Whenever people ask me where I go to church I stumble and hem and haw and try to find words to answer their question.
The truth is, we don’t go to church. At least not in the sense that people are talking about.
Both Ryan and I have “home churches” that we love – his in Sydney, mine in Oregon. We love going back to those guys and feel totally at home there.
Those churches are places of friendship, connection, encouragement, and worship. They are places that we represent through our service. We consider ourselves an extension of them as we work here in Townsville.
But we don’t go to a place we call “church” every Sunday morning.
The thing is, we do have a church. We meet with a group of believers several days a week – working, serving, worshiping, praying, growing in relationship. We teach one another, we break bread together, we encourage and strengthen one another.
We actually are the church. It just also happens to be our workplace.
I know it’s hard for some people to get that.
They need a name, a denomination, a set of four walls.
So when I tell them that we don’t go to church, I can sense some of them cringing inside. (Is she really saved? Is she bitter toward the church? Is she *gasp* an independent?)
Newsflash, yes, I know God. No, I’m not bitter. And no, we are definitely not independent.
Sometimes I think we have far more community than I think is even comfortable.
(But that’s not really the point of church is it? To be “comfortable”?)
The point of church is to gather, serve, grow, teach, encourage, worship, connect. Be the Body.
So yes, I suppose I do go to church.
Nearly every day.
STOP
Q for you: What do you think church is?
Love,
A
Click Clink Five | Five minutes a day, unedited.
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April 25th, 2012 at 11:21 pm
I love your thoughts on what church is. It never was a building; it was always a group of believers, a family of sorts, that worked together with one purpose–the purpose of Christ. That’s why it’s called his body…
My family, a few others, and I do a weekly fellowship at home. It’s the most amazing part of the week, and the idea of meeting several times a week is a welcome prospect. Have you read the book Pagan Christianity? It does a great job of explaining what the church really is!
April 26th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
No, I’ve not read that one. Thanks for the recommendation. I think the important thing is that believers find community. Call it church, call it whatever, but we do need one another. Glad you’ve found that. 🙂
April 26th, 2012 at 3:48 am
I find church in this society is more about the four wall then about faith. Perhaps I am bitter, IDK. I like what our church likes to say… The church is the people not the building. Every individual is the church and all of us together is the church.
What I am curious about is something that clearly is an Australian thing. What is an independent as you referred in this piece?
April 26th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Oh, I just meant someone that is not connected to other believers. I think if you’re a person of faith, you need to find community somewhere – people that you can grow and worship and experience life with. When I said “independent”, I just meant someone who’s a long ranger, not involved in Christian community. It’s no official term or anything like that. 😉
April 26th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
I feel the same way Adriel.
I haven’t been part of a regular church for a couple of years now, but meet every week with a home group that I’ve been part of for over six years.
For us it feels like what church is supposed to be. Spending time together, exploring things of heart/spirit/mind, caring for each other etc etc.
We are almost family to each other now and it’s wonderful.
April 26th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
That is so wonderful Lara. You probably get more out of “church” (and give more to “church”) than most people do. Sounds like a bit of heaven on earth to me. xx
April 27th, 2012 at 1:18 am
The idea of just getting together with a few others at a home sounds so nice. I have not seen that here at all. I find the churches to be overwhelming and think small groups sounds so much nicer.
April 28th, 2012 at 7:06 pm
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