What does the Church Look Like?

Joanie and I went to church on Sunday - twice as a matter of fact. We attended two churches. Sunday morning I preached in Santa Ana. It was a nice service and, for that group, well attended. A couple of new people showed up. In a congregation that has been devastated by ethical problems and a church split, it is quite obvious and very encouraging to have any new people show up (hard to miss when there less than 20 people at the service!). We sang hymns, prayed, gave an offering, shared the Word, and gave testimony and witness to Jesus Christ. It was a good service.

One of the visitors was a new friend of ours whom I met at the Southern Cal Association Ministers Meeting. She is ministering as a Chaplain at a Hospice Center. We had an instant connection and she wanted to travel with us and worship together. Joanie had a similar kind of connection after meeting her and spending the afternoon together. It was very easy to talk and relate.

So, when she talked about being involved in a home bible study on Sunday nights and described it, we took up her invitation to go. However, it was not a bible study. It was a church. Packed into an apartment living room, we had nearly the same amount of people as we had on Sunday morning. We sang hymns, shared the Word, prayed together, ate together, and gave our witness of Jesus Christ. It was most interesting. It made me wonder. What does the Church really look like?

The Church of the first century didn't look anything like what we think the church of the 21st century looks like. They had no buildings and few of the elements and rituals that we have come to expect at church. The only thing that bridges that gap was the fact that when we gathered and when they gathered back in biblical days, we both gave witness to our faith in Jesus Christ. Reality says that the church changes it's look more than Madonna has. We don't look the same today as we did when I was born. The church always changes. It's the message that doesn't change. It's the witness that remains consistent. House Church, Sanctuary, Wooded Glens, Campgrounds, Caves, even an Apollo capsule on the way back from the Moon have been sanctuaries - places of worship. It's not the look of the church that defines us. It's the vision and witness of the people that reflects who Jesus is and what the church really should be.