OBW:
I like your hypothetical. But I wonder if the answer does not lie in questions of "geography" or "culture" but rather individual leading. We might lay out a principle like: "believers should be free to meet according to their local culture or preferences." As long as we say "so long as there isn't a refusal to meet with those of other preferences" I don't see anything inherently unBiblical about this.
However, even that "freeing" principle can be misused by a given individual. John Q. who lives in Uptown prefers the church culture of North Dallas. Thats fine. Does the Lord care one way or the other where he meets (so long as his reason is positive rather than a refusal of something Scripture allows)? Perhaps not. But, is it even possible that the Lord would desire him to meet somewhere contrary to his preferences? Experientially, I'd say yes.
If John Q. doesn't understand that, our newly articulated principle could become a rationale for John Q. to fail to obey the Lord's leading, right? The Lord often leads us into environments that grate against our personal preferences. If our "principle", over time, begins to overemphasize the supposed "holiness" of personal preferences or somesuch, we can likewise create a situation where we ignore the Lord's leading.
Uptown? Northtown? Westtown? Rompin' choir? Rock band? Doctrine heavy? Beats me. What's the Lord want from me? I suspect where we meet may often come more out the specific relationships the Lord desires us to forge than it is about "principles" or "preferences."
Thoughts?
In Love,
Peter
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