house church | Page 2 of 2 | Author Peter DeHaan

By James Rutz (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

In The Meaning of Life, author James Rutz takes a new look at some of the standard thinking about God.

He examines anew God’s creation, corrects common misconceptions about what heaven and hell are really like, revisits history to address its central theme and approaching conclusion, addresses the problem of evil, and takes aim at clarifying some of the Bible’s perplexing passages.

His purpose in doing so is to remove the intellectual stumbling blocks to faith. However, all this is merely a prelude to his main objective: offering “an enticing alternative to old-fashioned, Sunday morning Christianity.”

Although The Meaning of Life is a standalone book, Rutz does make multiple references to is prior work, Megashift, which was published the prior year.

Both works take vastly different approaches and cover a different theme to arrive at the same place: house churches.

Toward this end, Rutz first suggests that it is time to “reboot the church”; then he encourages readers to “make an end run around the church” by starting their own (their own church, that is, not their own religion).

Rutz proceeds to reel off a string a house church benefits where participants can experience “team life,” with “24/7 support”; “have mutual accountability”; “form deep, loving relationships”; “find solutions to many…deep seated problems”; realize “tremendous empowerment”; “gain a new authority”; discover freedom and a “greater identity as part of the royal priesthood”; and be offered “the ultimate challenge – daring high-stakes, history-changing adventure.”

In addition, there will be the free worship of God, where his presence is clearly felt.

“When the [church] meeting is open,” Rutz notes, “the Holy Spirit is allowed to direct things as he wants, His presence can be heart-stopping—like nothing you’ve ever experienced.”

Rutz then offers a dozen rules for those who desire more out of life. He concludes The Meaning of Life with five keys to help readers understand the problem passages found in the Bible.

[The Meaning of Life, by James Rutz. Published by Empowerment Press, 2006, ISBN: 9780966915846, 138 pages.]

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I think it was Reggie McNeal who first said, “People…are not leaving the church because they have lost their faith. They are leaving to preserve their faith.”

That statement may be shocking—even heretical—to some, but I suspect that for many it is enlightening, effectively explaining declining church attendance, albeit in a disconcerting and confronting manner.

For a growing number of folks, this quip either gives voice to the ache in their hearts or offers credence to their faith journey.

When I first heard this statement, it immediately resonated with me, explaining spiritual angst that I saw around me. Today, however, my comprehension of this idea has grown to underscore my own spiritual angst.

Though I still attend an institutional church, I suspect that I no longer belong there.

An amazing friend is seeing this played out. Increasingly she is meeting those who love Jesus, but no longer “go to church.”

Although they long for meaningful community and connection with other like-minded believers, they do not find it in the typical Sunday morning church service—so they give up.

How sad.

However, there are a growing number of viable alternatives. For my friend, it is a house church.

For others it may be a “small group,” a parachurch organization, or simply an intentional meeting with others who share their faith journey or faith questions.

To the disenfranchised, I encourage you not to give up. Keep seeking until you find the spiritual community that your heart longs for. It is out there.

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