Chruch: Building or People?

When we use the word "church," what do we mean? A building - "the church at the end of the street"? A worship service - "going to church"? Both of these definitions are correct, and you can find them in any dictionary. But let’s think about another and more important meaning – "the Church" as people. In its broadest sense, "the Church" refers to "the whole number of Christian believers," or "the blessed company of all faithful people."

Perhaps it would help to see how Christ viewed these three ideas of "church": as a special place to worship, as the worship itself, and as the people to whom God sent Him. Where do we find Christ most often in the Gospels? Though we sometimes see him in the temple, his idea of buildings as the center of religious life does not always seem positive ("I tell you, something greater than the temple is here," Matt 12:6, "Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down," Matt 24:2). More often, we see Christ in people’s homes…the homes of Martha and Mary, for example. We also see him in the wilderness, in gardens, and in the streets of the cities and towns. And of course, one of the most sacred events in his life, the Last Supper, took place in a rented room.

How about worship itself? Christ gave this a good deal more attention. The Last Supper was a Passover meal, in which all observant Jews took part. And Christ taught us how to pray, especially the Lord’s Prayer, and we see Him often in prayer and meditation throughout His ministry.

But the most obvious feature of Christ’s ministry was clearly the time he spent in fellowship. And not just with His disciples - those who had been specially selected by Him to further His work in the world. No, we read in the Gospels that Christ spent time with all who needed him, regardless of political, economic, ethnic, or social status. In fact, Christ was criticized by the religious establishment of his day for the company he kept…"with tax collectors and sinners." He also identified Himself with the hungry, thirsty, strangers, the naked, those in prison, and others he called "the least of these who are members of my family" (Matt 25:34).

So it seems that of these three aspects of "church," Christ Himself placed the most emphasis on the Church as people, next on worship and prayer, and lagging far behind, on elaborate places in which to worship.

Do our priorities as Christians match those of Christ Himself? What do we emphasize most in our religious lives, as measured by how we spend the Church’s time and money? How important are bricks and mortar to God’s divine plan?