What is a church?
For many, it is the end of the work week. A chance to relax, or maybe catch up on chores. Perhaps you have will wash the car, work in the garden, go to a movie.
We will make our compulsory trip to church on Sunday morning, log in our requirement for the week, head out to eat and then get back to our weekend. But is that really enough time spent worshiping God? And is the only way to worship Him to head to the brick and mortar church?
Two compelling questions… One answer.
We must worship God in ALL we do. Attending church is a vital part of this, and we are called to fellowship in worship. But what exactly is a church?
The Greek word for church is “ekklesia,” which means congregation, assembly or church. It refers to a group of people rather than a building or organization.
In Acts 2:47 we read, “… And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” This verse does not refer to a building, but to the individuals who were coming to know Christ. We are not called to go to a building, a specific place, for worship. Rather we are called to glorify God in worship anywhere and everywhere. And when we gather in fellowship and love with our Christian brothers and sisters, we are the church, whether we are located in a private home, a school room, or a grand cathedral.
We can have a meaningful worship experience with God whether we are in a group of five or five thousand. But we must fellowship with other Christians! We must gather together, enrich each other, love and care for each other. And most importantly, we must gather in praise and worship of our Lord God.
In this country, it is almost too easy. Churches rise up on every corner. You don’t like the music at this church? There’s another one a block away. Somebody made you mad at that church? Hey, go across town to the new church.
We don’t get it. We don’t have to work for it. We take it for granted and file it away.
Many parts of the world are not as lucky. Meeting in Christian worship is a crime, punishable by time in prison or perhaps even death. In some Muslim countries it is a crime to witness to the unsaved. But yet, these persecuted Christians find time to gather in worship in homes, behind closed doors.
If these Christians can create “churches” within their small, persecuted communities, shouldn’t we, who have the blessed luxury of being able to worship openly and freely, be able to find a way to gather together with our brothers and sisters in Christ and worship the God of all?
May 19th, 2008 at 12:18 am
[...] other day I wrote a column entitled “What is a Church.” (What is a Church blog). Today I would like to examine the sabbath day itself, more in-depth. (April Gilford, the [...]
May 20th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Great article Linda. Keep up the good work through your gift of writing.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:17 am
[...] written before about the church, how WE are the church, not the building or the staff. (What is a church?) And most of us are familiar with Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three come together in my [...]
June 20th, 2008 at 12:48 am
[...] all leaders are created equally. We should never follow blindly. If you remember from a prior post (What is a Church), the Greek word for church is “ekklesia,” which means the congregation or assembly, the [...]
May 26th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
Great article Linda. Keep up the good work through your gift of writing.