so what IS the church? (a refresher)

the word is ecclesia. Literally translated, it means 'the called out'.

any reference to the word or to the idea or concept of 'church' in Holy Writ depicts a people.... a group... a movement.... a body.

It NEVER refers to a building. EVER!

'Bible' buildings - locations - have names like synagogues or temples or tabernacles. but never - not even one time - is ecclesia (church) used to describe a place or location or a building.

We say we 'get it', but our very language betrays us.

We have forever emphasized the importance of "bringing 'em to church" or "gettin 'em to come back to church" or a hundred other phrases which misuse the word...

worse yet, our language betrays our ignorance of what we are called to do. We are not called to produce attenders, we are called to make disciples!

We are tasked NOT with filling up our buildings 2 hours a week, but with drawing people into relationship with Jesus Christ!

When I sometimes make a big point of this, people often scoff as if to say "yeah, we get it, but it's no big deal"

I disagree. It is THE BIG deal. The very central key to most every 'church problem' in history is tied to the misuse and resultant misunderstanding of exactly what 'church' is.

I have watched for decades as we vilify each other over stupid, meaningless, inane arguments. And EVERY ONE OF THOSE ARGUMENTS deals with how we 'do church'.... or some other 'locationcentric' issue.

just another indictment of our misunderstanding of what we are and what we are to be about. It makes me sick at my stomach. and Satan is winning.

So forgive me if I am militant about using words properly. Words mean things.

And if we continue to perpetuate ignorance (willingly or not) through our language and our actions, how can we be surprised when our kids and their kids finally look up and wake up and wonder... "Is this IT? ...there's gotta be something more."

God help us! My ardent prayer is that the Spirit will guide those honest seekers (our children and grandchildren) to relationship with their Savior. My fear is that we will have so thoroughly missed it - then passed along our 'missing it' to our offspring - that our kiddos will be disenchanted with Religion to the point that they run from it and miss the true and living God of creation.

Is the church important? VITALLY! But I believe we have confused the local church (and it's buildings and other accoutrements) with the 'ecclesia' to the point that we fail to understand the distinction.

It seems clear that there are bunches of 'church-attenders' all over the world which are a part of His Body, right?... doesn't it also make sense that there are tons of church-attenders who have no relationship with Him? Can they be considered a part of His Body if they have not first developed relationship with God through His Son?

But we have gotten the cart so far ahead of it's conveyance, we can't even see its tail!

When we misuse the language, we pervert Acts 2:47...

note: Jesus added the saved to His church. Jesus did not add church-attenders to the saved.

We must divorce ourselves from the notion of 'inviting people to church' and instead invite people to relationship with Jesus.... when we think of our mission through that lens, it takes on a much more vibrant, exciting and real meaning!

oh, and by the way, when we help lead people to the Risen Lord, I am convinced the 'church attendance' will be exactly what God wants it to be... but be warned: it - 'church attendance' - will likely NOT look and smell like anything to which we've become accustomed...

It's not that our local church buildings are bad places. It's just that we have apparently vastly overestimated our church building's saving power. .... and it has none.

May God Bless us as we lead others to Him through His Son.