Well done for reading so far into The Growing Gathering of Jesus because you clearly do not find it easy to accept the principles of movement that are found throughout the book of Acts and in the disciple-making movements across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It sounds as though your current experience of church is very similar to the experience of the Israelites under their high priest Aaron at the Tabernacle. You have been persuaded to believe that the sacred task of enjoying and extending God’s Kingdom should be restricted to a sacred few. Instead of practicing the priesthood of all believers, you view the Christian life through the lens of a strong divide between the clergy and the laity.

We would love to ask you to spend time meditating on John 6:45; 1 Peter 2:5, 2:9; and Revelation 1:6, 5:10. How do these verses challenge your current way of thinking?

What do you think lies behind your fear of decentralizing the authority of Jesus to everyone? Is it purely theological or do you think that some of it may be rooted in a failure to trust the Holy Spirit to do his job through people without human supervision?

As you continue read the final sections of The Growing Gathering of Jesus, we would encourage you to open your heart to what the Lord might want to say to you about a spirit of control that makes us fear to decentralize like the early believers.