I found out about a month ago that several of my swing dance friends are part of the Local Church movement. One of them is likely to become the new P'nei Adonai nursery worker.
Among other things, this movement is trying to be like a first-century congregation. However, the history of the movement involves a rather elaborate example of the telephone game.
The movement's publishing house uses authors that lack an understanding of first century congregations through current scholarship and Jewish culture's preservation of its history. Instead there are the general and often innacuare ideas about the first century popular several generations ago in American seminaries, filtered through Christian culture in China, and then brought back to the United States.
It will be interesting to see what comes of the new connection between P'nei Adonai and this other local group trying to be like a first-century congregation. Having visited the other group's service one Sunday I know both groups have things they do well. The exposure to other valid and simple ways to express devotion to God could be very fruitful sharing.
