The Church Gathered
Original Invitation
A CALL TO THE CHURCH: RETHINK–ENGAGE–REPENT–WIN
[email protected], [email protected]
Summary: We are trying to move the dial toward the oneness that Jesus prayed for His Church. Through pastors’ prayer gatherings, we will seek God’s intervention after repenting of the fragmen-tation of the Church. Starting next year in Orlando, leaders (Nicene Creed agreeing) can support this idea quietly or openly and may send a representative. We hope this local effort will expand to the whole Church. The goal is easy to state, but convincing of the need is more complicated. Please read below with a Spirit-guided heart. See the the tab for the optional Resolution and additional scriptures.
Starting in January 2024, Christian leaders will gather for a half-hour of prayer on church grounds every few months, asking God to lead us as we pray.
The schedule:
Hope Lutheran Church COMPLETED
2600 N Dean Rd
(North of Union Park)
25-Jan-24 7:30 to 8:00 am
St John Baptist Church COMPLETED
30 N Lorna Doone Blvd
(Westfield, Orlando)
21-Mar-24 7:30 to 8:00 am
Iglesia Jesus de Nazaret NEXT
26 Willow Dr
(Episcopal--Azalea Pk, Orlando)
23-May-24 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
St Stephen Catholic Community
575 Tuskawilla Rd
(Winter Springs)
8-Aug-24 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
Rolling Hills Moravian Church
1525 FL-434
(Longwood)
24-Oct-24 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
St Peter the Apostle Coptic Ch
8849 Passaic Parkwy
(Vista East)
23-Jan-25 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
Orlando Baptist Church
500 South Semoran Blvd
(Montery, Orlando)
22-May-25 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
LifeSong Methodist Church
at "The Table"
2842 S Alafaya Trail
(Stoneybrook East)
25-Sep-25 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
There is a false unity like the church and state, or with Judaizers or Gnostics. That unity is not the oneness of the Church that God calls us to. Our goal is not to get Christians to agree or look the other way. Truth is worth fighting for, and we do not believe we will ever agree apart from God’s intervention. Our only goal is for Church leaders to corporately seek God about the oneness He intends for us—to lay our burden down at the feet of Jesus and let God do His work.
1 Corinthians 12 says the whole body should work together as one, and no part of the body can say that another part is not needed. We need each other so much that Jesus tells us to forget about pulling out the weeds (the false believers), or else the wheat will be damaged (Matthew 13:24-30, 38).
Denominations seem to work well for us, but God has a different view. Galatians 5:19-21 teaches that those who create divisions from impure motives are like those who practice witchcraft. What about maintaining divisions? We are told to do what seems impossible—to agree, be of one mind, and without divisions (1 Corinthians 1:10, Philippians 2:2, 1 Peter 3:8). Jesus commanded us to love each other and told us to pray that God’s will be done on earth. God’s will for our oneness is clear from The Great Request (John 17:20-23), with the purpose revealed—to bring the world to belief.
Oneness is part of the Gospel (John 11:51-52) not to be ashamed of, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Whatever our reservations, it does not change what the Bible says – agree. It seems to agree is more important than denominations.
God patiently calls us to repent before we understand the extent of our sin or the process. Even so, what hope do we have of agreeing? Here is the good news. We grow in our salvation with fear and trembling at God’s word. The remedy is the same as when we first accepted Christ—acknowledging that we have missed the mark and looking to God to make the needed changes. Scripture guides (see below) seeking God corporately when God's family faces an overwhelming problem without clear answers. Perhaps God is waiting for His Church to say, “God, we've failed again. Help!” We understand confession leads to relationship—first with God and then with each other.
A great request of you: that we gather together to confess, ask God’s forgiveness, and ask God what we can do to have the oneness that He desires. We expect God will move amazingly, and we will also begin to see the purpose of The Great Request fulfilled. Each one who comes is an expression of the desire to follow Christ and makes the Church’s sincerity weightier before God. We will be saying to the Church, “While there is still time, let us seek God together and strengthen what remains.”
When God leads, He does not always give victory immediately (Judges 20). So we will gather again and again. As we pursue God, others will follow our lead. Light will overcome darkness; faith will triumph over faint-heartedness. We believe this is His time, but if not, those who express repentance and seek Him will have His blessing.
What problem is more important, more central to God’s will, which Christians (in general) are not addressing? If this is not simple enough, then what is? If not us, who? If not now, when? Does God want to intervene? Let’s ask. The benefits of oneness are worth it.
If you (or your representative) can attend, please email us. Please prepare your heart. To help bypass junk mail filtering, please add our email to your directory. We welcome someone from your church to join our prayer team as we progress.
Grace and Peace,
Howard Johnson for The Church Gathered Team
SUMMARIES OF SCRIPTURE MODELING CORPORATELY SEEKING GOD
Joshua 7-8 AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TO DO
We have a relationship with God; He expects us to be proactive. Israel sought to conquer a small town. They did not ask God for help but should have. Through one man’s sin, Israel had lost God’s protection. Why had God let them down, they thought? In their total dejection and desperation, Joshua and the elders sought God. God immediately helped, and they moved forward to victory.
Joshua 7-8 AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TO DO
We have a relationship with God; He expects us to be proactive. Israel sought to conquer a small town. They did not ask God for help but should have. Through one man’s sin, Israel had lost God’s protection. Why had God let them down, they thought? In their total dejection and desperation, Joshua and the elders sought God. God immediately helped, and they moved forward to victory.
2 Chron 20:12-29* THE EXAMPLE AGAIN
All of Judah gathered at the temple and prayed for deliverance: “We are powerless . . . but our eyes are on You.” God immediately answered. The enemy was easily defeated; the dread of God fell on all the neighboring kingdoms.
Acts 4:23-31 AND AGAIN
Under threat, the whole Church prayed for boldness. Their location was shaken; they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s word boldly.
Hebrews 4:16*
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” If Church leaders gather in repentance and seek God’s help, God will show us what to do.
REFERENCED SCRIPTURES*
1 Corinthians 12:18-21: But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many parts, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
Matt 13:24-30, 38: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat . . . The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them (the weeds) up?’ But he said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” “. . . and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one;. . .”
Galatians 5:19-21: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality . . . idolatry, witchcraft, . . . selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, . . . and things like these, of which I forewarn you, . . . that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:10: Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Philippians 2:2: make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
1 Peter 3:8: To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble;
John 17:20-23: “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me.
John 11:51-52: Now he did not say this on his own, but as he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation; and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Judges 20 (condensed):
Israel inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.” Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and struck to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel. Israel went up and inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we again advance for battle against Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.” And Benjamin struck eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel. Then Israel inquired of the Lord “Shall I yet again go out to battle against Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”
*New American Standard Bible
A CALL TO THE CHURCH: RETHINK–ENGAGE–REPENT–WIN
[email protected], [email protected]
Summary: We are trying to move the dial toward the oneness that Jesus prayed for His Church. Through pastors’ prayer gatherings, we will seek God’s intervention after repenting of the fragmen-tation of the Church. Starting next year in Orlando, leaders (Nicene Creed agreeing) can support this idea quietly or openly and may send a representative. We hope this local effort will expand to the whole Church. The goal is easy to state, but convincing of the need is more complicated. Please read below with a Spirit-guided heart. See the the tab for the optional Resolution and additional scriptures.
Starting in January 2024, Christian leaders will gather for a half-hour of prayer on church grounds every few months, asking God to lead us as we pray.
The schedule:
Hope Lutheran Church COMPLETED
2600 N Dean Rd
(North of Union Park)
25-Jan-24 7:30 to 8:00 am
St John Baptist Church COMPLETED
30 N Lorna Doone Blvd
(Westfield, Orlando)
21-Mar-24 7:30 to 8:00 am
Iglesia Jesus de Nazaret NEXT
26 Willow Dr
(Episcopal--Azalea Pk, Orlando)
23-May-24 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
St Stephen Catholic Community
575 Tuskawilla Rd
(Winter Springs)
8-Aug-24 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
Rolling Hills Moravian Church
1525 FL-434
(Longwood)
24-Oct-24 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
St Peter the Apostle Coptic Ch
8849 Passaic Parkwy
(Vista East)
23-Jan-25 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
Orlando Baptist Church
500 South Semoran Blvd
(Montery, Orlando)
22-May-25 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
LifeSong Methodist Church
at "The Table"
2842 S Alafaya Trail
(Stoneybrook East)
25-Sep-25 9:00 to 9:30 am <<NEW TIME
There is a false unity like the church and state, or with Judaizers or Gnostics. That unity is not the oneness of the Church that God calls us to. Our goal is not to get Christians to agree or look the other way. Truth is worth fighting for, and we do not believe we will ever agree apart from God’s intervention. Our only goal is for Church leaders to corporately seek God about the oneness He intends for us—to lay our burden down at the feet of Jesus and let God do His work.
1 Corinthians 12 says the whole body should work together as one, and no part of the body can say that another part is not needed. We need each other so much that Jesus tells us to forget about pulling out the weeds (the false believers), or else the wheat will be damaged (Matthew 13:24-30, 38).
Denominations seem to work well for us, but God has a different view. Galatians 5:19-21 teaches that those who create divisions from impure motives are like those who practice witchcraft. What about maintaining divisions? We are told to do what seems impossible—to agree, be of one mind, and without divisions (1 Corinthians 1:10, Philippians 2:2, 1 Peter 3:8). Jesus commanded us to love each other and told us to pray that God’s will be done on earth. God’s will for our oneness is clear from The Great Request (John 17:20-23), with the purpose revealed—to bring the world to belief.
Oneness is part of the Gospel (John 11:51-52) not to be ashamed of, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Whatever our reservations, it does not change what the Bible says – agree. It seems to agree is more important than denominations.
God patiently calls us to repent before we understand the extent of our sin or the process. Even so, what hope do we have of agreeing? Here is the good news. We grow in our salvation with fear and trembling at God’s word. The remedy is the same as when we first accepted Christ—acknowledging that we have missed the mark and looking to God to make the needed changes. Scripture guides (see below) seeking God corporately when God's family faces an overwhelming problem without clear answers. Perhaps God is waiting for His Church to say, “God, we've failed again. Help!” We understand confession leads to relationship—first with God and then with each other.
A great request of you: that we gather together to confess, ask God’s forgiveness, and ask God what we can do to have the oneness that He desires. We expect God will move amazingly, and we will also begin to see the purpose of The Great Request fulfilled. Each one who comes is an expression of the desire to follow Christ and makes the Church’s sincerity weightier before God. We will be saying to the Church, “While there is still time, let us seek God together and strengthen what remains.”
When God leads, He does not always give victory immediately (Judges 20). So we will gather again and again. As we pursue God, others will follow our lead. Light will overcome darkness; faith will triumph over faint-heartedness. We believe this is His time, but if not, those who express repentance and seek Him will have His blessing.
What problem is more important, more central to God’s will, which Christians (in general) are not addressing? If this is not simple enough, then what is? If not us, who? If not now, when? Does God want to intervene? Let’s ask. The benefits of oneness are worth it.
If you (or your representative) can attend, please email us. Please prepare your heart. To help bypass junk mail filtering, please add our email to your directory. We welcome someone from your church to join our prayer team as we progress.
Grace and Peace,
Howard Johnson for The Church Gathered Team
SUMMARIES OF SCRIPTURE MODELING CORPORATELY SEEKING GOD
Joshua 7-8 AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TO DO
We have a relationship with God; He expects us to be proactive. Israel sought to conquer a small town. They did not ask God for help but should have. Through one man’s sin, Israel had lost God’s protection. Why had God let them down, they thought? In their total dejection and desperation, Joshua and the elders sought God. God immediately helped, and they moved forward to victory.
Joshua 7-8 AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT TO DO
We have a relationship with God; He expects us to be proactive. Israel sought to conquer a small town. They did not ask God for help but should have. Through one man’s sin, Israel had lost God’s protection. Why had God let them down, they thought? In their total dejection and desperation, Joshua and the elders sought God. God immediately helped, and they moved forward to victory.
2 Chron 20:12-29* THE EXAMPLE AGAIN
All of Judah gathered at the temple and prayed for deliverance: “We are powerless . . . but our eyes are on You.” God immediately answered. The enemy was easily defeated; the dread of God fell on all the neighboring kingdoms.
Acts 4:23-31 AND AGAIN
Under threat, the whole Church prayed for boldness. Their location was shaken; they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s word boldly.
Hebrews 4:16*
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” If Church leaders gather in repentance and seek God’s help, God will show us what to do.
REFERENCED SCRIPTURES*
1 Corinthians 12:18-21: But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many parts, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
Matt 13:24-30, 38: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat . . . The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them (the weeds) up?’ But he said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” “. . . and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one;. . .”
Galatians 5:19-21: Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality . . . idolatry, witchcraft, . . . selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, . . . and things like these, of which I forewarn you, . . . that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:10: Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Philippians 2:2: make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
1 Peter 3:8: To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble;
John 17:20-23: “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me.
John 11:51-52: Now he did not say this on his own, but as he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation; and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Judges 20 (condensed):
Israel inquired of God, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.” Then the sons of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and struck to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel. Israel went up and inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall we again advance for battle against Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up against him.” And Benjamin struck eighteen thousand men of the sons of Israel. Then Israel inquired of the Lord “Shall I yet again go out to battle against Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”
*New American Standard Bible