A Gathering

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if hey fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep war; But how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 NKJV

I recently started a regular Sunday morning gathering with a few freinds of mine.  Now, despite bordering on Sunday "church hours," a few of us still manage to attend the weekly pulpit pounder lecture at the local church.  However, this is not exactly what attracted me to this idea when my friend suggested a Sunday morning meeting.  No, for I usually could not care less for the traditional teachings of the institutional church.  However, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to gather weekly with my brothers to talk about Jesus.  Freed from the restrictions of organized church and the traditions which go along with it, these men are able to speak freely.  We talk sports and we talk family, but most of all we talk about Jesus.  There is no opening hymn, no offering and no sermon.  However, I believe that it is because we lack these common church trappings that we've developed closer relationships amongst ourselves and with Christ.  It is here where we are introduced to questions concerning Jesus which we may have never encountered in any church.  It's contemplating, it's soul searching but most of all it's simply our pursuit to know that much more about Jesus.  Is this what makes our weekly meeting more popular with me than any church service?  Maybe, or perhaps it's just a greater desire to know my Lord that much better.  Believe me, I've done the church thing, but it all too often seemed like the same old organized, choreographed show each week. I believe that men are looking for more than this.  Men need a place where they can do "Guy talk" while still feeling free to talk about this man Jesus.

Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2: 44-47 NKJV

I recall the mens conferences which seemed so popular for awhile.  From Promise Keepers to Men at The Cross, men would gather to worship and learn, perhaps for the very first time, about Jesus.  I believe one of the reasons why these gatherings were popular is that for the first time we saw a christian event geared towards men.  It seemed only logical, for it men were called to be the spiritual leaders of the home, then we needed to reach men for Jesus.  Now, I will also say that one of the big downfalls of these gatherings was the lack of follow up following the event.   Here we had thousands of men gathering to hear about Christ, yet when the event was over, there was hardly any follow through on behalf of the producers of the events.  We were investing time and money to reach men for Jesus, then saying goodbye once the conference was over.  Now, I'm not sure if any men felt abandoned by this, but I'm sure many were left with a feeling of, what do we do now?  I mentioned that I value greatly our  weekly Sunday morning gatherings and the fellowship which we've developed.  This is exactly what needed to happen in the wake of many of these so called mens conferences.  Guys need a place to be men, to talk about things that men talk about while at the same time feelling free to open up about Christ.  It is a rare opportunity, but one we must engage in if we are to reach men for Jesus.

~Scott~