Being the Church vs. Going to Church

Recently the Lord placed a simple truth on my heart & I felt the strongest desire to share it with everyone in hope that I might inspire at least one person.

You are someone who attends church weekly. You enjoy the coffee and the bagels before service. You enjoy the chit chat with fellows Christians. You enjoy the worship and never miss a sermon. You tithe weekly and then pack up your children and head home, thinking nothing of "church" again until the following week.

It seems to me at least, that it's normally the person that I described above who is always showing up to take and never stopping a minute to think about how that coffee and those bagels got there, or about all the hard work that was put into the worship to be prepared for Sunday morning, or how long the Pastor spent his time writing his sermon and praying for the Lord's guidance to successfully deliver the message. What about the people who watch your children in nursery? Or the ushers that collect your tithe?

Everyone wants something from the church yet not everyone is giving themselves to the church. I think there are so many misconceptions about what Jesus meant when he created Church. In our modern society it has come to be known that "church" is a place we go to. I disagree with this definition and believe it does not matter the "place" we are in when we celebrate God. Church is a group of believers gathered together to praise and worship our Lord God regardless of where they are.

Acts 2:42-47 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

All that mattered was that they were together. Enjoying each other and enjoying God. I think it's sad when the church can not all be dedicated to each other and making all the components of it run functionally. When only a few people are doing many multiple jobs the church as a whole does not run as efficiently.

What makes a member want to be apart of nursery duty? What makes a member decide to volunteer to clean up or to set up or to usher? Why do the same people over and over volunteer? Do you think they don't also have responsibilities outside of the church family? Do you think they are not as busy as you? What is it that prevents you from prioritizing the church family into your schedule. Is this not the church you love but yet you feel you cannot step out and do more for it? You probably do not realize how important you are to the church family that your absence is more hurtful than helpful.

1 Corinthians 12:14-26 "Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unrepresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

The biggest problem I see that probably breaks my heart most of all, is the lesson being taught to the children. They are learning that it is okay to put church on the back burner. They are learning that attendance is enough. Attendance is great! But attendance is not enough. They want the perks that go along with being involved with the church family but they don't want to be involved in the hard work it takes to get there. And who is showing them it's okay to act and think this way? You might not realize it, but kids watch you, most importantly they listen to what's not being said. Ex: You attend the Potluck and enjoy the food, but didn't find it necessary to bring any food to contribute. That's a clear sign that it's okay to take from your church family without feeling the need to give back.

As a Christian and being a member of the church we are to speak through our actions. I feel as though this has hit me now all at once. Last week's youth meeting was on "faith & deeds" well how can we have faith and say we are followers of Christ and now even show deeds to our our church family? I am saddened by the amount of youth that either can't or don't want to participate in the "rent-a-teens." The excuses, while some are legitimate, most really show a lack in deeds, a lack in "Being the church vs. Going to church." These teens want the perks of attending the trip in the summer, yet lack the God given drive to work hard to earn their way to attend.

We always hear how we need to go out and "spread the Word" through our actions in truth and in love. To show people we care through little deeds that could mean big things to them. I do not understand how we as the church, as the body of Christ can possibly go out into the secular world, when we cannot even make the time to extend love through gracious deeds and actions here within ourselves.

My prayer is that people will stop complaining they believe the church is "dying" or that "no one is doing etc" and take a step of faith for themselves and BE that person to volunteer. It doesn't take much to unclutter your schedule and focus on putting the church family first. It is a wonderful thing to help unburden your fellow brother or sister in Christ who might also be bogged down with too much.

The moment that we as a body of Christ stop waiting for someone to come along and do things for us, to make us better and realize we are the ones who need to step up to the plate and take a hold of the place God has for us in the church, I know amazing things will happen.

I know going out of your comfort zone is a difficult task for some. But with prayer and trust in God, you could make it happen. God NEVER said to just listen, God said to participate actively in His Word.

James 1:22-25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."

My prayer is that this will stir your heart to desire to be all the Christ wants you to be in the church.