9 am: our escort arrives to take us to church. Surprise, we’re walking to a village on the other side of the mountain. 45 minutes into our walk (halfway there) the pastor of this church arrives by car to carry us over the mountain and down into the village. Out of breath and grateful for a ride, we all climb into the back of the pickup. For the first time in 2 months, I finally feel like I am in Africa. The mountainous landscape is breathtaking. We held on for what seemed like dear life as we descended the mountain on the steep terrain.
10 plastic chairs sit basking in the sun right outside of a concrete hut with a patchy straw roof. 30 feet to the right sits someone’s home. This empty hut is the church.
Our half circle of chairs includes two sides. One side: the white people. The other: the Basotho people. Immediately I am aware of the unintentional yet self imposed segregation. As worship begins, I make my way to the other side to join a young girl in a song I can’t pronounce the words to.
The light bulb, aka Holy Spirit, comes on in my mind. How often does the body of Christ segregate itself? I mean we have black churches, white churches, wealthy churches, poor churches, mega churches and tiny churches. Methodist, Baptist, Non-Denomination, Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist. The fact is: We’re all the church. We all form the body of believers.
As I look around, I’m aware of the way God designed church to look: many generations, nations, languages, social classes, and races joining together under one name: the name of Jesus.
Another point draws my attention. Church. What is the definition of a church? If you would have asked me a couple of years ago, I would have told you “a building or structure used for meeting together to worship God and encourage one another.” Sounds like a good answer, right? Yet, not completely accurate.
Surprisingly, I learned something in college that I held on to. A church has nothing to do with a building. It doesn’t matter if it’s held outside, in a massive building, a hut, or a home. A church is a body of believers bonding together to grow in the Lord, encourage one another, and carry each other’s burdens.
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshipped together at the temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 4:42-47
This group of 10 people who meet in a hut and collect less than a dollar in tithes but are committed to prayer, preaching the Gospel, uplifting those in need, rejoicing together for God’s goodness, and bearing one another’s burdens, is a church.
So I encourage all of you out there, no matter how young or old, rich or poor, many or few: you can be a church. You don’t need a building to meet in, you can meet in one another’s homes. Start spreading the Gospel and forming churches all over your community. Bond together with one another to seek the Lord’s face.
For those of us who are blessed with a building over our heads for a meeting place, do we really look like the church in Acts? Are we sharing life together instead of just the sabbath? Are we placing the needs of others above our own? Are we sharing everything we have? Mostly, are we reaching outside of our “members” to invite in new people into the body of Christ?
— a part in the body,
KP
