May We Never Go To Church Again

A common question from Leslie, our five year old, is, "What are we doing today?" When talking about Sundays and the Gate, we would often say, "We're going to Harry's!" This, when said in public, got strange glances from people as most people in College Station and Bryan know 'Harry's' is a bar. And five year olds rarely attend bars.

Over the last few months when asked this question, our response has been, "We're going to church." Just like many people every week say those same words. It is a part of our cultural vernacular that we "Go to church." And I think it is a small thing that plays a large role in the problems with the Church today.

It points to the fact that church has become a destination in several ways. Most churches in America have a building somewhere that we migrate to for a few hours a week. We must leave our homes to go to this place.

Church is also the place we go to worship and spend time with believers. Worship is engaged in there- don't even get me started on the way Worship has become a planned event in our culture. We also use the phrases, "Go to Worship," and "What time does Worship start," and never catch the true implication of what we saying.

We dress up for this gathering, so it has a bit of social club-ness to it, as well. This is hammered home when church members make comments like, "Come to XXXXX, its the place to be/be seen!" And yes, I have heard people say that. Truth is, in many communities where you go to church determines your standing in society.

But, and this too has become cliche', Church is not a building, an event, or a club. Church is a living, breathing, organism. Church is a bride, she is a body, and we are her parts. Worship is not something we attend or set aside time for, worship is meant to be the way we live. I don't ask, "What time does breathing start?" If I waited to breathe until everyone else got dressed and arrived at a certain location, it would not be worship, it would be a funeral. So why do we wait to 'worship' until everyone else shows up at a certain place at a certain time and does certain things?

We must stop thinking of Church and Worship as things that we compartmentalise in our schedules. Worship should be like breathing. It is involuntary, and praise should pour from our every action, word and thought. Church is not a thing we go to, but a body we each help to live.

Church dies without you.

I don't mean this in an "Attendance Roll Call" way, I mean this in a "Without you amongst us, with your unique views, passions, gifts and talents- Church will never be what she needs to be. She will never survive."

So, may we never GO to church again. No, let us BE the Church.