best things happen. Consider
these things:
-House museums, like Graceland, are growing much faster than institutional
museums. People prefer to meet a historical figure within the context of
where they lived - their home!
-The coolest parties in New York, or so I was told when I was there
recently, are the house parties where only those who are friends of the host
or the DJ's get invited.
-The best place to watch the football match is not battling the crowds at a
stadium and paying too much for a hotdog. Many of us would rather hang with
our friends in the house that has the best home entertainment system. And we
get to decide what food and drink we really want.
-My kids don't "go" to school. Everyday they transform the living room into
a multi-media education environment, just like other homeschooling kids.
They are not complaining.
The same goes for church. We drove our motorhome around the United States
twice last year and found young people starting churches in their living
rooms and kitchens all over the country. They were not calling them "house
churches". Sometimes they were not calling them anything at all. But there
was no doubt for them that when it comes to sharing life together on a
spiritual level that is deep and wholistic, meeting in the environment where
people live is as good as it gets.
And it doesn't end with a benediciton. People hang out in each others homes
as much as they can. Its like a party that never stops. Friends constantly
coming in and out, homeless kids sleeping on the couch, art taking over the
walls, the coffee maker pushed to capacity. Not exactly the "House of
Refuge" sanctuary of the Old Testament but a sanctuary of sorts for hurting
people that want to connect with flesh and blood in the warm context of a
home rather than make an appointment to talk to a strange person in a
sterile office. The couch is replacing the cubicle as the place where people
share the most intimate moments of their life.
You could call it 24/7 church because gathering together is a way of life
and it just never stops. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Church buildings
close at 5pm but people's homes are dedicated spaces that are open all hours
to everyone as a 24/7 illustration of God's love for the city.
Around the clock and in cities around the world there are houses of ordinary
people that have been transformed into places of retreat for pilgrims,
hospitality to strangers, and creative portals for artists. Church is
looking less like a cold, dark, empty building and more like a crowded room
of people eating and laughing. According to Jesus, the Kingdom of God is
like a house filled with poor people partying. It is a house that God wants
to be full - stuffed to the brim and overflowing with with His sons and
daughters, laughing hilariously and weeping uncontrollably, watching videos
and waiting for meatloaf. Together forever. 24/7.
Andrew Jones
downstairs in the yellow basement where Elvis had 3 TV's on the wall. He
used to watch all three at one time - a 1970's forerunner to fine art of channel surfing.
But it was the kitchen, not the basement that formed the heart of Elvis's
house. It was here that friends and guests used to hang out, hour after
hour, waiting for the meatloaf to cook. Once Elvis had meatloaf everyday for
6 months!
You really get to know people when you hang out in their homes. I never
personally met Elvis but visiting his home in Graceland has given me an
intimate look into the man and the legend
Houses are fast becoming the place where the best things happen. Consider
these things:
-House museums, like Graceland, are growing much faster than institutional
museums. People prefer to meet a historical figure within the context of
where they lived - their home!
-The coolest parties in New York, or so I was told when I was there
recently, are the house parties where only those who are friends of the host
or the DJ's get invited.
-The best place to watch the football match is not battling the crowds at a
stadium and paying too much for a hotdog. Many of us would rather hang with
our friends in the house that has the best home entertainment system. And we
get to decide what food and drink we really want.
-My kids don't "go" to school. Everyday they transform the living room into
a multi-media education environment, just like other homeschooling kids.
They are not complaining.
The same goes for church. We drove our motorhome around the United States
twice last year and found young people starting churches in their living
rooms and kitchens all over the country. They were not calling them "house
churches". Sometimes they were not calling them anything at all. But there
was no doubt for them that when it comes to sharing life together on a
spiritual level that is deep and wholistic, meeting in the environment where
people live is as good as it gets.
And it doesn't end with a benediciton. People hang out in each others homes
as much as they can. Its like a party that never stops. Friends constantly
coming in and out, homeless kids sleeping on the couch, art taking over the
walls, the coffee maker pushed to capacity. Not exactly the "House of
Refuge" sanctuary of the Old Testament but a sanctuary of sorts for hurting
people that want to connect with flesh and blood in the warm context of a
home rather than make an appointment to talk to a strange person in a
sterile office. The couch is replacing the cubicle as the place where people
share the most intimate moments of their life.
You could call it 24/7 church because gathering together is a way of life
and it just never stops. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Church buildings
close at 5pm but people's homes are dedicated spaces that are open all hours
to everyone as a 24/7 illustration of God's love for the city.
Around the clock and in cities around the world there are houses of ordinary
people that have been transformed into places of retreat for pilgrims,
hospitality to strangers, and creative portals for artists. Church is
looking less like a cold, dark, empty building and more like a crowded room
of people eating and laughing. According to Jesus, the Kingdom of God is
like a house filled with poor people partying. It is a house that God wants
to be full - stuffed to the brim and overflowing with with His sons and
daughters, laughing hilariously and weeping uncontrollably, watching videos
and waiting for meatloaf. Together forever. 24/7.
Andrew Jones
