What Is Church?

[Robinskeys]

... I ask because what I've seen of "church" in my life (the VAST majority of it anyhow) is ridden with politics, drama, guilt-induced action, worship wars, legalism in varying degrees, etc.! (and I've seen allllll kinds of 'church' in my life!)
Church is SUPPOSED to be... US! We are the church if we are believers in Jesus Christ! When did it become about committees and buildings and policies and who gives the most, etc.?! (Some of this is indeed rhetorical...)

I'm serving in a church right now. I want soooo much to make a difference, but the apathy and the petty-ness and the stupidity and general lack of anything truly based on Jesus Christ Himself, rather than what's become the church's idea of Jesus and tradition has me so frustrated and baffled that I don't know if I can allow my children to remain in such a place, and don't know if I can truly, feasibly make a difference! THEY are my first responsibility and priority before God, and I don't want them turning away from God completely because this is allll they see of Him outside of our household! I've seen that happen over and over again to families! It scares the crap out of me!

So what is church really?! What is it supposed to be?! I'm sooo tired of trite answers. Whatever it is now, it's obviously not working. I can't fault the upcoming generation (my own included) for turning away from any form of traditional church! I don't blame them even a little bit! "We" are too often, blatantly ridiculous!... Coming together in our little clubs and making club rules that have nothing to do with the world outside our little... well... club!

I just want Jesus! I'm so exhausted of all the peripheral!

[russhutto]

Wait, isn't church that building we go to for a few hours on the weekend?

Just kidding.

We are the Church. Church is the "called out ones." We should be set apart, peculiar, different, and sent. Church has nothing to do with our gatherings on Sundays. Church has everything to do with our gatherings on Sundays.

Church is outside. Church is inside.

Church is saints. Church is sinners.

Church is you. Church is me. Church is us.

Church is The Body. Church is the Bride.

Church is His hands and feet. Church is His smile.

A vessel. A tool. A conduit. An avenue.

Church is nebulous. Church is concrete.

Church is assembly. Church is exodus.

Church is fellowship. Church is correction.

Church is beautiful. Church is adventure.

Church is we. Not them. Us not me.

Church is not a service. Church is service.

Church is not preference. Church is deference.

Church is so simple. Church is so profound.

[Sacredise]

One of my greatest learnings - and something that really saved me - was when I realised that the church and the Kingdom of God are totally different things. The church, then, from my perspective, is a number of things:
1. The universal and ancient community which followers of Christ are part of. At its best, this is the human presentation of the principles and ideals of God's Kingdom.
2. The institution which inevitably forms around any movement/gathering/ideal to try and more effectively live out the values of the group, but which also, inevitably manifests the flaws of its humanness.
3. Any group of people seeking to live Jesus's message of the Kingdom together.
In all of these cases, the church is an extremely human thing - filled with all the nobility and fallenness that implies. While we all know the pain of church - and anyone who stays in the church for any length of time will be deeply hurt - we have also all experienced times when the church is awesome in its compassion and selflessness. If we are honest, we have all embodied both the good and the bad in ourselves as well.

I'm afraid that this may not be very helpful, but I hope it simply demonstrates that what you're feeling is both natural and pretty universal. The challenge for me is to hear the call of God to embody the kingdom of God as best I can in the midst of a flawed church community, and to do my best to help others to do the same. In rising above our pain, and the temptation to separate ourselves and judge the church, we become like Christ in his sacrificial service - and this, I believe, is where church at its best is seen.

For what it's worth...

[amprodirect]

First I would state that I love you asking the question. I agree with most of the content of the replies you have already received. I believe if you were to ask 20 different people on the street what the church is you may get 20 different answers though I imagine the most common would be an institution. I am not a huge fan of institutional church, though I love community. I happen to be part of a large church in Austin yet I don't think we are very institutionalized. You could find those that disagree with that.
I see the church as being an individual(s) that is passionate about the things Jesus was passionate about. One thing I believe to be true, is that if the church would just be the church then the government would be out of business (in many areas anyways). I love the church, not the institution.

[Smitty]

Thanks for sharing that, Robinskeys.

I agree with you 100%.

Russ, what you wrote is fantastic.

Smitty

[Robinskeys]

Thank you so much everyone!
And Russ.. that was BEAUTIFUL. I'm printing that out and hanging it next to me! :cool: