I quit going to church

By Joel Atwell

Dear Church,

Last night I sat in a room with about 40 of you and listened/watched (via video) some much needed teaching about marriage. It was excellent – entertaining and so very helpful (potentially, if we apply it). I wish every married person, and everyone who wants to get married, would watch it and apply it. In fact, it sometimes makes me sad when there are such helpful resources and opportunities made available (that could really help people and marriages) and folks simply “take a pass” – stay home and watch American Idol or whatever.

Anyway, this morning the thought struck me, “What other ‘institutions’ (other than the church) exist to edify and equip people to become more loving, more giving, more servant-hearted and servant-minded – more like Jesus?”

Answer? If it’s not “the Church” it’s usually some ministry that has been birthed out of the church, is it not?

But as soon as I say that I find that that answer kind of flies in the face of all I’ve been writing concerning “the Church” over the past couple years because, as we know, the Church is not really an “institution;” it’s an “identity.” It’s not an “organization;” it’s an “organism.” It’s a living, breathing, dynamic Body made up of individual persons who have been rescued from bondage to sin and who have become the children of God – and, consequently, brothers and sisters together – whose adoption into God’s family has been purchased by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

That’s why church is not, fundamentally, “something I attend” or “something to which I belong.” It’s “who we are” and it’s “how we live.” However, part of “how we live” is expressed in giving ourselves to the practice of meeting together regularly for the purpose of edifying and equipping one another “to become more loving, more giving, more servant-hearted and servant-minded – more like Jesus.” Members of the “body of Christ” (the Church) who meet only sparingly with the gathered community of faith rip themselves off – and they rip off the other members of the Body. We need each other!

So, as we go about learning what it means to live as the Church lets not forget the model of the first century church who continually “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) Your/my individual life and our life together needs all the encouragement and help it can get.

Thankful for the Family,

Joel