What is church? Why is it important? What do we expect of church? What can church expect of us? What does church look and feel like at its best, rooted in Jesus’s original intent? What needs to change in me to allow that vision to be possible?
I’ve been rolling these questions around with God, with close friends of different faith walks, and with priests and people within my church.
What is church? Many of us think of church as a building, but the Bible says it is an assembly of believers. It’s not so much about the place, or the rules, as it is about the people. How would our time, energy, and money be shifted if we were to focus more on the people than the place or the rules?
Why is church important? Loneliness is at an all time high in our society. Church was once a central place for people to celebrate each other, challenge each other, and support each other.
In its earliest forms it was a place of diversity and inclusion…people of all walks coming together around their love of Jesus. People desiring to serve one another and participate in what was happening. Can you imagine how messy this would be? How much openness, compassion, and sacrifice would be required? This leads me to expectations…
What do we expect of church? What can church expect of us? I think many of us have a long list of expectations of church, and we don’t want the church to expect much from us. We want it to be a place that makes us feel good and fills us up. We want church to be easy and comfortable.
I believe this is what has caused so much hurt and wounding in the church. I believe this is what has caused so many people to fall away from church.
In order for church to change, we must change…because we are church. Changing happens through transformation – the internal part of change most of us don’t know how to navigate.
Transformation can happen when we bring to our awareness the deeply rooted beliefs and behaviors we operate in. The ones we allow to influence our thoughts, words, and actions often without even realizing it. The assumptions we make without question.
Becoming aware of these requires us to consider questions like: Why do I believe what I believe? Why do I do what I do? Why do I say what I say? This is the first and hardest step – creating awareness of the structures that drive our inner world. Most do not have the discipline or courage to take this first step.
Without open hearts and open minds, we can get nowhere. What needs to be transformed in you that will allow you to open your heart and mind? To allow you to examine your own beliefs and behaviors?
Next, we have to consider what of these beliefs and behaviors may need to be shifted or released. Inviting external perspective is an important part of this process. This requires extreme vulnerability, and once again, most do not have the courage to do this.
Without a willingness to be challenged and encouraged, we can get nowhere. What needs to be transformed in you that will allow you to be both challenged and encouraged?
If we have the courage to open up and be challenged, next, we must lean into a pattern of giving up our selfishness and embracing sacrifice and surrender…take up our cross and follow Jesus as it says in the Bible. This is a minute-by-minute practice that must be focused on consistently. Surrendering what I want for God’s will and/or what is best for all…this is a tall, challenging mountain to climb over and over and over. This is faith in its truest sense.
Without a desire to give and receive, we can get nowhere. What needs to be transformed in you that will open up space for giving and receiving? For faith?
Church is a shared experience that requires a shared vision. What does church look and feel like at its best, rooted in Jesus’s original intent? This is a question we must explore individually and communally, rooted in scripture. I believe we have allowed the vision to be centered around and created from our human desires, not God’s desires, and not what is best for all.
During this exploration we must continue to surrender to discomfort and challenge our deeply rooted perspectives and beliefs. We must be willing to hold the question, “what needs to change in me to allow that vision to be possible?” with radical courage.
Grit, Gratitude, and Grace 