Of late my friend and I have been trying to answer the question, "What is church?" We've not been discussing the nature of the universal, catholic Church of Jesus Christ, but of the local church--the experience of the average Christian in and with his Christian community. What does it mean to go to church? To be a part or member of a church? It seems like such a simple question, but there are profoundly different answers, many of which remain implicit.
Here is my shotgun answer. Church is (or should be):
1. Local. Driving an hour and a half to gather with a group of believers is less than desirable. Everyone's options and experiences are different, so there certainly are no hard and fast rules ("local" is, of course, relative), but the general goal for a church is that it would be a local body where you can be present and plant roots. Sometimes this will mean dealing with practices or doctrines you don't like, which is, in fact, a good thing. We commit to local bodies in order to grow and mature.
2. Connected. Local churches should be connected to the broader church. The need for accountability is the first and most obvious reason for this, but such a connection also helps us to avoid theological isolationism and echo-chambering. This doesn't necessarily have to take a particular form, but connectedness with the church beyond our individual traditions and era is a powerful tool to keep us humble and gracious. We might even encounter something beautiful we would have otherwise missed.
3. People. A local church is a group of people. In some ways, it's really that simple. A church is a group of believers choosing to gather regularly with each other. They may have a building, and they should have some liturgical and governmental structure, but the church is the people. It is not the leadership. It is not an institution or a hierarchy. It is not a 501c3 entity to which laity report once or twice a week for their dispensation of grace, information, or encouragement. The church is the people. A church is people.
4. Practical. A church should be a practical. It should exist in the real world and meet real needs. Remembering our last point, perhaps I should say they meet real needs! A local church should be comprised of people who are involved in each other's lives. Everyone won't get along with everyone the same way, but, generally speaking, local churches should be groups of people who love and trust each other--who bear each other's burdens.
5. Physical. Along these lines, it should also be a physical entity. A church's existence must be an embodied one. We gather for Word and Sacrament. You can't do this (consistently or long-term) via the Internet. Our gatherings, for worship or otherwise, must engage our whole persons--mind, soul, and body. We stand and kneel; we eat and drink; we sing, cry, and listen. We do all of these things as complete, embodied image bearers.
6. Sacred. A church is a unique, sacred group of people, not a local chapter of a social club or charitable organization. Those things are good, and there will almost certainly be those elements involved when Christians are regularly gathering together, but church is so much more. A church is the Body of Christ, locally manifested. We gather not simply for mutual edification, information transfer, or charity, but to worship our Risen Lord! We gather to proclaim His death until He returns! Going to church is something we should never take lightly. We go to be holy (set apart)--to reconstitute the Body.
7. Joyful. As sacred and momentous as our gathering ought to be, it ought also to be joyful. It ought to be victorious! We are commemorating Christ's, and anticipating our own, Resurrection! We are celebrating the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! The real world is full of pain, stress, and interpersonal tension, and any collection of fallen human beings will experience some of that, but the local church should be a place of joy and love and encouragement, alongside all those other realities of life. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
There is more--much more--to be said, I am sure. If you are looking for a church, or even thinking of starting a church, perhaps these seven words will help you guide you on your journey. I think they help us understand what a local church should be.
Comments
Post a Comment