One of the re-discoveries of church life in recent years has been on
focusing on who we are as a community. The church is not so much a building
where one attends a service, it is a community of people who share a faith
journey grounded in this person we know as Jesus of Nazareth.
It is not about how much we know or who we are or where we have been, it is
about travelling together in mutual support and strength as we try and put
into practice the on-going mission of Jesus today, who came to transform
the world.
It is not always easy to be part of a community. There are diverse people
and sometimes different agendas compete for attention. It can be easier if
we keep to ourselves and do it our own way. I suspect there are many
Christians in our society that no longer belong to any church. It would be
good to hear from them sometime!
In the Bible it talks about us being 'the body of Christ'. The reality is
that when we become connected to Jesus we are thereby connected to everyone
else who is connected to Jesus. It's like our human family - we have a DNA
connection that cannot be severed. We may break up from our family and even
disown them, but we remain connected to them nonetheless.
Likewise every follower of Jesus has an indissoluble connection to the
church. It is who we are. We can not go to church, but we cannot not be
church, if you see what I mean.
Do you realise that your brothers and sisters in Christ need you? We all
need some expression of what it means to be church, to journey together in
mutual support and learning until that time we are taken to Jesus fully and
completely.
This is not about advocating one church against another, or one style of
doing church, it is simply advocating that we each find some way of
participating in the body of Christ in some way, however and wherever. If
we have been hurt by the church along the way, to deal with it and move on.
The church needs you! And God needs you to offer your gifts as part of it
as well.

phil.hurwood@stlukesfrankston.com.au