"THE church is the people, not the building." I think we all agree on this statement. It's a foundational concept for those who long to see the churches of Jesus Christ become more and more like their Master. Church isn't an event either, right? We know these things. We say them and we mean them.
Churches of Christ were churches long before large and beautiful edifices were built to house them, after all. We know that in the earliest days of the gospel, churches met in members' homes. Individual disciples opened their homes to their spiritual family so they could gather to hear the word of the Lord, worship him together, pray as one and share in communion. They often met in public places like groves, synagogues, and even the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
Buildings for meeting are not unimportant or trivial things, though; just ask those believers who are unable to buy or build houses large enough for their congregations. It is quite a blessing to have spacious and comfortable shelter from the elements as well as a sense of continuity and local identity. Unfortunately, with this great blessing comes the strong temptation to confuse the building and tools used by the church with the church itself. This is why it is so important for us to say again and again, "The church is the people, not the building."
In light of these accepted truths, I've begun to make small changes in the way I express myself. After all, the little things we absentmindedly say reveal a whole lot about how we really see things. For instance, I've decided not to say "church" as a reference to a place anymore. Rather, I've decided to say "church house". So I don't want to say, "Hope to see you at church," but I might say, "Hope to see you at the church house." Another alternative might be, "Hope to see you at the gathering" or some such thing. Also, I don't want to say, "Want to meet at the church?" when making plans with people. I prefer to say, "Want to meet at the church house?" This is a small change to my day-to-day conversational habits, to be sure, and rather awkward too, but it is significant. Every time I say it, its awkwardness serves to remind me that the church really is the people and that we are housed in a building. Of course, I might slip out of a lifetime of habit, so if you hear me refer to the church house as "the church", please gently remind me of my decision to change. It's getting easier and more natural the more I do it, and you might notice it now that you've read this post. This isn't just a quirky personal experiment, though. I'm asking all of New Hope's leaders to make this change with me. Would you begin to speak of "the church house" as distinct from "the church"? Of course, you should feel free to use whatever phrase you like that communicates the building idea, but "the church house" is the most natural-sounding that I've come up with ("meeting place" seems a little vague, doesn't it?). Please let me and other leaders know what it is like for you as you try to make the transition from calling our building and facilities "the church" to calling them "the church house" (or your own variation). Leave a comment or two for this post. Do people react differently to this choice of wording? Does it help remind you of the truth about who we are as the people of God in Christ? I look forward to hearing from you about this!
Buildings for meeting are not unimportant or trivial things, though; just ask those believers who are unable to buy or build houses large enough for their congregations. It is quite a blessing to have spacious and comfortable shelter from the elements as well as a sense of continuity and local identity. Unfortunately, with this great blessing comes the strong temptation to confuse the building and tools used by the church with the church itself. This is why it is so important for us to say again and again, "The church is the people, not the building."
In light of these accepted truths, I've begun to make small changes in the way I express myself. After all, the little things we absentmindedly say reveal a whole lot about how we really see things. For instance, I've decided not to say "church" as a reference to a place anymore. Rather, I've decided to say "church house". So I don't want to say, "Hope to see you at church," but I might say, "Hope to see you at the church house." Another alternative might be, "Hope to see you at the gathering" or some such thing. Also, I don't want to say, "Want to meet at the church?" when making plans with people. I prefer to say, "Want to meet at the church house?" This is a small change to my day-to-day conversational habits, to be sure, and rather awkward too, but it is significant. Every time I say it, its awkwardness serves to remind me that the church really is the people and that we are housed in a building. Of course, I might slip out of a lifetime of habit, so if you hear me refer to the church house as "the church", please gently remind me of my decision to change. It's getting easier and more natural the more I do it, and you might notice it now that you've read this post. This isn't just a quirky personal experiment, though. I'm asking all of New Hope's leaders to make this change with me. Would you begin to speak of "the church house" as distinct from "the church"? Of course, you should feel free to use whatever phrase you like that communicates the building idea, but "the church house" is the most natural-sounding that I've come up with ("meeting place" seems a little vague, doesn't it?). Please let me and other leaders know what it is like for you as you try to make the transition from calling our building and facilities "the church" to calling them "the church house" (or your own variation). Leave a comment or two for this post. Do people react differently to this choice of wording? Does it help remind you of the truth about who we are as the people of God in Christ? I look forward to hearing from you about this!
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