Church? Why Bother?

Movin' south, you guys y'all!

When I moved south I noticed one thing.
Well, one thing other than the kudzu. If you don't know what kudzu is--google it--then go plant some in your least favorite person's yard.
If you ever travel to the south you will notice one thing. It is the most prominent thing everywhere you turn. The south of the United States is the Land O' Church Buildings! While Minnesota is the Land O' Lakes, the south is definitely the Land O' Church Buildings!
Okay, okay--the close seconds are Chick-fil-a, the best BBQ joints in the world and cotton. Did I mention BBQ? You have to try it!

Question

Does meeting in a 'church' building once per week make you a Christian? If you ask many folks around here, the answer is yes.
But I think we know better.

We are the church

The bible says that WE are the church. The 'called out' ones--the children of God--the believers--the chosen ones--the saints. All believers on the entire planet are the 'church' of God. Sometimes we call this the universal church. In the New Testament the Greek word for church is eccle..., nevermind, I can't even pronounce it. I was just going to use the Greek word because using Greek words makes you sound smart. You all, ugh! Y'all know better.

We are family

I'm going to take church one step further and say that the church is the family of God. We are family. A family of families!
When you gather at your local 'church' gathering, would you describe it as a family gathering? Or does it feel more like something else? A rock concert maybe? A business meeting? A town hall meeting? A circus event? A funeral?

Why bother?

There is surprisingly little said in the bible about what we should do when we gather together. It's more about 'being' together with your family. Loving on each other. And worshiping God together--rather than alone.
Is this your experience?
Mine either. Well, not always, but often this is not what many of us have experienced as 'church'.
Things I've said or heard said within the 'church' are, "I feel so alone at church", or, "I don't fit in", or, "I don't feel like I can open up", or, "Nobody cares about me there".
I've heard it said that the homosexual community loves each other better than Christians. I've also heard it said that Crossfit communities love each other better than Christians. Is this true? I think it often is.
Of course, though, they don't have to deal with demons like believers do.
If you haven't read it, here's a blog I wrote on demons :  When Demons Attack

Is this 'love' problem because Christians don't love enough? Because of demons? Or, because maybe--just maybe--our buildings are filled with unbelievers?
I'll let you decide.


We can do better

To quote someone famous: "Do not ask what your church can do for you, but ask, what you can do for your church".
Do you remember that quote? Well, okay, he didn't say that, but that's the way I heard it!

Look here what it says in Hebrews, "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin".

Every day?!!!

Are you exhorting, encouraging or anything elsing your 'church' family every day?
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 'church' is not a Sunday thing. 'Church' is an every day thing!

"But... I mean... Well..."?

Yup. Me too. Pray with me--"Father, we repent. Help our unbelief"

Can you say community?

Community is the new buzzword. We are desperate for it, yet we don't even know what it is. We fantasize about it. We long for it. We need it.
But, like the ever elusive idea of 'being happy', we fail to find it.
What do we do if we find these ever elusive things? We lose them and begin looking for them somewhere else.
Could it be that the journey is the whole point? That the catching is not the goal? I think so.

The great paradox

Jesus taught us one of the greatest paradoxes of all times. In order to belong to a community and be happy, we must lose our desire to please ourselves and we must seek to make others to feel like they belong and help them be happy.
Did you catch that? Me neither. It's total craziness! He said we must stop trying to make ourselves happy if we want to be happy. We must make others feel like they belong, and we will then feel like we belong--to the community.

I don't remember Jesus saying that?

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Yeah, He said it alright. He pulled it straight from Leviticus. The law!

And this:

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it".
                                                                     
And finally brothers and sisters, from the letter to the Hebrews:

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near".

Change your context

Do you know that in order to develop a true relationship, you must know someone in more than one context? If you gather with someone to worship, you must also know them in their home. Or in the gym. Or camping. Or work. Some other life context is necessary to break through the ever eternal relationship barrier. This barrier is real and we all struggle with it. Also, this barrier doesn't come down with one out of context visit. You must spend time in multiple contexts to secure a relationship.

The challenge

How about we consider this? If you don't do it now, why don't you consider who you might have in your home this week? This month? When we invite people into our home--we make ourselves vulnerable. We offer ourselves. Conversations are different in a home. Relationships change. People are known and loved and 'church' happens.

'Church' is an every day thing.


Song:
No More Goodbyes




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