Dallas Willard sees no replacement for Christians coming together to share their lives,
“In fellowship we engage in common activities of worship, study, prayer, celebration, and service with other disciples…. Personalities united can contain more of God and sustain the force of his greater presence much better than scattered individuals. The fire of God kindles higher as the brands are heaped together and each is warmed by the other’s flame. The members of the body must be in contact if they are to sustain and be sustained by each other. Christian redemption is not devised to be a solitary thing … the Life is one that requires some regular and profound conjunction with others who share it. It is greatly diminished when that is lacking.” (from “The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives”, by Dallas Willard, pp 186 – 187)
Does Willard make his point or does he state his case too strongly?
What is the “profound conjunction” that he alludes to? It seems to me easy enough to make “regular” my association with other Christians but how do I find this “profound conjunction?”
I will leave those questions with you today and also leave with you my prayer that we all be “warmed by the other’s flame.”