“Components” of meeting together
Lionel at “A Better Covenant” wrote an excellent article called “Components of the Gathered Saints?” I left this comment there, and I thought I would put it here as well:
I do think there are “components†(if you will) for gathering together with other believers. I don’t think these “components†are specific activities though. Instead, I think they are things like loving one another, considering others as more important, edifying/encouraging/teaching/admonishing/etc one another, serving one another, etc. While some activities encourage these types of “componentsâ€, other activities hinder them. But, it’s not just the activities, but also our attitudes and motives and sometimes even the place we’re meeting that can hinder and/or help these “componentsâ€.
I think this is another way of talking about unchangeable principles vs flexible practices to fulfill them; unchangeable functions vs flexible forms to accomplish them. What a good friend in Wilmington calls the What and Why vs the Where, When, and How.