Quotes from “Finding the Church” by Albert Zehr

This is a book that describes many of the dynamics that surrounded the assembly in SLO and many of the stories that I have read about other's experience in assemblies. It describes how different people respond in this kind of environment. These are quotes from his concluding chapter in which he is giving his thoughts on what we might call 'post assembly life' and finding fellowship with other believers. These are sections that involve interactions between believers as opposed to between believers and a ‘church’ which he also addresses. The book is out of print, but if you can find a copy, it is quite a find. A friend graciously let me borrow his copy and it has blessed me greatly.

A need to Avoid a critical and Skeptical Spirit (page 112)
Our unity lies in our common salvation and mutual Lord, not in seeing all things alike at any given time. The other brother may be where I was two years ago when I did not yet see it as I do now. In another two years I may see things yet a little differently, hopefully more clearly. As long as we are on this earth, even at best, we only see through a glass dimly. I trust that our experience has served to broaden out hearts and give us a love and acceptance for the sincerity and love of others. Let us remember that it is not ours to judge. From our experience we now know not to blindly believe and accept everything. To feel, however, that we need to correct everyone else is to fall into the opposite extreme.

Human Failures need not shake out Trust in God (page 114)
In some cases we may find ourselves having set our hope on a certain gifted leader. When that leader turns out to be fallible, we find ourselves devastated. In all of these experiences we must bring our heart and our hope back to the Lord Himself. I am not sure that we can avoid this pitfall simply by resolution. Each time we get caught, however, we will learn a deeper lesson in keeping our hope in the Him alone.
That person whom we ‘overtrusted’ is also in God’s hands. The Lord probably used him to teach us a lesson. In the meantime, He has ways to also transform that one. There is no need for us to try to see that he or she gets what we imagine they might deserve. Let us trust ourselves and all others to His all wise hand. Man’s failures do not reflect the shortness of God, but rather our own constant need of him.

Allowing Others Freedom to Learn and Grow (page 116)
Another evidence of spiritual maturity is the capacity to allow others the freedom to learn and grow, even as we did. Can I encourage and release others to learn to know and to follow the Lord? Must I project on them my view and obligate them to take my advice. Young and growing believers generally are not in as much need of our advice as we may think. What they need is our encouragement and the kind of help that ushers them into the presence of the Lord where they can learn from Him. They should even be given the freedom to fail. Isn’t that how we learned ourselves?