church . . . doing vs. being

The church.

Who we are. At the core of our existence should exist a belief, a soul-knowledge of who we are called to be. I have lost much of this in the discussion on how to creatively “do” church. And that’s not say that we shouldn’t use our talents and creativity to be excellent in all we do, because we should. But I have a question.

What is it all for? Why do we do it?

Are we teaching the church how to be the church, or is it something much less? Are we teaching our congregations that in order to act like real Christians we do X, Y, & Z? or maybe that’s the problem in and of itself. We are teaching how to act. In essence, it is behavior modification. Because while we are here on this earth, we need to play by the rules, and the goal is to go to heaven when we die. So that is why we “do” church. So that we can remind ourselves how to act proper. Because that’s what good Christians do. They act right.

Most everything that we do reflects where we find our identity. If we see ourselves as unlovable, then our actions reflect that. If we see ourselves without purpose, then our actions reflect that. Everything goes back to our identity. Other times, we place our identity in what we do, or what we have done. This can go for anyone from a fratastic partier to a self-righteous preacher. They are defined by what they do.

And when God calls the Isrealites His people, it is shift in thinking. No longer is their identity based on what they do(making bricks). It is based solely on who they are(His people). Who we are. And not only does He change who they are, He gives them a purpose. To represent Him. To be His priests, a holy nation.

Look at the order. First is who we are. Second is what we do. And not the other way around. Because as children as God, that is first and foremost what matters. Who we are. Not what we do, what we have done, what we are going to do, what we might do, what we thought about doing . . . Who we are. This is inescapable. We are loved. We are cherished. We are doted upon. He looks on and is overjoyed with how beautiful we are. We are loved.

And then our mission becomes to reflect that love. And Jesus follows the long line of prophets who called the nation of Israel on the carpet for not doing this. For not taking care of the poor, the orphan, the fatherless, the widow. Israel doesn’t do what it was called to do. His nation of priests don’t live up to their calling, because their identity has been lost. So Jesus, the priest from the new order, comes and doesn’t just call them out, He does it. The priests in the line of Levi and Aaron forgot. So it took God’s Son, from the order of Melchizadek to set things right. To demonstrate what the church is supposed to be.

Everything that the church does should reflect who we are. I believe that the world is aching for the church to start acting like it. To stop thinking about how to get everyone and in the door and present the gospel to them. That is not being the church. That is a organizing a gathering. And the gatherings are not supposed to be the point of who we are. In Hebrews, it says “let us not stop meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, so that we may spur one another on towards good works.” The point is the good works. The point is demonstrating and living out the resurrected Christ each day. As Jesus said in John 13, “love each other as I have loved you. This is how the world will know you are My disciples.”

This self-sacrificial love is what the church is called to exhibit. This is how we become the church. This is how the world sees the church. And from the New Testament on, the church was called to be a sending church. No longer attractional, but one that goes out and demonstrates this type of love.

And we have to meet together to encourage each other towards this, because there is no way that we can do this without encouraging each other. It is not possible. That is why we gather.

I can’t help but think of what the world would look like if we started to act like the church. I can’t help but get excited and get a fire in my belly about it. Because I love Jesus. And I love His church. And if we, His church, would realize who we already are, then we could see who we are called to be, and then it just might be possible to see that the kingdom of God is at hand. Then we might see the revolution in our midst.

And that, my friends, changes the world.

be good to each other. look at Christ. peace.