So this is church...

When we think of church, what comes to mind?  A building with a steeple.  Hymals.  Pews.  Ritual.  Bibles.  A pulpit.  Guilt.  Stained glass windows.  Tradition.  Long dresses and head coverings. (yes, I live in Amish country!)  Somber attitudes.  Sleepy sermons.  Choir robes.  A massive overshadowing cross hanging up front.  Showing up every week...same time; same place; going through the motions because it's the "right" thing to do or because it's just what we've "always done".

Why?  Is that really what church is supposed to be? 

In The Prodigal God, Tim Keller raises an interesting challenge in the first chapter:

...in general, religiously observant people were offended by Jesus, but those estranged from religious and moral observance were intrigued and attracted to him.  Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day.  However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect.  The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones.  We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people.  The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church.  That can only mean one thing.  If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.

I believe church is the people.  God's people.  Community.  Gathering together to worship God through music, prayer, teaching, and serving.  Sharing Christ.  Celebrating His goodness together.  Building each other up.  Encouraging.  Extending hope to a hopeless world.  Walking alongside each other and drawing each other closer to Jesus.  It's not about buildings, legalism, or programs.  It's not about ME and what I can get out of it.  It's about serving others.  It's about putting feet to our faith.  It's about taking Jesus outside of our "four walls" and being Jesus in our community, in our neighborhood, and in our workplace. 

I think that's one of the many reasons why I've really loved being a part of the Theater Campus that Victory Church just launched this month.  They're stepping outside of the box called tradition and pushing some stereotypes of that mental image of what "church" looks like to most people.  And it's not just to be different.  It's an effort to reach more people in more communities.  To introduce more people to Jesus.

This is my church!!

I love seeing Jesus in the hearts of our volunteers.  I love serving my church with these people.  I love seeing God work through this community.  This is my family!!

We don't have it all together, and there are tons of hiccups along the way.  We are a bunch of imperfect people.  But by God's grace, we're doing the best that we can with the gifts, talents, and abilities that He's given to us.  And I'm praying that God uses us for His glory and His glory alone...to reach people who don't know Him...to draw in broken people who would otherwise avoid Him...to be His church and share the same message that Jesus did.