OK I admit it…life has been crazy and I have been slow to
post. Mea cupla (wait - I think I knew a girl in high school by that name). This blog has been two-thirds prepared for
some time, but the busy-ness of life has gotten in the way. On the other hand, that may not be all bad,
because it has given some thoughts a greater chance to sift for me.
In trying to wrap up this introductory section of Ephesians
(1:3-23), one can read it and feel instantly overwhelmed. There is so much
here. But for some reason, one little phrase toward the end jumped out and
grabbed me. In v.23, Paul says that the church is “His body, the fullness of
Him who fills all in all.” Put another way, it is Christ’s church and it
exists for one reason: Him. And He fills it with His presence and
imbues it with His power.
We may see the church as lots of different things. It is a place full of familiar faces where we
find fellowship, and where we gather together to hear God’s truths declared. It’s a place populated by people who are just
like us – human, flawed, sinful, who need God’s grace.
We watch the church deal with its own mechanics, especially
if we are involved in the nuts and bolts of ministry. We know what goes on at
meetings, who said what to whom, who is engaged in the work, and who is not.
All of these things and more make it very easy to focus on the church
as something we “do”, as an enterprise which we operate. In short: it is our own corporate response to God. And in a way, this is right. After all, we are
meant to be involved.
But we must never forget what Paul asserts in that short
phrase at the end of Ephesians chapter 1 – this is His body, and Christ is the
one who fills it up, not us. Christ Himself inhabits the church. It isn’t simply
that the church was established by Him, or even that it points to Him. It is
His and He is here, in a real way. The church is His dwelling place. His Spirit and power are active. His glory (tho veiled) is with us.
Because of this passage and others like it, we are biblically
called to see the church as the very habitation of God Himself, the place to
which we are invited to come and behold Him. A place to enter and offer the
sacrifice of praise. Everything else – all our plans, programs and preferences
- run a distant second.
One theologian I heard recently put it this way. It is common to come to church because of
what is there for me. But, he argues,
NOTHING is supposed to be there for me. That’s precisely the wrong posture. Everything
that is there is meant for Christ. He is the fullness. It is His church. So, don’t
worry about how the music sounds. Don’t worry if everything went smoothly. Don’t be concerned with whether or not you are
being fed, or if you thought it was a “good” service (whatever that means), because it is not about
you, or me, or what we want. It is about showing up in love and obedience to worship Him
Who gave everything for you. Nothing
else. Seeking Him first is not simply an
individual matter. It is a corporate matter as well.
The objection might be raised: “What about feeding the
flock? What about our fellowship?” Sure, these are important, and they are functions
that the church should provide. I am thinking more about our attitude, our motivation. Our expectation and our focus.
A final thought that relates to this in a small but
practical way – many Protestant churches have adopted a practice that is typical
in Catholic churches – the reverent silence and time of quiet personal
reflection and prayer in the sanctuary before a service. Conversation is meant
to be left in the fellowship hall or foyer, and the pre-service sanctuary
becomes a place where we believers prepare our hearts for what is about to
happen.
Maybe your church does this.
If not, how might it change how believers approach a Sunday morning service?
