We Are The Church
About five years ago my wife, Chris, had to take me to the emergency room on Sunday morning. As we sat waiting for the doctor to share the results of my medical test, our pastor walked into the room to check on me. Since it was nearly time for our church service to begin, Chris said, “Dan, what are you doing here? Isn’t it time for church to start?” Dan smiled broadly and said, “We are the church!” Since that day, I have thought many times about that simple truth.
What you and I think about the Church matters. It matters because it affects the way we live and it influences the way we relate to people. Even a casual reading of the New Testament makes it clear that the church is neither a physical structure nor an organization. What we do see is a seriously committed, dynamic group of people sharing their lives, growing numerically, praying together, and experiencing the joy and excitement of being in God’s family.
We Are A Family
We are the church! Most people would say, ‘Yes, I know that.’ But, often our actions do not agree. Many times we relate to the church primarily as an organization that does not look or function like the church as Jesus intended it. I know I’ve related to the church in that way. When I reflect on my past experiences, I realize there have been times when I’ve been loyal to an organization thinking I was being loyal to the church. You can be loyal to people, but loyalty to an organization can be harmful. We are a family, not an organization.
Remember, WE are the church. The ‘we’ is the key. I am not the church and you are not the church, but we are the church. It’s about us collectively. It’s a family thing. The apostle Paul used the analogy of the body to help us understand that ‘members’ of the church are like ‘parts’ of the body. We all have different functions, but we need all the parts working together for the church to be healthy and effective in accomplishing our mission.
Do you know what part of the church ‘body’ you are? Whatever part you are, one thing is certain. Your part is valuable and necessary. Sometimes we refer to a person’s skills or talents as gifts. Bottom line is that I need your gifts and you need mine.
Myth Busters
Now it’s time for a few myth busters. These are myths that keep people from using their gifts, being fulfilled and enjoying life.
Myth #1 – In the church, some gifts (people) are more important than others. For example, pastors have a more important role than the rest of us. Not true. Their role may be different, but clearly not more significant. God has placed you in his family for a reason and has given you the personality, gifts and talents we all need.
Myth #2 – In life there is a distinction between ‘secular’ things and ‘sacred’ things. The whole secular thing is ridiculous! You are a wholly integrated person. There’s not a Christian part of you and a secular part of you. You’re a child of God 24×7. Whether you’re singing a worship song, eating a snack, reading a book, working at your job or watching a movie, it’s an opportunity to enjoy God and to enjoy being the person God created you to be. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinth. 10:31)
Myth #3 – God cannot use me because I have a ‘secular’ job. That’s nonsense! It’s very likely God has strategically placed you in your job and has a plan to use you there. If we always hang out in a church building, with church friends, doing church stuff, how in the world can we reach the world? I think it’s possible God feels trapped in our church meetings and he wants to get out. Think I’m crazy? Read the gospels and see where Jesus hung out.
Come Together
Since the church is people, it may seem kind of obvious that being with other people is where church life happens. Well, some folks seem to want to fly solo, but this is not the church. We can have amazing times with God in our private devotions and that’s wonderful. We need those intimate times. But we also need to be connected with other people with whom we can share life’s joys and challenges. Sometimes we’ll encourage others and sometimes they’ll encourage us. Sometimes we need someone to help us with a course correction. Other times we may need someone to just listen. When we get together with other folks, we should come ready to give. The church is not a place for consumers; it’s a place for investors and builders. We invest in the lives of people. We build singles, couples and families, not buildings. The church happens wherever God’s people get together. The operative word is ‘together.’ To be the church we have to be willing to make sacrifices of time and energy to spend time together.
My friend and pastor, Dan, was right. We are the church. God gave us each other so that we will never have to live the Christian life in isolation. The psalmist wrote, “God places the lonely in families.” (Psalm 68:6) We can choose to drift through life alone or we can choose to be built together with other people of faith. God designed each of us as a unique creation. And, he designed us to need each other. God is the master builder and his plans never fail.
Living Stones or Rolling Stones?
Here’s a final thought to ponder. When it comes the building materials for the church there are two types of stones. You will likely see yourself in one of these two categories.
The first type is described here:
“Now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual house.” (2 Peter 2:5)
“Under Christ’s direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephes. 4:15)
Bob Dylan in one of his most famous songs describes the second type:
“How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?”
The real church is people. The true builder is God. The final choice is yours. What kind of stone do you want to be–a living stone or a rolling stone?
I’d love to hear from you.
• What myths have you encountered in the church?
• What experiences in the church have shaped your life?
Copyright 2014 John H Briggs
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