What is the Church?

Recently, an "evangelist" tried to win my soul at work. When he found out I was a professing believer in Jesus, he asked me where I go to church. (Up to this point, his assumption was that he was in control of the conversation.) To that I replied, "I am the church!" I received a flurry of questions:
What?
Don't you go to a building?
Don't you need teaching, to hear the Word of God?
What about accountability, and leaders?

I told him, that if the New Testament allows the church to own a building or operate in one is another matter, but the Bible certainly does not require the church to use one. You see, the word for "church" in the New Testament is 'ekklesia,' which means "the called-out ones." We are God's holy people, separated for his purposes. But no where does the word "church" refer to a building in the Bible. No, church is in the house, as demonstrated by these verses:

Ac 8:3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

Ro 16:5 also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

1Co 16:19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Col 4:15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.

Phm 1:2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

Here is a good description of what they were doing, found in Acts 2.47-48 (NASB) :

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

A note on the temple. Those who maintain Christians must worship in a physical building built for that purpose because believers obviously went to the temple are in error. This activity began here in Acts 2, and occurred afterwards also in Jewish synagogues. The apostles of Jesus were seeking converts and to establish churches, not to build the believers into the temple/synagogue system. If Jews were converted to the Way, as it was called, it was natural for them to remain in the societal structures in which they encountered the gospel to minister there, not to leave their place in religious culture and attend a separate worship service in a holy building dedicated to Christianity. I think if they ended up with a synagogue full of believers in Jesus, the apostles showed no interest in dismantling the synagogue, or the building in which they met. It is for this reason I believe God is not against meeting in a building.

However, as these verses and the rest of the New Testament point out, shoe-leather faith begins at home. That is the apex of worship, what we do at home.

In the temple, synagogues, and other public places where there were unbelievers, the focus was on apostolic witness. They went there to tell people about new life in Jesus. Read Acts, nowhere do you find teachings for believers such as Ephesians 4-5. No, this message was for people who never heard. There are no sermons on "how to succeed in marriage." But thats precisely the kind of thing you read in the letters to the churches (ie. Romans through Jude). The apostles weren't telling believers how to live in these large meetings because they weren't speaking to believers. And that means they weren't addressing the church, because the church is believers.

So let me ask a dangerous question. What is church to you? Feel free to comment, I would love to hear your experiences.

The Love of God

I am coming into a new place. A bigger place. But its also warmer, cozier.

I am learning to receive my Papa's love. I have often been more comfortable with a theology. Give me a teaching on God's love and thats okay. Tell me all the bible verses, I'll learn all the apologetics so I can answer people's questions about the contradiction between the love of God and the suffering of humanity. But to face the love of God is entirely different.

Receiving the Father's love can be frightening. For the longest time, I was comfortable with experiencing God when I was good. Attending bible college, "doing devotions," the "works" of christianity--these things conjured a warm fuzzy feeling inside that said, 'You know Tim.. you're alright.' I had no problem letting God touch me when I felt like I was impressing him.

But on my bad hair days, he couldn't lay a finger on me! Oh, I'd feel the warm honey of the Spirit's touch over my neck and chest, and a warmth inside drawing me to come to my Papa. But something inside me would squirm, afraid that Papa would not be happy with me. Years of experience with my stepfathers taught me what a bad child should expect from a father.

Yet my whole world was revolutionized the day I saw my Papa's face. It was like standing in front of a billboard, his eyes were like basketballs. I could reach for words to describe the light, the colours, and the likeness.. but the most amazing thing was the sheer magnitude of the Fathers' favour.

He liked me! He approved of me! Even though I was struggling, and felt like a horrible christian. I thought I was a bad son. But one moment tanning in the Father's smile, and my life is forever changed.

And we have those moments, those life and faith-defining moments. But like tanning, we need to keep coming back. Love has to be received. We can't be all covered up. Look at me, Dad--I read my bible and went to church and did all the "right" christian stuff--do you love me? But a heart hiding behind good works can never be assured of love. There is always the lingering fear: what if I don't do enough?

I am learning that intimacy starts with nakedness. Vulnerability. Resting and trust. Today, I don't have to do anything.

And I am loved.

Another Chance

Recently I had a screw-up. A fumble. A foible. A big one. Well, actually in the grand scheme of things, I seem to notice that I fail to do everything right from time to time, so maybe not that big. But I couldn't help but feel I had failed God.

My tendency when I sin is usually to feel ashamed, and I used to subconsciously begin a "penance" cycle. For two days or so, extra spiritual discipline, and make sure not to have fun. But God made sure I couldn't get away with that this time...

The day I started off feeling like I had blown it, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, Go get a Tim Horton's. I want to talk to you.

So I drove to Tim's, and picked up an extra large coffee. Pulling out of the parking lot, I spilled it in the car. (I don't have a cup holder) I had this sinking feeling like God was saying, "Look how bad you screwed up." But I still felt God had something to teach me here.

After cleaning out the passenger side floormat, I looked at the offending cup. Right now we're in the middle of the "Roll-up-the-rim-to-win" contest. I picked it up and peeled the rim back to reveal... I had won a coffee!

I stopped at the next Tim's, and they took my old one, and in 10 seconds or so I was holding the same hot, great coffee I was about to enjoy just a half hour before.

God spoke to me again, just 2 words:
Another chance.

I don't know why its so hard to grasp, but feeling forgiven can be difficult. If I sever my intimacy with Papa through sin, why is he willing to receive me in the same instant? I guess thats why its called "Amazing grace."