Perfect Church
The more I have church, the more I realize it’s not an organized, neat, tidy, planned weekly event.
“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
– Acts 2:46–47
1. “Attending the temple together.” These are your regular church services, structured to carry out the “functions” of church. Sunday mornings work for most schedules; I mean, it’s been a thing for 2,000 years. Then maybe Wednesday nights too, and youth/young adults on Tuesdays or Fridays, plus prayer meetings, rehearsals, team nights, and special events. Meeting together in “the building.”
2. “Breaking bread in their homes.” What happens outside is equally a part of church.
In our family, mealtimes are highly valued. And not just because we’re a bunch of foodies, although we eat VERY WELL (thanks Mom). At the table is where we visit, catch up, talk about stuff. It’s where we share our stories, our recent revelations, where we listen — a lost art — and enjoy each other. It’s church.
Church includes but is not limited to: music and singing, prayer, offerings, announcements, sermons, children’s ministry, and coffee served afterwards. It’s ALSO eating and drinking (even, in controlled amounts, alcohol *gasp*), playing games, watching movies, and dancing (think Footloose). Just as importantly, it’s volunteering, hospitality, taking care of the sick, the poor, the hurting, mourning when someone is experiencing loss.
Church is us, doing life, together. You can’t have church with just one. But you definitely can with two. “Or more.”
Church should leave you better than you were before. That means encouragement, but sometimes telling you to pick up your socks, because isn’t that what a normal family does? Church will invite you to build and get involved in what’s going on, because you’re a part of the family. And church can be fun! I’ll be insisting on making church fun until the day I die. Because it’s real life — that means tears and laughter!
“…a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together…”
– Ecclesiastes 3:3–5
I love Ecclesiastes.
But Michelle, then what’s the difference between church and just hanging out?
I think the uniqueness of Christians is how we LIVE as an act of worship, that we are Spirit-led, so all we do is done to glorify the Father. When we come together, we keep the focus on Jesus as the center of all we do, and that gives power to even the smallest action.
What if church IS people?
This is where the struggle lies. I want to categorize church into a nice neat box, carefully labeled in black Sharpie. I want to pick all the people I like and who think like me to be in my church, people who will preach what I already believe, and who will play the songs I like the way I want them to be played. My nice, perfect church…
…wait, what?
Hold on, Mich. What you’re saying is that you require everyone to measure up before they come to your church? That they need to be perfect to be allowed to stay? What about GRACE?
People are wonderful. And weird. And much of the time, don’t behave like you expect/want them to. I love people. They’re so… human.
Which is how you know your church is going to have bumps in the road, and people you disagree with, and one day someone will rock up wearing an outfit you’d nEVer be caught dEAD in, esPECIally not at chURCH. (Did you read that in the voice of a middle-aged church-gossip-lady? I know I did.)
Even people who are saved, love Jesus, are striving to do their best — though that’s the Holy Spirit’s work in us — are going to slip up now and then. When that happens, we don’t treat each other like outcasts or criminals. We use grace and forgiveness, correction and encouragement, just like a normal family would. Because tomorrow (or next minute) it’ll be you, or me, and Jesus won’t be surprised and His endless love won’t change.
So what’s perfect church?
Perfect church is imperfectly-born and perfectly-reborn people who are in love with perfect Jesus.
The simple answer is the best answer. Christians are known for complicating things — just look at the number of denominations we’ve got — but there’s unity in our focus on Jesus Christ, His finished work, and the grace that has set us free.
Church is freeeeeee. There’s a worry that if we’re allowed to do anything with church we’ll become a bunch of hippies (and there won’t be any money). But if we take away the rules and follow the Spirit, the day-to-day functions of church might actually look much the same.
Compassion moves us to serve, generosity moves us to give, wisdom moves us to make right decisions. Jesus moves us to love. Our lives produce the fruits of the Spirit.
Of course, I know there’s no church without fault or flaw. I say “perfect” because God didn’t create for Himself a flawless bride, yet she was exactly the way He wanted her to be. Someone He was willing to die for. And His pure, perfect bride is called the Church.
