I have been struggling lately with how to communicate this to people...
What we do on Sundays isn't church.
What we do on Wednesdays isn't church.
When we gather together to sing songs and hear a sermon, that isn't church.
When we gather together to eat a meal and pray for each other, that isn't church either.
When we get together to plan an outreach to our city, and then carry out that plan, that isn't church.
I have been thinking about starting every church meeting with the phrase, "this isn't Church!"
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It is so hard to see people leaving community for bells and whistles, dropping out of community so they can have a fog machine. It makes you doubt your ability to communicate! Am I doing something wrong? Is there a reason why people just don't understand that church is church?
I remember a conversation I had with a hip young post-modern urban Christian. She was talking about the problems with Church and how the Church 'just doesn't get it' when it comes to what the Christianity really is all about. We had a long conversation. I tried to communicate to her what the Church is. I asked her, "so what would the ideal church look like to you?" Her response was disheartening, and enlightening; she launched into a description of her ideal Sunday service!
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Church isn't worship, or preaching, church isn't fellowship or mission.
Church is all of the above and more...
...church is the people of God, pursuing God, and His purposes.
3 comments:
Linda had a great conversation with someone recently along these same lines. Linda invited out friend to celebrate Easter with us. She is a "believer," but isn't plugged into a community. After Linda's invitation she said, "Yeah I always go to ------ church for Easter. Last year they had -------- from American Idol come & sing!! I love that church." Yeah, I'm often perplexed when I ask people why they like a particular church & they describe a service rendered to them by an otherwise unrelational entity. However, there are ways to use their preconceived ideas in a way that will introduce them to the people of God. Uh...why don't you repeat this at every meeting, conversation, dinner, argument, blog, & service you have. "The Buffalo Vineyard is the people of God, pursuing God, & His Purposes." That sounds like a great vision statement that could easily be drilled deep into the souls of those you are discipling & reaching out to. When I hear that I'm thinking: "How can I sign up?"
As I was reading through this I started freaking out a little bit. I was sitting there thinking these are all part of church...they are little pieces of it but still a part of it. The ending was beautiful.
Sorry to freak you out brother!
Glad you made it till the end!
I look forward to hearing about Kenya...
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