[Vision2020] Christ Church and freedom of religion

[Taro Tanaka]

J Ford writes:

[[ "failure to attend congregational worship at church when one is able to 
is a sin." Says who? Where in the Bible does it say this? Several times it 
says Jesus attended temple "as was His practice" but it NEVER says "so as to 
not appear to be committing a sin."

Man's invention - man's corruption. Don't put it on God what YOU want to 
have happen. ]]

Jackie, a person who refuses to participate in congregational worship, when 
he or she is able to, in effect excommunicates himself.

Paul says to the Corinthian church, "The cup of blessing which we bless, is 
it not the communion of the blood of Messiah? The bread which we break, is 
it not the communion of the body of Messiah?"

Of course, the church's celebration of communion as an integral part of 
worship was in direct response to Jesus' command to do so. (Luke 22:19,  1 
Cor. 11:24-25)

Even a clergyman cannot conduct the Lord's Supper outside of congregational 
worship. A pastor cannot invite a friend over to his house for a meal, and 
as they sit down to eat, the pastor cannot offer bread to his friend as the 
body of Messiah, or wine as Messiah's blood. The only place anyone has ever, 
or can ever, partake of the elements of the Eucharist is in the context of 
congregational worship.

So what happens to people who deliberately absent themselves from 
congregational worship? They are cut off from communion -- effectively 
excommunicated.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, 
and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.Whoso eateth my flesh, and 
drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last 
day.For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that 
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the 
living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, 
even he shall live by me." (John 6)

Note Jesus' words from John 6 very carefully. If one fails to partake of the 
Eucharist, there is no life in that person. And the Eucharist is only 
available in congregational worship.

Jackie, Christianity is not gnosticism. It is more than mere intellectual 
assent to certain timeless, placeless, disembodied concepts. It involves the 
entire body, including eating and drinking. Thus participation in the 
congregational worship by the body of believers in the local church, which 
consummates with the acts of chewing and swallowing Messiah's flesh, and 
drinking His blood, is essential to the life of the Christian. Fail to do 
that, and one excommunicates one's self. One doesn't cease to be a Christian 
so much as bring the curses of the covenant upon one's self. Of course, 
suicide by self-excommunication, like any other sin, is something of which 
we can repent. A person who repents of this sin can be forgiven and restored 
to full fellowship in the body of Christ, in which there is life.

Jackie, I hope this has been of some profit to you and any others who may 
read it.

-- Princess Sushitushi

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