“Let’s go to church.”
“Meet me at church.”
“Church was awesome today.”
“I go to such-and-such a church.”
“I go to Pastor so-and-so’s church.”
“Worship was amazing today.”
“I just wish my church would grow.”
“I want to invite my friends to become a part of my church.”
“Our church is really involved in missions.”
“Our church does great outreach.”
“Church is the only thing that gets me through the week.”
These statements and more are common in the world of Christianity today. Church is a noun, a verb and everything in between. And if we believe Jesus when He said that it is “out of the overflow of the mouth that the heart speaks” then we should assume that how we talk about the church actually reveals our underlying assumptions about what the church is.
So what is the church?
A place?
When a person says they are “going to church” or “meeting at the church” they are speaking of “the church” as a place. It is a building, a campus, a facility, an auditorium or a meeting place. When viewed this way, the church becomes a place where someone can “be” or “not be” depending on their geographical location. Most often, this filters into how a person lives their lives as well. People often do or say things “outside” of church that they wouldn’t say “inside” the church. This way of viewing the world creates a lifestyle that is often extremely compartmentalized. Thus, a person can “come to church,” hear a sermon or Bible study, talk about the things of God, and “leave the church” without ever changing the world outside of the building that they label “church.”
An event?
If “church” is primarily viewed as an event, Sunday becomes the thing upon which all things hinge, the primary day where “ministry” happens, and the most important part of the life, direction and vitality of that particular body. It is this way of viewing church that is the most common cause of strife, splits and the death of many American churches today. If the lens through which one sees the church is a Sunday morning event or service, then their preferences for a particular experience or role of leadership on that day becomes paramount. Thus, if our preferences are not met on Sunday we “change churches” or we “don’t like that church anymore.” Viewed this way, church becomes akin to a sporting event, play, or performance. The most qualified among us assume positions of authority at this event and the goal is excellence above all things. After all, none of us would expect Tom Brady to be benched for the backup because he was a “nice guy.” Those who have a more vital role at church become more important, while those who do not are left to merely attend and go home, hopefully happy with the product they have received. The person who sees the church as primarily as an event also tends to live a compartmentalized life since, after all, Sunday is only one day of the week. Most important though, is that the individual who does not preach, lead music, or hold another leadership position tends to see their role as an “attendee” who invites a friend every now and again, but who primarily attends church to receive a product that suites their tastes. In the end, it is the job of the advertising company, PR guy, or interns to publicize and multiply the event since they are mostly just attending.
A person or a denomination?
People often describe “church” based on their leader or denomination and many would rarely entertain the idea of attending a church that isn’t Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist or C&MA. For others, the pastor’s sermons or the worship team’s musical ability captivates them such that the appearance of a guest preacher or worship leader invokes disappointment. The person who views the church through this lens often elevates their pastor, worship team, or denomination above others, even if subtly. At its worst, pastors are elevated to rock star levels and denominations are treated as “good ‘ol boys clubs.” At best, the pastor is seen as “different” than the members in the church, is expected to do the majority of the work, and his primary role becomes appeasing the masses and sticking to the denominational norms.
Each of these ways of viewing the church has had much help over two millennia. The cathedrals of Europe, the campuses of the Bible belt and mega-church auditoriums have done much to make the case that church should be defined as a place. The modern worship team with smoke and lights, the central role of the organ throughout church history, and choirs ringing with angelic sounds have led many to see church as an event. And the ever present tendency in humanity to exalt man above God and remove their need for responsibility continues to propel pastors, worship teams, and man-made denominations into the spotlight. So which is the right way to view the church?
None of the Above
As I am sure you can already tell, I would say that none of them are. Beginning in June, I will begin a series in the book of Acts entitled, “What is the Church?” It is my prayer that through this study we will all continue to be challenged to rethink our view of “church” and reorient both our thinking and our lives so that we not only discover intellectually what the church really is, but we actually begin to live in such a way that the church of Scripture and the church of today are indistinguishable.
