Connection: An Exploration of the Church, Part 1
You may not know this about me, but I’m a sucker for some good pop rock. If you were to scroll through my Spotify account, you would see Imagine Dragons, OneRepublic, American Authors, Train, and the like. Part of the reason I love listening to music is it helps me process my feelings and sometimes can help me realize how I feel under the surface. Lately a song that has stuck out to me is “Connection” by OneRepublic (warning: there is some very mild language). As I listen to it, it reminds me of how disconnected we have become as people. The more we engage online, the less we seem to build true connections with those around us.
As I listened to the song, it reminds me of the church. We are all so deeply in need of connection as Christians. I’m starting a new series called Connection on the podcast and the blog. This blog is Part 1 of this series. The reason I am calling the series Connection is because we as Christians should be connected people. We should be connected to God, to other believers, and to nonbelievers. Each of those connections is different, but we should be connected to the world around us.
It’s easy to find virtual connections. It doesn’t take more than a google church and a click to find a sermon online. I’ve even heard people talk about what it would look like to do communion online. I’ve seen “to-go” communion packs. People can discuss topics in a Facebook group rather than at an in person small group of some kind. Perhaps going to church doesn’t matter in our technological age. Is the church still relevant today? Are the connections we make gathered as believers just as good as connections we can make online?
Looking at the scriptures provides clarity to this topic. The word “church” in Greek, the language of the New Testament, is ekklesia. Ekklesia refers to a gathering or an assembly. This gathering could be a casual gathering or a gathering for a specific purpose. This ekklesia of the Bible is one of gathering for the purpose of being Christians together at the start of their brand new faith. The Apostle Paul describes the church as the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:17-18a). Just like every part of your body has a function, so each member of a church has a function. We need each other and rely on each other. No role is more lofty than others. What matters is that we work together to be the body of Christ in the world (1 Corinthians 12-13, Romans 12:3-8).
Too often when we think of the church, we think of a building. I’m guilty of this too. I’m employed at a church so I regularly say, “I’m off to church!” as I leave for work each day. In my mind I picture the bricks on the outside of the building or the beautiful sanctuary. However, the building is not the church. The building is where is the church gathers. We are all part of the church and we are each the church.
We as humans are designed to live in connection to one another. The church is a key way we live that out. As part of the church, we connect with God. We worship God for who He is and what He’s done. We participate in sacraments where we encounter God in mysterious ways. We are likely part of small groups or Sunday school classes where we learn about God and are part of a community of fellow Christians. In such settings we seek things such as support, understanding, or accountability. Then, we go back to our daily lives and we are the church to the waitress we run into at the Sunday lunch spot who is tired from her long shift, or to our neighbors who are in need of food or school supplies, or to our questioning coworker who wonders if God could exist. We are the church as we connect with God, have fellowship with other believers, and as we are the hands and feet of Christ in the world. This is what it means to be the church.
An important part of this connection to God, believers, and the world is that you cannot do it alone. You are a member of Christ’s body and you cannot be the church all by yourself. You are not an assembly. You are an individual. This may sound simplistic, but you need to the church so you can be the church.
I recognize that church is hard for people sometimes. Unfortunately, every person on earth, no matter how long they have been a Christian, is still sinful. That means that every person sins which can create hurt among the members of the body of Christ. I hope that you can find a way to move past whatever has burned you. A trusted pastor, a good Christian friend, a family members, a counselor, or some other trusted person could help you process what happened and help you find new ways to be revitalized as a member of your church (even if it’s not the same church as the one that caused the pain, though hopefully there can be reconciliation and healing there).
We are made for connection. We are not each an assembly. That’s illogical. To be a Christian is to be part of the church. We’re in this together and that’s how God designed it in the good and the bad. I hope you will prayerfully ponder how you are participating as part of Christ’s church. Or, if you have been burned by the church, prayerfully consider taking steps to reconnect with the other members of the body of Christ. We aren’t made to do this Christian thing alone.
I am excited that over the next few weeks we will have podcasts guests from some of the pastors at my church. We will look at what it means to be the church and hear their stories, thoughts, and experiences. Make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you can be notified when it posts!
God Bless.