My whole life I grew up thinking in order to be a Christian, you had to be at church every Sunday. So I was at church anytime the doors were opened. On Sunday mornings, Wednesday Nights, Thursday Nights, and at every church event, Vbs, and any outreach. Don’t get me wrong I love all these things. But it wasn’t until the race that I learned that just going to Church doesn’t make you a Christian, rather being the church does.
What most people in our culture think Church is… A building or property, with chairs or maybe pews, a stage with lights and lots of people, where they sing songs, a pastor speaks, and maybe a community group. And then you just go on with the rest of your day. Yes these are all great, because we need to fellowship and to surround ourselves with other believers who share the same hope, who can build us up, love us and keep us accountable. But we shouldn’t limit ourselves to only going to this building, rather “being the church” in your community every day.
What does this look like though?
It doesn’t necessarily have to look like something big, a sermon, a bible series, a lot of worship songs, it just needs to look like keeping our eyes and ears open to the people around us, and try to show them love in whatever way we can.
Jesus says..
“You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13)
“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)
“You are…a city set on a hill.” (Matthew 5:14)
He calls us all these for a reason, we ARE the church! It’s up to us to be the mouth, the hands, and the feet of Jesus—to be the church! Being the church also means being like Jesus, being a part of God’s family and giving wherever there is a need.
While being in Cambodia, the first month I went into a building that they call a church once, it was affiliated with YWAM (Youth with A Mission), the past 2 months I’ve been in Kampong Thom and I have not been to a church, they just don’t have any around here, and if they do its all in Khmer. Ive learned to become the Church and have my own church instead.
My Sundays have looked a little like this… waking up on my own time with no alarms, sleeping in a little later then normal days, getting dressed and heading to the market down the street to pick up some breakfast with a few girls on my team. Probably a potato, egg, peppers, and pineapple with of course some 75c Iced coffee from my sweet coffee lady. Waving at every sweet Cambodian I see, having short convos with the little Khmer I know, and high-fiving all the children. Thats community.
Going back to the house, hooking up some worship tunes to the speaker with the volume all the way up. Singing, dancing and praising Jesus while cutting, peeling, and eating. Thats worship.
After I’ve cleaned up everything Ill find a spot maybe outside in the sun, on the floor, in my bed with a fan, anywhere to read and dig deeper into the Word of God, praying and listening to what He wants to say to me and do through me. Thats a relationship.
For the rest of the day its simply, resting, processing, listening to what God wants me to do for the rest of the day and just going out into my small community and being a light wherever my feet take me. This is being the church.
