ROUND

I ran into someone the other day - as I often do - who said:

"Hey, you're Pastor Kevin, aren't you?"

"Yes.  Great to see you."

"You too.  I visited your church last weekend.  It was great."

"Thanks so much.  Please come back."

And though I won't say this, I'll think it.  You didn't really visit our church last week.  It was a service - a gathering - row-style ministry - but it wasn't really our church.

Because real church happens in the round - in circles - not in the weekend rows so much.  I mean, I love what happens on the weekend.  The apostle Paul told us to keep on meeting.  Something takes place when the church of Jesus comes together in the big corporate setting that can't be duplicated any other time -- not to mention, I make a living talking to people in rows.  But as good as rows are, real church and real community don't happen at their very best in the weekend row environment. They happen best sometime during the middle of the week - in the round.

Church happens down the hall on Wednesday nights when kids sit in small groups and someone breaks open the Bible and they can ask:  'What does that mean anyway?'

Church goes on Thursday nights (coming soon) when Journey Young Adults gather to talk about what's happening in their lives and what they're experiencing from God - where someone can say:  "I'm not really sure I buy what PK was trying to sell us on Sunday morning."

Church happens on Wednesday and Friday and Sunday nights when ten to twelve people meet in a home somewhere in our cities and have a meal and read the Word and watch a video and talk and pray together.

That's church.  And that doesn't happen best in rows.  It happens best in the round.

And be blessed.