Why We Home Church??

It really "feels" like fall today, its raining and you just want to snuggle up with some coffee and a good book! I am reading a book right now, Heaven by Randy Alcorn. We are doing school and then we will get the "Working Wednesday" cleaning day going! We finally got the guys out of here, rain and construction work do not go well together but I think they had something they could go do. I read this morning in the Morning and Evening by Spurgeon, I enjoy this alongside the scripture. It speaks so deeply where we have trod and where we all will travel at some point along this pilgrimage....

The Lord trieth the righteous Ps.11:5 All events are under the control of Providence; consequently all trials of our outward life are traceable at once to the great First Cause. Out of the golden gate of God's ordinance the armies of trial march forth in array, clad in their iron armour, and armed with weapons of war. All providences are doors to trial. Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned in seas of prosperity as well as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are not too high, and our valleys are not too low for temptations: trials lurk on all roads. Everywhere, above and beneath, we are beset and surrounded with dangers. Yet no shower falls unpermitted from the threatening cloud; every drop has its order ere it hastens to the earth. The trials which come from God are sent to rove and strengthen our graces, and so at once to illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues, and to add to their energy. Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people's faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith which now supports you if the trial of your faith had not been like unto fire. You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant grace. Worldly ease is a great foe to faith; it loosens the joints of holy valour, and snaps the sinews of sacred courage. The balloon never rises until the cores are cut; affliction doth this sharp service for believing souls. While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk it is useless to man, it must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be known. Thus it is well that Jehovah trieth the righteous, for it causeth them to grow rich towards God.

I always enjoy getting e-mails and answering questions, not that we have all the answers by any means, I just like communicating with folks what we are learning and being teachable as what we need to learn. There are people that have traveled before the Morris family, that are rich in faith and understanding and we certainly want to glean from those and then there are those that are coming up behind and we should always be ready to give an answer to those of the hope that lies within. The question was why we home church and this is a very concise answer to that.

Thanks for your questions about our home church. We have been participating in home church for over three years now. Our main goal is to seek to be a New Testament Church. We know that the church did meet in homes in the New Testament (although there were some places that were ‘neutral sites’ or the Temple itself in Jerusalem.)

We believe that we can retain the simplicity of worshiping together as a family in this setting. So much of the modern traditional church is oriented to the 20^th century culture of age grading where the family is split apart as soon as they enter the building. This is really not a scriptural practice and it minimizes the father’s role, which our home church emphasizes.

We seek to counter the worldly methods that have crept into the church, and also to maintain sound doctrine and practice. We subscribe to what is called the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith as our doctrinal statement. These truths are not taught in many modern churches. We also seek to maintain modesty in dress and maintain biblical roles for both the men and the women in worship. We expect the men to lead and for the women to remain silent according to 1 Corinthians 14.

Another area that we emphasize is godly music. We sing the old hymns of the faith and reject modern rock style music. We spend time in prayer and we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday

I am so grateful for all of you that continue to come along side of our family and for being there, many just read our story and thats great, but I enjoy the communication through e-mails and comments, thanks for your support and encouragement!

Josiah is counting the days until his birthday, 10 and counting down. This morning he came and did his little visit in my room and said, "I hope it dosen't rain on my day." I said, "well, lets pray and ask God to give us a good day if he is willing." He encouraged my heart yesterday that "Balley" will have a birthday too up there!!

Cindy