What is the Church?

I was thinking this morning about the church and how much I love it. I don’t mean just my local congregation, although I do love my immediate church family more than I can express with words. I was thinking more of the church as a whole, the body of Christ on location in the earth.

What is this church of which I speak? The writer of Hebrews calls it the general assembly and church of the firstborn, the spirits of just men made perfect (Hebrews 12:23). The general assembly is the part that best defines what the church is. It is a group of people who have been called out of the world and assembled together under the banner of Jesus Christ. We have a common salvation (Jude 1:3), a common hope of heaven, one common holy book, and a common love for Jesus Christ, our Lord.

We are made of up of many different nationalities, language groups, and backgrounds but God has made us all of one nation through the blood of Jesus Christ, His son (Acts 17:26). All of us come from different walks of life; we see things differently based on our own experiences and family values. These differences can be cultural, social, philosophical, and political. The one thing we have in common, salvation through Jesus Christ, is more powerful than all the things that might serve to divide us.

The church is somewhat of a mystery in the Bible (Ephesians 7:13). Throughout 4,000 plus years of Old Testament Jewish history the New Testament church is never really foreseen. There are illusions to it perhaps, but none that specifically identify it. The Jewish prophets never saw a time when God would turn from his covenant people and open his spirit to a group of gentiles from every other ethnic group on the planet. It would have been inconceivable to them. Yet that is exactly what God did.

The Jews were very territorial. They saw God as their God, the prophets as their prophets, the law as their law, and the future Messiah as their Messiah. It is absolutely amazing that, though Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, it is largely gentiles who worship him. This certainly was not foreseen by the Old Testament prophets. That God would set aside a time in history (more than 2,000 years and still counting) to open his arms to the rest of us was something they just could not have anticipated.

Truly this church is amazing. It is the church that encourages me when I’ down. It is the church that prays for me when I’m sick. It is the church that preached the gospel to me. It is the church to which I run in time of need. I have spent my happiest and saddest moments in the church. The church has been there for me when I needed direction, consolation, rebuke, and love.

There are people who don’t understand my need for the church. Personally, I don’t know what I would do without a church family. I am strengthened every time I go to the house of God. I would be lost without my church family to connect with. It is more than just a building or a meeting place. The church is my very lifeline to God. Sure I can pray alone. But when I pray with other believers it is so much more powerful. The church is a constant reminder to me that I am not alone in my pursuit of God. We are a unified body of people with a common goal: we want to please the Lord and call heaven our home.

We church members are human. We laugh together, cry together, and sometimes fight amongst ourselves. We need constant guidance from the pulpit. We would certainly be lost without God’s patience. None of us have made it to a place of perfection yet. But we are the Body of Christ on location in the world and when we come together in prayer we are a force that hell cannot reckon with. We are the church!

If you are not a part of us, we welcome you with open arms. Perhaps you were once with us and have wandered away; we welcome you back. Perhaps you have been disillusioned; we encourage you to try again. We will forgive your faults if you will forgive ours. Come one, come all and be a part of the church! Everyone is welcome!

Blessings,

Spanish Pastor Jones

The Meaning of Clergy

Today at lunchtime I went to the hospital to visit a family member of a parishioner. Since I have recently had some back issues, I was blessed to find a “Clergy” parking spot close to the entrance of the building. This set me to thinking about the origin of the word clergy. It is akin to the words cleric and clerk because the original clerks were also religious students. Until more modern times, and for most of human history, the majority of the public was largely illiterate. Students training for religious service were often the only people who could read. They also functioned as scribes and accountants.

Before the time of Christ, certain Israelites were taught to read so that they could copy the scriptures. Later, this privilege was passed to Christian monks. One was considered highly educated if he could read, write, and do basic arithmetic. Before the invention of Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type, books were the exclusive property of the very rich. Often an entire village would have only one Bible, if it were fortunate enough to have that. The most illiterate among us are often more highly educated than those of centuries past. Consider the fact that it is now possible to watch open-heart surgery via television or the Internet.

As I contemplated this today, I thought of how blessed we are to have access to the Bible. The poorest among us can afford a copy of the scriptures. Imagine a society where the Holy Scriptures are sold in dollar stores and gas stations. Yet for all this, our society is largely Biblically illiterate.

The Protestant Reformation was largely about making the scriptures available to the general public. William Tyndale, the 15^th century Bible translator had a goal: he wanted the ploughboy to read the Bible in a language he could understand. This goal has been achieved. The bible is readily available to us in a variety of readable translations.

This is both a blessing and a responsibility. We are blessed to be able to read the Bible and develop a relationship with God through its life giving words. At the same time, we will be judged for what we did with this truth. This generation will stand alongside the generation of Tyndale and Wycliffe in the judgment. I hope that we are up to the challenge. God, help us never to take your word for granted. May we who have it so freely available cherish it as much as those of past centuries to whom it was largely forbidden!

Blessings,

Spanish Pastor Jones

A Violin Story

            What does it mean to surrender ourselves unconditionally to God? What does it mean to truly be used in his service? We all say that we want to be used in such a way but few of us can really describe the process. Perhaps an illustration can be drawn from the world of music:

Two violinists get up to perform. The first is a master technician who performs with such dexterity that the audience is astounded. The second has less technical skill but plays with such feeling that the audience can identify with her emotion and the music itself. Which would you say is the better performer? Obviously the one with whom the audience was able to identify.

The same can be said of one’s usefulness in God’s kingdom. Perfection is not the key; simple surrender to God is. One may not feel like he gives the best performance but it hardly matters. Those who are watching will appreciate the simple sincerity and love for God that exudes from a disciple who is truly in love with his Lord. They will appreciate the honesty that allows them to feel a fellow human’s struggle. They will understand the grace that God gives when someone surrenders to his design.

Lord, help me to be a vessel surrendered to your purpose and plans for my life. I don’t have to be perfect. I would rather play the music with all my heart. It may lead someone to you!

Blessings,

Sullivan Jones

Adapted from Invitation to A Journey by M. Robert Mulholland Jr.