Is it possible that God is bringing together the worshipping community and the healing community in a fresh and ancient way to re-imagine His Church? It seems to me that the New Testament says as much about intimacy, brotherhood, and the responsibility of caring as it does about singing, preaching, praying. (see Ephesians 4:32, Galatians 6:1, Colossians 3:12-17) The word is koininia and it has become nearly impossible in the preaching-centered, spectator-focused, mega-church.

Jesus said to Peter, “You are the rock and on this rock I will build my Church.” There is and always has been only one church. Can it be that the plethora of recovery movements and healing communities springing up in our world today are really only expressions of the Holy Spirit trying to redefine the Church? When I sit beside my brother in a Christ-centered AA meeting am I not as much a part of the church as when I sing in the choir at First Church? (Maybe more.)

Branches is a possible vision of that kind of anointed synergy; healing and worship, confession and celebration, come together. It may be a new face of the original healing church.

Each week we gather on Wednesday to check in, check up, and check on each other, a group of recovering Christians seeking to know one another better, to be known, and to know Christ more. We meet to sing and praise, to pray and study, but mainly to tell and hear the truth. It is an open, 12 Step style meeting with an old fashioned testimony service flavor. We call it Branches and it is open to anybody, anytime.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.” --Isaiah 61:1-3