As young adults in the churches of the Lord’s recovery, sometimes we find ourselves wondering why we drag our tired bodies out of bed each morning, go about our day finishing endless tasks, chase after our little ones, and attend numerous meetings a week. We may ask, “What is the point of all these?”
Eventually, we reach the conclusion that unless the goal of our lives matches that of God’s economy, everything is vain.
So what is the goal of God’s economy?
The Body of Christ.
At this point, the question turns to, “What does this mean in my day-to-day life?” or “How is this worked out?”
In chapter 5 of the book Practical Points Concerning Blending (1994), Witness Lee points out that “although we may have a good church life, among us there is almost no realization, no practicality, no actuality, and no reality of the Body life. This is the need in the recovery today.”
In the same chapter, Witness Lee equates the reality of the Body of Christ with the vital groups, and says, “The overcomers, the vital groups, are today’s Zion. My burden today is to help you reach the peak of the vital groups, that is, the overcomers’ Zion.”
With this in view, we should never consider that the vital groups are merely one of the special practices found in the churches of the Lord’s recovery. Rather, as the reality of the Body of Christ, the vital groups reach the goal of God’s economy.
And as a by-product, this also makes our lives meaningful.
In the following weeks, we will consider together how the vital groups are formed and carried out. Please share your thoughts and experiences for our mutual learning and pursuit as we struggle and labor to work out the vital groups.