the brew*crew adventure

If you have ever felt sick and tired of churchianity…and felt Father drawing you to something else…something more real…more intimate…more simple, then please pray and consider joining us in this study.

I would like to extend an invitation to all of my friends and readers here to join me and some other ladies (gents?) in a study we started yesterday. We'll be reading through and discussing a study put together by Mike and Sue Dowgiewicz of Restoration Ministries Int. that can be found here, entitled Discussing How to Restore the Early Church. Our study is being hosted by Julie of Seeking the Old Paths and so far she's posted the first two parts, here and here, which I have printed out for easier reading.

It's a lot to read each day, especially since I'm looking up all of the Scriptures as I go, so I may not keep up with Julie's pace, but I will be posting each portion of the study as I go, along with my own thoughts, which will inevitably set my posts back behind hers a ways. Please do join me if you're interested, and let me know. It would be great if you would post your own thoughts on your blog or in the comments section over at Julie's blog, if you do decide to study with us. I promise that you will find it interesting, to say the least... I'm challenged already.

I don't know about you, but this has been a topic of great fascination to me, from the time that I began to think about, question and realize (about 10-11 years ago) how very different the concept of discipleship within the Church is today from what it was in the first century, and how very relevant and important an understanding of the Hebraic culture and mindset of yesteryears (context of the Bible) still is to my Faith walk today... and how it colors my understanding of the Word of Adonai (or lack thereof), and its translation into my daily walk with Him.

I still consider myself such a fledgling in understanding the things of God, and do so look forward to growing closer to Him as I seek to hear His Voice daily. I hope to post some of my thoughts on as I go through this study. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to write about something though, and just get so overwhelmed with where to begin and how to proceed that I just end up writing nothing at all. That's the sort of writer's block that I usually suffer from... so many ideas jumbled together and bottlenecking that very few end up coming out. Hopefully I will overcome that particular hindrance.

I'm somewhat familiar with Restoration Ministries, since I'd read a few articles from their website a few years back when I was researching home churching. I found the "I Hate Nicolaitanism" article particularly encouraging, validating and thought-provoking. I remember sharing excitedly of all that I'd read with Chris. I haven't gone through this particular study though, and am very excited to see what the Lord has in store for us as we read and share this message together. When Julie asked me join her in this study, I knew right away that it would be very timely for Chris and I as we're seeking Him for direction right now in quite a few areas. I also thought that it might provide a good opportunity for some of you to delve deeper into the Word with me, and to learn more of our great heritage as well. It should also be a good catalyst for me to write/share some more about our journey down this path on my blog, as well as some of our recent struggles as we've been in this time of transition during the last couple of years... intimidating topics that I've been considering and wanting to write more about for some time now.

For a long time -since we'd first begun learning of our Faith's Hebraic roots, about ten years ago- we'd remained within the mainstream Church, but definitely felt like outsiders in many regards, wondered why these Truths weren't being taught (besides by our Sunday School teacher that introduced us to this during an in-depth walk/study through the Book of Genesis), and just kept pretty much under the radar, as we began to celebrate the Biblical Holidays. We've also rejected all notions of replacement theology, as we've learned to recognize it for what it is. During this time, we've been able to share with a few friends we've met from various congregations (as we've had a few interstate moves during that time) of the wonderful treasures that we were finding in our studies along these lines, and have hopefully inspired a few to pursue these studies on their own.

In the last year we've been blessed to worship and study with our local Messianic congregation, though we've still not been settled within our spirits as to what direction the Lord would have us go... as far as regular fellowship and coorperate worship goes. We're still attending our weekly Bible/book study with our friends from the Messianic congregation, and still enjoy the comradery and loving fellowship of friends we've made from a local non-denominational church that we'd been attending the first couple of years that we've lived here. But Chris and I are going to start having a more formal study time together each week during the Sabbath, home-church starting with just us if you will, as we seek our Lord for what direction He would have us to go from here... We'll be going through this study together as we do. I think that it's a good place to start, again...

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

~ Ecclesiastes 3.11

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