Talk about Church

There has been much discussion about the word 'church' and what exactly we mean by it.  But the other day I got to thinking about the phrase 'doing church'.  Although we say that church is not the building, it does imply the meeting together.  There are those who claim not to 'go to church' as in attending a building.  Instead they meet in houses in small groups.  My question is 'what's the difference?'  It seems to me to be the same thing only in a different venue.  There tends to be some singing/worship, some chatting and some reading and explanation of some verse(s) of Scripture and prayer.  We claim that the small groups meeting in houses is how 'church' began.




Others who have left organised religion sometimes talk of 'doing church'.  This seems to incorporate the occasions when we meet up with someone for coffee and chat, visit someone or organise a meal or get together with some friends (who are often also among 'emerged' Christians).  But using the word 'church' still seems to imply some sort of gathering together, meeting, whether that is in a large congregation in some purpose built building or 2 or 3 sharing coffee.  Again I strain to find the real difference.  With or without the organised setup and music, (somehow, for some, music equates worship and 'feeling' near to God) the idea of assembling, meeting and sharing together is the same.


Jesus teaches that we are temples of the living God.  He lives within us.  The Bible clearly teaches that God does not live in a temple built by humans, no matter what we like to think.  Jesus is referred to as the 'cornerstone' of His temple and we are 'living stones'.  There is nothing there about going to some place.  It's rather about living and being part of His temple.  So maybe we should stop talking about going to church or doing church and start using the phrase being the church.  I love the words of the song Breathe:  'This is the air I breathe, Your holy presence living in me.'  You can find a version of the song here.  Jesus says the Spirit is like the wind blowing where it will.  You can't go to air; it's all around us; how do we 'do' air?; we just breathe it in; it becomes part of us; it makes us live.  And each one who breathes in the living breath of God is another living stone in His temple.  He doesn't put a load of conditions and rules, He wants us to breathe in His presence and be His presence wherever we are. 


We seem to get so hung up about some details of our living in God's family.  There is a danger of focussing so much on one aspect, sometimes the wrong thing.  It's not about taking sides for or against or how we 'do' church.  So much energy is being used up in negative attitudes, searching for a specific verse to prove our own particular standpoint and show that we are right, that we actually miss the point - that God loves us all and wants to be with us and in us.  I believe that God in His graciousness reaches out to all who seek Him, whatever the circumstances.  Going to church?  Doing church?  Maybe it's time to think differently.  We should start changing our whole concept of what church is and how we are church instead of trying to redo it and just bringing about another version of the same thing.  We live church by breathing in His presence whether that is on our own or with others and in His love He meets with us in His temple that He has put within us.