Going to Church This Week?

I have a friend who quit “going to church” a while ago. It’s an interesting statement and I like it. It causes me to ask the question, “Do I or did I ever go to church?” I guess the answer in the early days could have been yes. But I came to the realization, a long time ago, that church is not a building, a house or a place. The church can and does happen anywhere. I think that church happens wherever two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ.

The church is really a state of being. Either, we are the church or we aren’t.

If you “go to church,” no matter what form it takes, you might be missing the point. Let’s be realistic. If I plan on meeting at a house or if I plan to meet in a giant auditorium to worship with some other believers, I have to “go” somewhere to get there, but that is not what I’m talking about.

It seems to me that whether you “go to church” or “are the church” it’s a matter of the heart. You could ask yourself, “What is my motivation? Is it to worship God, submit to the Lordship of Christ and participate in the encouragement of community or is it to be “fed” and “entertained?” If it’s the latter you might want to rethink what you are doing? If it’s the former have fun being the church.

*Remember, that in either situation described above you can fall into the trap of “going to church.”

**Bonus: As an added bonus to this amazing blog I have added a new picture of your friend and mine - the mission dog.