Let's Go to Church
When you hear the phrase, “Let’s go to church,” what image comes to mind?
Do you see your destination as a particular place or building? Perhaps a special sanctuary? Or do you see people? Is the “church” you envision organic and alive, or inorganic and static?
Most of us are conditioned to think of “church” primarily as a building or location. To some degree, this is a function of our language. We only have one word in English to cover the many meanings of church, and it’s much easier to imagine a solid building like we have at Elmhurst CRC than the concept of community or fellowship. But that’s not how it works in the Bible.
The Bible’s word for church is Ekklésia, which means “the gathering of God’s people.”
Because the first Christians didn’t have much in terms of money or power, they gathered primarily in people’s homes or public places for worship. Without any property or privilege, it was clear that the church was organic, moveable, and flexible by nature. It was a living thing rather than a place. The church was wherever God’s Holy Spirit people happened to be. The church of the Bible, the Ekklésia, always has a human face.
Over time, as Christians moved from being a small minority movement of counter cultural Jesus followers to a majority population in many parts of the Middle East and Europe, the concept of church inevitably shifted. Christians began to have social power and cultural pride of place. Christians had the financial means, sometimes even government support, to build buildings and sanctuaries. When the church has cultural dominance, it becomes tempting to forget that our common essence is humble, simple, and dependent on God’s grace. Grand architecture, exquisite artwork, and technological prowess – even when used with best of intentions to glorify God – can blind our vision. We can become enamored with the work of our own hands and neglect the truth that God has lovingly chosen to make us the beloved work of his own hands.
The Bible puts it simply: Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? – 1 Corinthians 3:16
God has chosen to make his presence and power felt in the Ekklésia, in the gathering. And God has chosen to make his presence and power known even in you, personally.
This fall, we’ll explore the main signs that God is still dwelling in our midst. Whenever God is present, you can be sure to find a Christian community that is growing UP (in passionate worship), IN (through deepening fellowship), and OUT (in selfless service and evangelism). Schools have reading, writing, and arithmetic—the Church has Up, In, and Out. These are the three basics of our spiritual curriculum.
This coming Sunday, we’ll hear about God’s plan for us to grow in the UPward worship dynamic of the Ekklésia. I invite you to come with a bright, open heart and to watch for the bouncing ball!
All the best to you for a good season ahead of growing in Grace,
– Pastor Gregg