I quit Going to Church

By Joel Atwell

“… you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood … you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God …”

Dear church,

This morning, as I spent a few quiet moments with the Lord to start my day, I was reading (again) the story of the crucifixion and resurrection from Matthew’s gospel. As I read I couldn’t help but notice how quickly and naturally the event and the news of the resurrection gave way to the issuance of the “Great Commission” (“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations …”). It seems almost as though what Christ provided through his death and resurrection was/is not intended to result simply in our being “saved.” But included with our receiving his resurrection life in us comes the “commission” of bearing and sharing that life with others – wherever we go in the world.

As I contemplated this I was reminded of the fact that approximately 75 people from GC are signed up to participate in cross-cultural ministry opportunities this spring and summer (that represents about 25% of our average Sunday attendance – Yea God!). A couple of our college students just got back from Guatemala where, in Jesus’ name and in connection with MNU and Heart to Heart Int., they installed water filters in the homes of some extremely poor people. (Beats being drunk and naked in Daytona Beach any day!) Another of our college students is spending a good part of her summer serving abroad in the Church of the Nazarene’s Youth in Missionprogram. 17 or 18 of us are preparing to leave for Ecuador on May 28^th to erect a building (with supplies GC collectively purchased) in which our brothers and sisters who are a part of Christ’s church in Ecuador will gather. Then a bunch of our Middle School and High School teens and sponsors will be traveling to Oklahoma andMinnesota (respectively) to serve, in the name of Christ, among our Native American brothers and sisters. That’s awesome! And I think it at least leans in the direction of Christ’s Great Commission.

But let’s not make the mistake of thinking that “bearing and sharing the life of Christ” with others is something we do periodically in other places. As Easter people we are called to “bear and share the life of Christ” all the time and everywhere – at home and abroad. Yes, Christ’s atoning death and resurrection has provided for us personal salvation, but let’s not forget that we have been “saved to serve.” We have been saved that we might “BE the church” in the way Jesus intended.

Happy Easter and thanks for BEING the church!

Joel