In the deep south going to church is a way of life. It is almost impossible to find someone from the deep south who doesn't have some kind of church background. There are those who attend church every time the doors are opened, those who attend the main weekly gathering, those who come to funerals - weddings - Christmas and Easter, and those who grew up going to grandma's church.I grew up going to church. At different stages in the life of our family we went between weekly and every time the doors were opened. One thing that I never really grasped going to church as a kid is that Jesus doesn't want us to go to church. What He desires is that we BE the church. There is an enormous difference between the two.
Going to church is an activity - perhaps a frequent an important activity, but an activity none the less.
Being the church invades every area of our life - it is who we are, not what we do.
Going to church always keeps a line between us and them. It is easy when we go to church to say things like, the church (they) should do this, or that. The church should help with this or that, or, be more active in missions...
Being the church erases all lines. It isn't us and them - it is US - WE are the church. So instead of saying that the church should do this or that, it is WE should do this or that.
Going to church tends to separate our lives into parts - the secular, where we live, and play, and work, and the sacred - where we go on Sunday to do religious things.
Being the church takes away the false dichotomy of secular and sacred. Our life is lived as the sacred body of Christ as we go about life - living, playing, and working.
Going to church promotes for weekly surface relationships and shallow conversations.
Being the church means that we take risks as we enter into gospel centered relationships that are deep and personal. It means that we move beyond the facade of a Sunday morning community meeting and dive into 'doing life together.'
Going to church makes it easy to hop, skip, and jump around from one church place to another in search of the place that offers the right mix of what suits you.
Going to church makes it easy to stay unplugged, never serving, never using the spiritual gifts God has given.
Being the church means that the body of believers is not complete unless I am plugged in and serving in my God given, God gifted area. It means that I understand that this is not only a matter of what i receive from others in the family, but what I give to them - I am being built up and I am building others up - I am being served and I am serving. Without that balance I am missing out and others are as well.
I think these are some of the reasons why Jesus doesn't want us to Go to church.
This January we start a new teaching series entitled Stop Going to Church start being the church. It will be a call to all of us to re-think Church and ourselves. I hope that at New City Church we will never be comfortable GOING to church.
