Are you going to a building or, are you the living church? As I have been traveling from country to country I am realizing more and more that distinction is everything. Going to a building on a Sunday and just living your life the rest of the week is not church. I walked into Cathedrals that can house a 1000 people. You know what if there are not a group of believers living life in that Cathedral it is just a building. As sure as they are built they will one day fall. The church is those carrying the Holy Spirit.
Recently I went to a Cathedral called the “Black Church” in Brasova, Romania at my second debrief. You had to pay about 3 dollars to get in. It has a rich history. It has one of the largest organs in Europe. It housed many people wanted to know about God at one time. A large part of the community did not agree with the church and tried to burn it down and the outside was burned black. That is how it got its name. The building is amazing. There are beautiful paintings, the organ, and many statues. It really is a site to see. There is one problem. It is just a tourist attraction now. It serves no purpose to bring the Father’s children closer to him. So the name “Black Church” is a misnomer. It is just a building that used to house the church.
Living life with others following after Christ is the church. It is challenging them and consoling them on more than just Sunday that is the church. I get to live life everyday with 6 other people on this journey and on a larger scale my entire squad. We together are the church. We each individually are the temple and together make up the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the church.
I want to challenge you to believe that a Sunday service does not make up the church. On a random day sitting at the table having team time I have felt the presence of the Lord. Discussing together what we see from the Father in each other. It takes more than one day to be called into the greatest that Father has for each of us. It takes waking up every day and realizing that I am a part of the living, moving church.
As I get ready to move on to my 6 month on the World Race I realize as we move we carry Christ and the church with us. And so do each and every one of you. Please do not settle for being anything else. Live your life knowing that every day is a day you get to bring Kingdom down. We get to be the church, we do not walk into one.
