For months now I have been asking myself what it means to be the Church.  For some reason the idea of a scheduled meeting time and structure recognition does not resonate.  I recognize it is dangerous and unconventional to think otherwise in some circles. 

Apostle Paul penned in 1 Corinthians 10.31 that “whether you eat or drank or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  To give glory is to worship.  He tells us to live holistically as believers.  Everything we do is meant to bring Jesus glory, praise and adoration.  Worship draws people toward Christ.  God invites everyone everywhere into this way of life, and I believe it is the best possible way to live.

Sometimes I forget to worship.  I’m still learning. Often my failure occurs outside the “church building” and fostered by a false premise that church is something I can go to as in a specific event, location or organized group.  Jesus looked at church quite differently.  He didn’t talk about it as a place to go, but as a way of living in relationship to Him and to others in His family.

Asking me where I go to church is like asking me where I go to McCool. How do I answer that? I am a McCool, and where I go a McCool is. ‘Church’ is that kind of word. It doesn’t identify a location or an institution. It describes a people and how they relate to each other. If we lose sight of that, our understanding of the church will be distorted, and we’ll miss out on much of its joy.

Maybe the Church is too big and powerful for a building?  Maybe meeting in a building is comparable to a movie, on-stage show, or concert that you feel alive in and leave only to look forward to the next big thing (I just lost some readers). The real problem is when people find it is far easier to sit through a finely-tuned (or not so finely-tuned) service and go home without ever having to open up their life or care about another person’s journey.  What is much harder to practice is sharing the journey of knowing Jesus with others that consists of open, honest sharing, genuine concern about each other’s spiritual well being and encouragement for people to follow Jesus however he leads them.  This can happen among established congregations, as it can also happen beyond them.

What I find myself asking is the need for fancy buildings? We have found ourselves meeting as a house church and we make no apologies for the way we meet.  Each faith community most discover for themselves the way of Christ for their culture. We believe we are the Body of Christ when we come together in homes, sing a song, share a lesson, find revelation, and experience gifts of the Holy Spirit.  All done for the strengthening of the church (1 Corinthians 14.26).

Does this mean I despise established churches with buildings? NO, I value these places of worship.  Let me make clear that a house church (network) works together with the more traditional community churches and mega-churches to show the transforming power of Christ to our neighborhoods.  But keep in mind, however, that your gathering is not the church. It is just one of the many expressions of it in the place where you live.

It’s no secret that the term “house church” frequently conjures up negative images for many. However, the history of Christianity has never been limited to tall buildings with steeples.  The New Testament believers understand the church as something you are, not where you go. The house church is neither new nor heretical. I hope that we simplify church and programs so that we are freed to actually live the kind of 24/7 everyday-missional life we are meant to live. It permits us to think of church as more than Sunday morning and move us away from being consumers.

Here is our hope. Picture a group of people who simply live out the gospel in their marketplace community and began to draw a group of people from their local coffee shop, music venues, and markets to discuss what Jesus meant by the kingdom of God. As time passes this group would begin to grow and become much more. It won’t be where they go to church. It will be their life, their friends, and the people they’re on mission with.

That would be some kind of church!

Much of the thoughts above come from Wayne Jacobsen’s article “Why I Don’t Go To Church.”  I would encourage anyone and everyone to read his thoughts.  Also, Organic Church by Neil Cole.