It's interesting to hear folks talk about the church these days. Since it seems to be a forbidden thing to talk about religion or politics at a gathering, it seems like the "church" has wide shoulders for lots of controversy and debate. One person shared their opinion of church the other day and I was fascinated by the conclusions reached.
One conclusion seems to be, "The church is going to die, unless children and parents start going back to church." But more puzzling to me is the belief "that a strong ... (you can add the narrative) will save our church."
Somewhere along the way, we have lost a true sense of what church is, and equally true, what church is not.
The Apostle Paul writes to young burgeoning communities of Christian followers and describes their life together as a body. Each one of us in the body has particular tasks but together - with Christ as our "head" - we are called to spread the word of God's love and new life to the world.
Church is not a set of beliefs, but builds a life of faith. Church is not a building or a religious program, but "church" is God's people following the will of God and working to bring about the Kingdom of God - a place where God's love and grace abounds.
The wonderful thing is, while we may not express our work in similar ways, we're all "church" - God's people, loving as we have been loved.
