The Meyers Falls, Oikosvirtual Model

4 August 1999

Business and Creative Arts

When I was wandering through the files on my hard disk looking for material to upload on to the web site, I came across this file with a strange sounding name. Opening it, I found this piece of prose written over two and a half years ago as I was looking to move to the Palouse region of SW Washington to start a church there. For lack of a better term this is "the vision" of what I believe the Lord wanted me to do over there. Other than make a few minor changes including changing the title, this is pretty much as it was written back then. For those who would say that the Lord would never do such a thing, that is in bricks and mortar, I would invite you to visit Calvary Fellowship in Mount Lake Terrace, just north of Seattle. Wayne Taylor is the pastor (PastorWT@aol.com). The major physical differences between this Meyers Falls concept and the Calvary Fellowship campus are really two. 1 Pretty much except for a couple of Saturday work parties, I contributed nothing to its construction. 2. The Lord's actual development is much bigger and diverse than that which is herein outlined. Over the next couple of weeks we will look at a way, again only as a dark reflection , of the work the Lord may perform as He again establishes His church and His people as the center of man's community and His creation.

As human civilization opens another millennium, it is perhaps appropriate that a new model is needed for our society. Especially in America, much lip service is given to the creation of a new sense of community, but that community is to be established with either the rights of the individual or, of the government reigning as absolutes by which community members are judged and succeed. These models are all doomed for failure because they are conceived within the limited understanding of finite human beings. All recorded history speaks to the ultimate failure of such models.

The great advances in human societies has come from rare instances when men have gotten their eyes off themselves and looked to a higher intelligence with whom they can interact and gain insight into the pitiful state of the human condition. Because of man's self-centeredness however, those times are rare but their consequences direct and shape societies many centuries into the future. Five hundred years ago the Protestant Reformation was the last significant event of this nature and while its effects have almost entirely dissipated according to the second law of thermodynamics, it remains a potential source of learning and inspiration.

Two thousand years ago a middle eastern Jewish prophet walked the hills of Judea teaching of Kingdom of God. Historical accounts substantiate that the Jewish people had him crucified for claiming to be the actual Son of God and being their Messiah. Reports of eye witnesses testify that after three days he was bodily raised from the dead and was seen by over 500 persons over a period of 40 days. Starting from a few disciples, the teaching of Christ touched the then known world in about a century, and now 2000 years later has reached the remote territories of the planet.

Both of these events share something in common besides their belief in a wise Jewish teacher and his redemption of mankind from the judgements of God. Both also teach that God has written a book about himself and his plan for mankind. That book, the Bible contains not only the gospel of Jesus of Nazareth, but absolutes for developing a free society, and also exposes the individual bondage of the law of living for self, and the true path for finding individual fulfillment. In short, the Bible sets forth absolutes for life and conduct within, but also beyond the scope of human reason. Meyers Falls was established to be a prototype, or model, of such a community of diverse and unique personalities.

In a way, the Reformation and the 1st century church began by men as an effort to reform the existing religious structure, but they were used by God to create a new order out of the chaos of man's religious nature. Certain absolutes are present in both movements and will be in any new movement, but it is wrong to look back to those events as a source of salvation. Both moments clearly emphasize that in Christ alone is man's salvation. Both movements also believe in it is God's grace alone by faith alone that brings about Christ's redemptive work. They also believed that Scripture alone was the sole source of absolutes to govern religious life and also civil authority including all man's reason, emotions and excitements, ultimate freedom coming from its pages, to God's ultimate glory.

Looking again at not only religious awakenings or revivals, but also secular society changes, you discover that there is a step wise process of how these changes take place. First the theologian or the philosopher outlines a course of action, musicians first but followed by other artists, adapt those ideals into art which finally has the ability to transcend human reason and to lift humanity beyond itself. All three steps are needed, perhaps it is a safeguard determined by God himself, to show man his limits and God's unique nature.

While all changes in society seem to take place in this way, whether it was the hymns of theReformation or the rock music of the drug culture of the sixties, the lasting effects of the movement on society, rest ultimately on the absolutes or lack thereof of the underling theology or philosophy. Since we now live in a time when contemporary philosophy is absolutely bankrupt and contemporary religion is based upon experience and what I can get God to do for me, time is right for a restoration based upon the basic Christian doctrines of the first century church and the Reformation. The Meyers Falls community in some small way begins with that reflection. Meyers Falls, Oikosvirtual is a venture of PREFER, a Washington State nonprofit religous organization

The Priesthood of all believers is also one of the foundation stones of the Reformation. That concept provides that a plumber, a carpenter, an executive are all priests in the sense that they take their talents and gifts that God has given them to minister to all people, where they live and work. The reformers believed that from this conscious effort, on the part of Christians, came the most effective way to reach humanity. PREFER is designed to help all believers clarify this understanding by developing a structure that allows for operations of profit making and tax paying enterprises to provide operating capital for church community development and church planting.

PREFER has under construction worldwide web sites, (meyersfalls.com) & (oikosvirtual.org) to provide through the internet, access to people around the world, a basic understanding of a new Christian community based on a God centered restoration. (The actual Meyers Falls was an actual village in Northeastern Washington that was displaced and taken over by the town of Kettle Falls. The first technology displaced community, down-sized out of existence. Virtual reality may be a start, but without the community spirit of Meyers Falls existing in actual time, space and matter, Meyers Falls would not effect the lives of more than a of few of the intellectual elite, most desiring to live in a dream world that they can control by themselves, for themselves. This is ultimate narcissism, lacking external absolutes and elevating the limited individual to virtual god, but not being able to cope successfully with the actual pressures of real world existence.

With this in mind PREFER, will endeavor to develop actual Meyers Falls communities, or what ever name you might choose. This could start with an expresso cart or a hot dog stand but, business and creative arts should be the invisible slogan hanging over the door. To describe the proposed advanced facility would be like a combination mini-convention center and an antique mall with major variations. Central to the facility would be an auditorium that could be subdivided into meeting rooms. Other actual facilities could include, a worldwide cafe, a bookstore and a small business center that includes a job placement service, creation based management consulting and wilderness experiences along with other more traditional services. The remaining space would be subdivided for artists and small businesses in much the same way as an antique mall now operates. Small spaces rented out for display and merchandise with a central cashier to provide for actual sales and related information..

A few miles from the old village of Meyers Falls stood St. Paul's Mission. Founded by Roman Catholic monks in the 19th century it brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to the native Americans, fishing and trading at the actual site of Kettle Falls on the Columbia River. While the actual building still exists as a historic site, its name has been adapted for the church planting efforts of the worldwide web community. Weekly expository sermons and sound theology based on the original teachings of St. Paul will be taught from the site and its related links. Since Roman Catholic theology does not hold to the protestant teaching of the Reformation, we can thank the brothers for the name and use it truly as St. Paul's Mission to the whole world.

While St. Paul's Mission differs with many aspects of traditional Roman Catholic theology, especially in regards to the definition of grace in salvation, we must say that over the last 500 years and the Council of Trent, the differences between Reformation theology and Roman Catholic theology has been fixed and in many ways minor (but important) compared to the overt heresy taught in much of the so called evangelical church today. This counterfeit revival has more in common with new-age occultism and shamanism that it does with orthodox Christian beliefs. To counter as much of this teaching as possible, in as many ways as possible, is the reason for the formation of St. Paul's Mission

"If you do not stand for something you will fall for anything." seems to be the "word" for the church today. Go to almost any evangelical church and you might as well be walking into as one radio commentator puts it, "The church of Fred". No matter what the sign says outside, Pastor Fred may teach and or believe just about any kind of religious nonsense.

First Peter 3:15-16 states, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed." In most evangelical churches today if you ask the pastor to clearly and distinctly give a defense for the hope that theoretically lies within, chances are it will be far from clear and distinct on few, if any of the underling principles of the historic Christian faith. Bypushing Pastor Fred somewhat, you may discover that you shall quickly be defamed as an evildoer and will be reviled of your good conduct in Christ, for Pastor Fred shall not be ashamed.

St. Paul's Mission goals do not include teaching Pastor Fred what to believe, but to allow him to clearly state how what he teaches from the pulpit does or does not line up with the historic Christian Faith. For example, Pastor Fred should not be able to get by with a statement that he is a Calvarminan, since basic logic teaches that both 5 point Calvinism and 5 point Arminianism are mutually exclusive, heresies (for lack of a better term) to one another. If you can't believe one or the other perhaps it is time to backtrack and see if someone else has a better idea.

Another point is that your eschatology cannot be both Postmillennial (the church will usher in Christ return) and Dispensational Premillennial (that Christ will return to a wicked world in the rapture of the church before the millennial reign of Christ). These contradictions seem apparent in much of the so called religious right today. Again, certain actions are required by both views and Pastor Fred can't have it both ways. See our tract, "Where is the Church?" for further information.

The other aspect of the St. Paul's Mission is what we call the Chapel. The chapel meets in the Meyers Falls community. Why else would any one go to such a complex community design other than in quoting St. Paul to his mission in 1 Corinthians 9:22b,23; "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you."

Only once on American soil has a religious awakening based on sound Bible teaching taken place. The great awakening of the mid seventeen hundreds stressed "Five E's" as reported by Hank Hanegraaff in his book "Counterfeit Revival" those Five E's are: Esteem for Christ, Eternal Perspective, Expositional Preaching, Essential Christian Doctrine and Ego-Effacing Love. Those principles form the basis of the forms of ministry of St. Paul in two's, small groups, communities (combined small groups led by trained leaders in specific areas of ministry) as well as the congregation as a whole. The Good news of Jesus Christ, is even better in times such as these in which we live. It is our job to model God's eternal kingdom and not model a worldly man cenetered religous movement. Amen.

Prayer Plants:

Continued direction for living and developing severe financial limitations.

The website is developing with at least a few of links to see. We need personalities, families, businesses and organizations to move in and homestead a piece of virtual reality.

Grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jerry