There is no church without us
The sum total of our tears
struggles, joys, doubts,
longings, fears, and
loneliness.
No such word, church
Church is a noun describing one thing
Walled in, campus-bound
There is no church without us
The sum total of our tears
struggles, joys, doubts,
longings, fears, and
loneliness.
No such word, church
Church is a noun describing one thing
Walled in, campus-bound
This idea of Jesus was a participle
Authentic church a gathering
Not defined by location
But by intention or action
Still a noun, but full of
movement
and consequences.
Not an indolent word.
Ekklesia is wherever disciples
of Jesus are
In a home, at a disaster site
Doing good works of mercy,
worship, and restoration
Church is responding, caring, redeeming
Joining together to be stronger
than just one
Like those giving breakfast every morning
to Mayfield tornado victims
Church is wherever disciples show up
Pushed along by the impetus of the Spirit
Or the call of fellow disciples,
“Come join us.”
Church is better called “the gathering”
Defined, not by its building
But its purpose and its bond
with one another.
Church is amorphous
You never know where it
is going to show up
But “show up” it will.
Church is God being present
Hands and feet moving in synchrony
with the will of God
Reminding others by its grace
of God who inspired it.
Church is haven
Its walls the arms of loving
“others” who embrace
Its roof the attentiveness of
its members to threats
from the world.
Christ loves the church
Who he inspired,
And gathered and loved.