Great Service at Church

When I am not traveling or teaching on Sundays I can be found at The Dwelling Place congregation in Loveland, Ohio just outside Cincinnati. This little fellowship has been meeting since the Jesus Movement brought a group together out of sin and pain in the Seventies.

The congregation back then looked around and saw that it was dying. The ten to twelve members were in their Sixties and Seventies and saw the hand writing on the wall about sustainability. They approached the thirty or so members of a Bible study that met there and asked if they would like to have the building. The groups decided to pray about it and, after some time, agreed to accept that generous offer.

The church is still very much like it was Forty years ago. Then it was a small number of young men and women who were sold out to Jesus and who came together to study the Bible, love God and each other and help the poor and needy. Rich Femia was a member of the fellowship then and he is Pastor now. He has grown a lot but the style of the fellowship is still intensely Bible and Holy Spirit focused.

I am never present at Dwelling Place without being blessed. The teachings, the fellowship, the attitude of the leaders and the people and with the presence of God in worship, prayer and study are always real and relevant. Today we studied Romans 12:11 sent out in advance by Pastor Rich. He asked us to study the passage before we go there and bring a Bible and so we would be ready to share our insights. The focus of that verse is: "Be fervent in spirit."

We were fervent in our discussion. It was a great time of sharing and insight. About half of the crowd of twenty or so came ready to talk about what God had led them to see in the preparation. It was respectful open, challenging and insightful. I liked it a lot. I have never been in a Sunday morning service like that before. I imagine it was much like the early church.

Karen and I had to leave before the group got to some serious worship but I am sure the Holy Spirit was invited to inspire, lead and speak to the gathered hearts. It was healing, growth producing and convicting. Just what I needed.