Do you know people who cringe just hearing the word church?

Maybe it’s a friend, a family member. Or maybe it’s you.

Because for many, the church has been a source of hurt; all those hurt feelings, the pain of church splits, a place filled with cliches and cliques.

That whole hypocritical thing, yes it happens.

But church is more than pot-lucks and sitting face forward.

We are missing it if we attend out of guilt or feelings of obligation. I’m sure some would agree, we need to lose those misconceptions we may have grown up believing.

It was never meant to be a box we check off, or a to-do list item we scratch through.

When we are in Christ, we are the church; it’s not about a building or service we attend, it’s about a body of believers-a family.

And that body needs to hang out and connect.

It’s true, we don’t gain salvation through church attendance, yet let’s not miss that God calls us to gather together.

We are called to gather in a place where babies need arms to hold them, and widows need friends to hug them, and the young need to see how the old have come through it.

Connections are made, and we are fed by the Word, and our spirit is renewed to face a new week in the world.

Because let’s face it, the world can be hard to face.

True, God is always with us, but he’s given us the gift of each other.

We can’t underestimate the importance of believers gathering together to encourage one-another.

We could spend our whole life looking for the perfect church body, but sadly we’d die before finding one; because we’re not perfect, but…

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:14

And maybe it’s not supposed to be about us feeling we belong, but about us being the one to encourage someone else that they do.

We are family.

Let’s not be that family member who never shows up.

Let’s get to that family reunion and worship and pray together.

If we truly believe God directs our steps, then He will lead us where to worship in unity, and where to serve in community.

Lord knows we can’t all fit into one building.

And that’s a good thing.

Because we need to be that city on a hill;

And a city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Let’s let our light so shine before men, so the Father will be glorified.

Can I get an Amen?

Need to know how to be adopted into the family of believers? Check out the Meet Jesus page on this blog.