11.01.06 thequest UPdate

thequest family,

In our Assembly on Sunday we rambled through 2000 years of the Church. Reformation Sunday gave us opportunity to look backwards; picking up some of the strong points and weak points along the way. As with any group, there are some ugly times. So true with the Church. The Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition should make anyone's stomach turn. Horrible times.

At other points there are amazing things that have been done. The springboard to the reformation via the 95 theses of Martin Luther and the translations of the Bible into the languages of the people are moments of shear beauty! We have an amazing heritage in those who have followed Jesus in the generations before us!

As I look backward, the birth of our "brethren" family of churches is one of the things that I celebrate. In the face of opposition and religious persecution in Germany in 1708, 8 people set out to be in community, to be a local church reflecting the ancient church and to take the Scriptures seriously. These men and women risked everything to do what God had put in their heart!

Real faith was lived out by those early "brethren." They were called other names by those outside their group, but amongst themselves they called one another "brother" and "sister"--and collectively were "brethren." The exchange of blood ties to spiritual family ties was not incidental. It was shocking. No one in the time of "dead orthodoxy" would call the State-Church their family, because it was run by the government and most likely crooked. But this band of "twenty/thirtysomethings" engaged a new family--a spiritual family--their church.

Amongst many other strong beliefs of that those early brethren had I'd like to highlight 3 that we in the flow of thequest still bank on:

Wholehearted commitment to the Scriptures

Wholehearted commitment to a real life of faith

Wholehearted commitment to the local church, a community and spiritual family
That is our heritage. And it's our present. And under Jesus' leadership I trust it shall be that way until He returns.

Check out this link for the powerpoint from this Sunday: Reformation Sunday Powerpoint Slides
(Special thanks to Christian History Institute, http://chi.gospelcom.net/. )

Maybe you want to find out more about our Brethren history. I thought I'd share with you a couple of links where you can go and find some more information if you would like to: Grace Brethren History links:

Grace Brethren History-a thumbnail sketch: http://www.fgbc.org/our-history.htm
Brethren Timeline: http://www.gracebrethren.info/cob/timeline.htm

Our History in Audio/Video, by Dr. Dave Plaster (Real Player-24 mins)
(thanks to Peninsula Grace Brethren Church, AK)


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven." Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

Press On,

Mike


Links to other Brethren groups and helpful histories:

Ashland Brethren History: http://www.brethrenchurch.org/History/Sub-History-Scroll.htm
European Origins of the Brethren: http://www.cob-net.org/europe.htm (Church of the Brethren)

Brethren in America: http://www.cob-net.org/america.htm (Church of the Brethren)


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