September-October 2024

I’ve been fortunate to have made several trips to Europe, and each time, I was amazed by those great houses of worship, such as Notre Dame in Paris, The Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, and the Cathedral of Cologne in Germany.  These are amazing architectural wonders in both structure and adornment.  On my most recent trip to Spain and Portugal, I visited as many churches as possible .  Each was varied in age and style, but they were all built for the glory of God.  After each visit, I often wondered if God was pleased or displeased with these buildings. Yes, the buildings are the meeting places for the followers of Christ and have been for hundreds of years, some for more than a thousand years.  I am sure that in all that time, many have gathered to worship God, and that is a good thing, but I wonder if God intended us to build these opulent structures for Him or if he wanted us to focus our efforts and funds on the people.  Yes, we like having somewhere to worship, but to God, the church   isn’t the building it’s the people.
 
The church is seen in the New Testament as “the body of Christ” and “the Bride of Christ,” both indicating a relationship with Jesus.  First, we are considered “The Body of Christ” because we are in this world to do God’s will, especially in evangelism.  We all have unique gifts, talents, and abilities which God has given us to carry out his will.  When the church works together in service, God can do amazing things to reach people through His Spirit within us.  As Christ’s body, we are all important in carrying out the purpose of the church.  In the second phrase, “The Bride of Christ,” this analogy puts Jesus as the groom and we as his bride.  This means our relationship is one of love, adoration, and completion.  He was sent to us, and we are for Him. 
 
Scriptures also show us how much He loves us and what He did for us.  Throughout Paul’s letters to the first-century church, he stresses how our love for Jesus needs to be expressed in our obedience and service, not out of guilt or obligation, but out of love. 
 
We are the church and more than just bricks and mortar.  The next time we walk into a church building, remember that it isn’t the structure that makes us a church, but Jesus.  He brings us together, united in Him through His blood.  We are HIS!