The community consisted of some families living in trailers and some in houses, but we all lived within walking distance of each other. We tried to take care of the land together, as we were able. Each of us had our own job in the town nearby, but we met for prayer every morning at 8:00. Of course, you weren't required to come to the prayer meetings, but these were my favorite times, so i got a job that didn't start till 10:00. The meetings took place at "Mama Rose's" trailer, as she was called. She made coffee and tea for us each morning. She is a precious elderly soul, my true grandma in the faith! She's over 80 now and still praying each morning together with the saints who will come. We would briefly discuss what we wanted to pray about, if anything, or we would just start singing praises to the Lord. Man, how i loved those times. How i miss it...
They tried different ways of life before we came along. The community had been there nearly 30 years when we moved in. They had tried living in the same house together, sharing a common purse, all working the same job together, communal gardens, etc. But all those things didn't work out. What they had at the time seemed to work best for that particular community. I was glad, because it was hard enough living together without sharing a house and purse.:)
Each summer, the elders of our community put on what they called a "Prophetic School," which was basically a Bible study of Old and New Testament Prophecies. We studied a lot about Israel and the Jews, a subject that is sadly missing from many modern churches. That sort of study led me to a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the faith. It truly made me a more genuine lover of Jesus. It also gave me more confidence to approach my Father in heaven with greater prayers, for i knew He was listening, and i knew what He had planned for the future of the world. I knew my place as a gentile, and the future that's in store for the Jews who were cut off for the sake of the gentiles! Wow, it was too amazing for me to even discuss. But i wondered how so much of this could be missing from the church.
During those summers, we met people from all over the U.S. and all over the world. Our founder, Art Katz, spent a lot of time traveling and bringing the Word to these precious people during the year. He faced a lot of rejection, but those who did accept the word he spoke were very eager to hear more. They sacrificed a lot to be able to attend that summer school!
Some people, including myself and my family, were afraid that this place might be a cult. After all, it was secluded out in the beautiful woods, and we had a "leader," if you could call him that. But based on the definition of a cult, even churches could be considered cults. Suffice it to say that whenever we went there to see for ourselves, or when our families came to visit, all fears were put at rest. Art was gone traveling so much of the time. He was ususally only there for the summers or small visits. When he was there, we were grateful, but if he wasn't there, it was no big deal. We were in God's hands. I never felt that anyone was controlled in any way or that anyone's privacy was invaded. Art knew that only the Holy Spirit could convict and change a person, so he kept his hands off. If anything, we lacked a better source of leadership. I think if we had followed the Bible's instructions on how to seek out leaders for the church, we may have not had people leave. Maybe the problems could've been handled differently...? But who am i to say? It was what it was, and i loved it for the mostpart.
The way people left was usually due to a disagreement that was not resolved. Someone might misunderstand a message that was given, so they would tell others they disagreed and sides would form on a certain issue. Now, why doesn't this happen more in normal churches? For one thing, what the preacher says does not matter a whole lot in our personal lives. It is a one-hour message, and then you start thinking about lunch. You don't have to see or hear about the preacher or the church again until a whole week later. Sometimes we might not agree with him, but we quickly forget because his opinion doesn't really matter to us. But what Art taught mattered because we lived with him, we knew his life intimately, we knew of his failures; therefore, what he taught mattered more to us.
Secondly, this kind of falling out doesn't happen more often because the preacher is ususally telling us what we want to hear, or he is telling us something that doesn't really stir us up to change. He usually has a theme, and then he might have decorations put up that go with the theme. He might have some special music to put in there. He will likely have stories to go along with it. So in the end, it turns out to be more of an entertainment, a production, than a life-altering call to change your life in some way. Art's messages usually did the latter to people. He called us to live more devoted, holy, and true lives. And you either loved it and cried over it, or you bucked against it because you knew he was right but you didn't want to change your ways. Or you might totally disagree with him and get upset and think he is wrong. Whatever the case, it moved you in some way.
to be continued....again...
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