“That is church for me”! He said it with an emphatic tone. He was certain of himself. It was as if he were convincing himself it were true. I wish I could say this was a stand-alone instance, but the reality is I have had numerous conversations where I walked away bewildered at what people believed “church” to be.

A non-profit organization seeking to better the lifestyle of those in less fortunate areas of the world is not the gathered body of the risen and coming again Savior of the world.

A family reunion where there is prayer and some mutual encouragement is not the assembly of those who are empowered by the greatest power to transform lives. These and so many other descriptions of “church” are troublesome.

…increasing sectors of the evangelical world are abandoning 2,000 years of ecclesiology as though the church was some malleable human construct that can be shaped, altered, redefined or even disposed of as desired.

James Emery White

2020 has been quite the show. It has caused people to rethink so much of our lives. Systems, structures, relationships, and communication have all had to be redefined and redesigned. But what about the church? Does it need rethought? Redefined? Redesigned? To some degree, sure! But one concern I have had throughout this pandemic and before was how the church was and is being redefined. That is why I love James Emery White’s article “This is Church“.

He does a fantastic job laying out a compelling and biblical definition and description of what the church is and what it is not. His 5 C’s give an inherently specific conveyance of the nature of the church. I believe #2 will become evidently more important as the church heads into the future. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Enjoy the weekend and the article and as always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day!

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash