Organic and alive! The gathering we traditionally call church should be both of these but unfortunately more times than not it appears to be manufactured and dying! I am not bashing traditional church because I am a part of the establishment. I am not pointing out problems but rather trying to be a part of the solution. Do NOT take these words out of context or try to apply them to any specific "church" or situation. The very need for this disclaimer serves as proof of the church being manufactured.
Church is not the building we meet in! It is the body of Christ! Unfortunately the body of Christ is spilling blood everywhere walking around wounded missing limbs due to the amputation of limbs that didn't fit our mold, methods or idea of what they should be. I spoke on an abundant life. When asking people what abundant meant I got answers all over the place but the most prolific answer had to do with having enough stuff, or more than what we need. However, when asked if they felt they had an abundant life not one person said they felt fulfilled in their life. I spoke to a good friend who had looked back at the previous years of his life and said he didn't feel he was accomplishing much. I look back over my life and with all the ups and downs I certainly cant say I feel like I have had an abundant life. Good life, yes. Great life, yes. But I don't really know if I can say abundant. If abundant means overflowing than am I living life more abundantly?
This has absolutely nothing to do with stuff! The new iPhone 3Gs does not qualify as living more abundantly. The bass boat, new car, fancy shoes, or fat wallet do not constitute an abundant life. That is just stuff! If our good deeds are like filthy rags, (for fun do a word study on that) what does Christ think of our stuff, what does he think of our refusal to allow him to give us a more abundant life.
This past Saturday I was privileged to get up early on my day off to go attend a local gathering doing some ministry work. Guess what?, they were even from another denomination and didn't care I didn't have the same denominational i.d. card in my wallet. I say this tongue in cheek but in reality we allow our man made labels to do more harm to the kingdom then good many times. Our denominational prejudice do as much harm as racism did in the 50's. It was a ministry that provided QUALITY food, not the out of date beets in the back of the pantry, at a greatly reduced price. They have strict guidelines as to who can qualify for the food. Only one type of person can qualify for the food. You have to be breathing. Pretty strict huh? You don't have to fill out paperwork, join the church, or memorize the apostle's creed!
The beauty of this day was I saw the living, organic church. Not the building, as described by the pastor I was working with, their building was more suitable as a hunting lodge than a worship center. It was beautiful though. Don't ask me to describe the facilities and buildings because I couldn't. I can describe the face of every person I came in contact with though. I can tell you exactly what the church looked like. The young girl with the nose piercing who was up early on a Saturday morning to help make boxes with the radiant smile. The one that made me laugh as I was learning how to juggle food for three boxes at one time. The mom who brought her young boy down to help carry boxes to cars, the boy who was wanting to go to Full Sail to design video games. The young man who had repaired lawn mowers to GIVE away, blonde hair flat top. The middle aged gentleman and his wife who were in charge of putting next months order forms in the boxes. They reminded me of my wife and I with their sense of humor. The first couple that I met that day met us at the pick up sight. I had wanted to learn more about this ministry in hopes of getting the people we gather with involved in providing this for our neighbors. They showed me everything. EVERYTHING. I even got to unload the semi! I loved being able to get in their and be a part. The church was beautiful, organic, and alive.
Not every person that was helped that day will set foot in a service. Not every one will follow Christ but EVERY one saw the love of Christ. Every one saw the church alive! The goal wasn't to see how many converts they could record for the month. I flashback to the feeding of the 5,ooo. Jesus saw people and loved them. Loved them where they were, who they were and feed them. That is it.
I also can't help but to look back at the early church. You know the one that is talked about in the book of Acts. They came together and made sure none went without. They functioned as a body. Together. Where has that gone? It is still there, in each one of us, waiting to be unleashed.
The conversation on the way home was enlightening to say the least. Their gathering had decided to take Sunday nights off for the summer. I have mixed emotions about that because I LOVE our gathering on Sunday nights. Although I would love a night off every now and then. I would also love to do things outside of the box. I digress. They were asked "what are we going to do for church on Sunday nights?" The response "Be the church". When we walk out of the building we are still the church. Their men's ministry has begun to grow now that they no longer meet at the "church". They meet and get wings and play pool. Guy things. They get BBQ. Someday they might even take a page out of Jesus' playbook and meet by a lake and fish.
The church has left the building.
Thank you to anyone who made that Saturday so special to me. You know who you are and hopefully remember me as much as I remember you!
