Life without Church

I think we find it so hard to give up Church not just because of tradition, though that is a major factor, but because Church has become our spiritual measuring stick. We determine our level of spirituality based on how often we go to Church, how many Church activities we are involved in, how much money we give to the Church. Without that institution to measure ourselves against, we feel lost and devoid of direction. So how do we measure our level of spirituality without the Church? Well, that would require study, seeking God, prayer and solid leaders as our examples. You see, it actually requires you to do more than to just check off your little Church duties to determine your spirituality. Now it's just like – Sunday service=check..., midweek Bible study=check... music practice=check... Oh, that means I'm a three out of ten. Maybe next time I can add children's ministry and Sunday night service and then I'll be a five, wow, I'll be half way there.

Without Church, how do we assemble? Our daily interactions with friends, family and neighbors becomes our assembling together. What does this mean for us? It means no more gossiping with the neighbors, no back biting with your sibling. It means that evening with the guys needs to be talking about Jesus and not getting drunk. It means that weekend party needs to be filled with worship, not gambling. It means no more special day or special place where we play nice, it means that being a Christian doesn't begin on Sunday morning and end on Sunday night. I think this scares us. If there is no start and there is no finish, then that means we REALLY have to follow through, we REALLY have to commit, we REALLY have to believe, we can't just fake it anymore.

When I say no more Church, I mean no more Church as we know it. I believe in assembling, I just think that it should be considered “assembling” every time we are with our family, friends and neighbors, not in a building on Sunday. I still believe in Leaders like Pastors and Teachers, I just don't believe in the “Office” of Pastor that comes from tradition. I think the leaders should be going to the body, teaching, leading, counseling and conducting Bible studies where the body is, not standing behind a pulpit on a stage on Sunday expecting everyone to come to them. I still believe in Elders, I just don't believe in the elders as some kind of a comity to decide whether or not to pave the parking lot this year, or if we should start using LED light bulbs or not. I think that the elders should be considered any member of the body who is spiritually matured, has great wisdom. Someone that we can go to for sound Biblical advice.

You see, life without Church is not removing Christ from our lives, it's removing Him from one day and placing Him as the center of every day. Life without Church is a life in Christ.