Who is the church? - 7 May 2024

I often hear in conversations and read in newspapers that believers say they do not want to have anything to do with the church anymore. I use the word “believers” because the fact that they do not want to be associated with the church, does not always mean that they don’t want to be associated with God. They still believe in him, still read the Bible, still pray and try to be people of integrity who want to uphold good moral values. They just do not want to be part of the church anymore.

The reasons for this seem to be multiple. For many, the church has lost touch with the needs of modern man. Some experience the services as stilted and uninteresting, while to another group, the services became too worldly with superficial songs and casually clad members who sit in church with cups of coffee from the church’s coffee bar. Some see the church as avaricious and others see it as not being inclusive enough.

A growing group of people feel the church has lost touch with what is going on in the world of science and technology, and many are put off by the difficulties among opposing church groups.

The Greek word ecclesia is used for both the world-wide church and the local congregation. When Jesus told Peter that his confession of who Jesus is would be the rock on which the church will be built, he referred to the church in its entirety. The church in the world becomes visible as an organisation, but also as the body of Christ and although the two are distinguishable, they are not separable. The “church” that people do not want to be part of is usually the organisational part.

We should never allow what is wrong in the organisation to keep us from what is the body of Christ. Jesus called the church into being for a wonderful purpose, and you and I have a very important role to play in his body (church) on earth.

Prayer: Lord, please keep me from being so critical of the church as an organisation that I lose out when others enjoy being members of your body. Amen