Yesterday I was a presentation on Re-Formation in the church that is occurring during the Spring Academy at Gettysburg Seminary. It was a great presentation that a friend gave.
In it she asked the question – what is church?
In other words, how do we define it?
Is it just the bricks and mortar? Is it the people? Is it a way of life? A mission?
I had to think about this a bit. I wonder if the answer will depend partly on the context. In some cases the church is the building. In others, it certainly is not.
In some cases it is the people, a way of life, and a mission.
But really, what is the essential essence of church?
I think it is based on relationship. I think it is our relationship with God, with one another, with ourselves, and with the rest of creation. But I think it starts with relationship with God and spreads out to the other three relationships. This is what makes it unique and different.
Maybe this is too broad though. Maybe we need more boundaries on the definition.
But I think church is also a living organism as well. It is living in the sense that to be church means to be dynamic and open to change. To be church means to honor traditions, but not be held hostage to past generations either. To be church is to recognize that the core doesn’t change – just how we go about living out that core depending on the context. Also, how we communicate that core will change with the context as well.
If I had to summarize church, I go back to what I learned from my research on the church in Finland (that I argue also applies to the church in the US) – the church is approachable, enjoyable, and relevant.
The church is approachable in that questions and doubt are welcome, where grace abounds and judgement is left at the door. So is shame. Church lives out the idea that the curtain in the temple was torn – the separation between God and creation was ripped. God is approachable. That’s what being in relationship means.
The church is enjoyable. I’m not talking about entertaining here. In the presentation the presenter talked about worship being like a party. It is something that people are enjoying and people want to come to. We shouldn’t be bored out of our mind with church or worship. Why go, why be a part of something that is boring? Healthy relationships are enjoyable – you want to be around the person you are in a relationship with.
The church is relevant. I’m not talking about being hip, changing things to fit the current trends, or adopting whatever slang is popular. No, I’m talking about this – are we talking about what is going on in people’s lives? Or are we too afraid to do that? The church has the opportunity to talk about the struggles and challenges that people face and offer something that no one else can offer – grace, forgiveness, belonging, mercy, love. There are plenty of people who struggle with addictions (drugs, sexual, porn, workaholism, alcohol, medical addictions, exercise, food, etc.) and yes, even people in the pews of churches around the world. If we can’t talk about these struggles with the people who are living with them, and do it with grace and mercy (and no shame), then where are we going to talk about them? The answer is no where.
So, what is church? I say church is an approachable, enjoyable, and relevant relationship between people, creation, and God.
Laced up Lutheran 
Really great, thought-provoking article. I can totally relate to the points you are making. I grew up as a child (until I was 11 years old) in a religion, a church, that was basically full of rules, rituals, and had nice, moral families. But I never heard, nor did my parents or siblings hear, the gospel message loud or clear. Actually, I can’t remember ever hearing it at all.
As a teenager, I did not attend church at all. I could really care less about God, I resented “church,” steered clear of all Christians, and pretty much ignored many of the moral rules I was taught.
At 17 years old, I found myself depressed, hating myself, and not caring if I lived or died because of some circumstances in my life that I had brought on.
When the Lord reached down and extended His hand of grace to me, I took hold of it. That was 37 years ago. It took me a while to realize that ‘the church’ was more than a church building and what went on inside of those walls. Eventually I came to know The Church as a community of Believers, wherever they meet. It is the people who gather, not the place. I have gone to a few different churches over the years and, at times, didn’t attend a traditional church service for large gaps of time. I served in full time ministry for 17 years. In ministry, the church building looked very different every week, but my life was filled with the Church most every day. That community of Believers that I was a part of is The Church, even though we were all different denominations. We fellowshipped together regularly, encouraged each other, served others together as well as serving each other. We challenged each other and held each other accountable. THAT is the Church of Jesus Christ, whether it’s done inside the context of a building or not. I’ve been out of that ministry for a couple years now, but continue to make sure I do not forsake the assembling together with other Believers, many from the ministry I was involved with.
There are too many people who “go to church” week in and week out, year after year, who still manage to forsake truly assembling together with other Christians. I may not go to a church building every Sunday morning, but I am still surrounded by my family in Christ. The Church, the community of Believers that I surround myself with…that is The Church for me.
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Kim, Thanks for sharing your story. Very powerful!
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