WHAT IS THE CHURCH? by Dr Bruce L. Hartman
Is it the People or the Building?
Recently we moved to a new part of Asheville. In doing so we had to find a new church to attend. Over a number of Sundays, we attended a few. One church was too stuffy. While in another we felt like a number to be counted. And even in another, the pastor was too political. We finally found one that seemed right. Not because it had a great building and environment. It did, but we have been to those before. Not because the music was great, because it wasn’t. It had a spirit that we didn’t see in the others.
The people were friendly and inviting. During the Passing of the Peace, everyone left their pews and went to see friends. They mingled with new-comers like ourselves. The greetings took way longer than the normal time. There was an air of true Christian companionship.
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The pastor delivered a sermon with a distinctly unique southern drawl, but her words were laced with inviting phrases. Not that she didn’t challenge the group, but did it a way that made you think harder. She was as inviting as the congregation.
It reminded me of a time went to a church in Canada, that rented space in a school building. The service had three hundred or so people who knew each other and open their arms to those that were new. Likewise, the message of the sermon wasn’t an easy message, but both challenging and inviting. It wasn’t the building that made our time there special, it was the people.
So these experiences made me think, What is the church? Once again, as I am prone to do, I asked this question on my twitter feed. Sure enough, the replies came roaring in. The overwhelming majority described it as the people. Some more specific in stating; where two or three are gathered. Right from today’s verse. Some said, the body of Christ. Others said the bride of Christ. Some were very theological and others very direct. But no one mentioned a building.
The Greek word for church is Ekklesia.
It means in old Greek, to call out of. Over time the meaning has morphed into meaning; an assembly, congregation or convocation. So what does it mean when you say we are going to church? Does it mean we are going to a building?
Personally, I think resolving this question is critical for the survival of the church in America. In many churches, more than fifty percent of the donations are spent on the building. In fact, nationally well over eighty percent is spent on buildings and administration. While less than six percent is spent on adult and children education. And only one percent is spent on local or national giving.
