Radical

from the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

"Just imagine going to a worship gathering in one of those

house churches. The Asian believer who is taking you gives you 

the instructions. "Put on dark pants and a jacket with a hood on it.

We will put you in the back of our car and drive you into the village.

Please keep your hood on and your face down."

When you arrive in the village under the cover of night, 

another Asian believer meets you at the door of the car. 

"Follow me," he says.

With your hood over your head, you crawl out of the car,

keeping your face toward the ground. You begin to walk with your

eyes fixed on the feet of the man in front of you as he leads you

down a long and winding path with a small flashlight. 

You hear more and more footsteps around you as you progress 

down the trail. Then finally you round the corner and walk

into a small room.

Despite its size, sixty believers have crammed into it.

They are all ages, from precious little girls

to seventy year old men. They are sitting either on the floor

or on small stools, lined shoulder to shoulder 

huddled together with their Bibles in their laps.

The roof is low, and one light bulb dangles from the middle

of the ceiling as the sole source of illumination.

No sound system

No band

No guitar

No entertainment

No cushioned chairs

No heated or air conditioned building

Nothing but the people of God and the Word of God

And strangely, that's enough

God's word is enough for millions of believers who gather in

house churches just like this one. His Word is enough for millions

 of other believers who huddle in African jungles, South African

rain forests and Middle Eastern cities. 

But is his Word enough for us?

What if we took away the cool music and cushioned chairs?

What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated?

What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed? 

Would it still be enough for his people to come together?