Dear Evergreen Family:
Do we need church?
This gnawing little question keeps coming to mind. The way the current global health crisis is changing society is making me wonder.
Do we need church?
I mean, we’re kind of doing without it. Yes, we have tons of virtual opportunities to learn and grow. We have an intricate network of small groups and one-on-one connections for support. However, when we think of “church,” we’re thinking about something else, I think.
Do we need church?
Well, technically, if we’re asking whether we need a building, or even an organization, to “get right with God,” I guess the answer is technically “no.” Not really. Technically, speaking.
Do we need church?
Needs are requirements for something. We need tickets in order to get into the game. We need a waffle maker in order to make waffles. We need a record player in order to listen to records. So, do we need tickets, waffle makers, and record players? We need them for. For something.
Do we need church?
If I believe in the Body of Christ, the fleshly habitation of Jesus on earth, the people who call Christ Lord, and I want to experience that, I think I need church.
Do we need church?
If I want to remember what it feels like to be a human being and look someone straight in the eyes, knowing that he or she is seeking God just like I am, I think I need church.
Do we need church?
If I want somewhere where I can fall apart and others are supposed to try to catch me, surrounding me in prayer, I think I need church.
Do we need church?
If I want to see things I don’t see anywhere else, like stained-glass windows 30-feet high with crosses and flames and trees that won’t let me forget how big God is, then yes, I think I need church.
Do we need church?
If I want to follow the path Jesus has put in front of me, calling me to go deeper and deeper in an ocean of love and freedom and sacrifice and pain and joy and triumph, I need others who are attempting the same crazy thing. I think then I need church.
I think we need church. I think we do.
May God bless you all.
Your Fellow Minister in Christ,
Mark