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If we were committed to building a church that incarnates the "personality
and purposes of Jesus," what would such a church look like? It may be
difficult for you to answer that question since there is so much confusion
in our world today regarding the church. Some identify church with rituals
and traditions while others think it is a building or simply a social
gathering place.
Even people who claim to be religious often misunderstand what the church is
all about. The culture we live in has shaped many of us to be ruggedly
individual, self-sufficient and often suspicious of one another. The sad
reality is that many people have concluded that they can be a Christian
without any significant commitment to the Church. Others who "go to church"
every week have no understanding of the real meaning of "church." We're
facing an identity crisis in today's church as we struggle with who we are
and what we should be about. How can others be expected to understand us
when we do not understand ourselves? Since the world around us is falling
apart, we need to discover effective and contemporary forms for
accomplishing the business God has given us to do.
There is a serious need for Christians to reevaluate our understanding of
the church and to reaffirm its place both in the plan of God and in our own
lives. We need to see that the church is God's idea and that it is the
living incarnation of Christ in the world. The church is God's instrument to
reconcile the world to Himself in spite of all our flaws and faults.
The study of the church, that we have planned for the first quarter of 2001
in our Sunday morning Bible classes, will address the above struggles that we
seem to be experiencing. If you've not been coming to class, this Sunday
would be an excellent time to start as we begin our study.
Tim Woodroof has written the material, and it's part of the "Look at the
Church" series. We'll look at the communal nature of the church as we try to
recognize our need for other Christians. Considering the times in which we
live, shouldn't we be asking some of the "why" questions first? Some of the
questions that will be addressed include: Why is Christianity so concerned
with community? Why does God save us and then add us to His church? Why is
it impossible to be a Christian except in relation to other believers? Why,
in this individualistic culture, be bothered with church at all?
May He bless the West-Ark church in 2001 "immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us."
See you in Bible Class!
Link to Ted Edwards Home Page