Why do we need “church”
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
It’s been said that one can see God in the beauty of our fall foliage and the wonderful landscapes that we have here in North Carolina. So, some might ask, “Why do we need ‘church’ to feel God’s presence?”
That’s a very good question! The beauty of nature is in many ways a reflection of our awesome and gracious God. Since we can see God’s presence in the beauty of God’s creation, why do we need “church”?
One of the misconceptions we might have is looking at the “church” simply as a building. In one parish that I served, I remember singing this hymn with some of our young people entitled “I Am the Church.” Here are some of the words to that hymn:
The Church is not a building, the Church is not a steeple,
the Church is not a resting place, the Church is the people.
I am the Church! You are the Church!
We are the Church together!
All who follow Jesus, all around the world!
We are the Church together!
This hymn emphasizes the fact that the “Church” (with a capital “C”), is really God’s people – the “Body of Christ” in the world. You and I are very important parts of that Body! The “church” with a small “c” is the place where the “Church” (the people) meets to worship God our Parent, with Jesus and one another, through the Holy Spirit. All Saints’ Episcopal Church is that part of Christ’s Body that meets weekly at a church building located at 525 Lake Concord Road NE in Concord, North Carolina.
Why is this distinction important? I’ll give you an example: As part of our response to our recent pandemic, we couldn’t meet as a Church physically, in order to deter the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
So, God’s Holy Spirit gave us some alternatives, including “virtual worship” via the Internet, and what were called “Perch Churches.” These were small groups of people in various neighborhoods, sharing a Service of the Word and “breaking bread” with one another afterward, albeit keeping a safe distance according to the CDC’s protocols. “Personal Communion” given by Lay Eucharistic Visitors to families was a way that we could feel united with one another in Christ symbolically. We had these alternatives because God wanted us to be together as the Body of Christ, even though we couldn’t meet in the church building. We also had a NEED to experience God’s love through Christ and each other, since God meant us not to be “islands unto ourselves,” but a family that loves and supports one another in Christ.
Even in our music – our need to sing God’s praises together – the Holy Spirit’s creativity helped us to feel like we were the “Church”! I remember the beautiful hymns sung and played by our choirs on our screens, and the process of how our Music Director, Brian Sapp-Moore, painstakingly arranged everyone’s voice so that each one was heard, thanks to technology.
All of this is important because the recent pandemic proved that we really missed being with one another personally! This is because God made us to be together as “Church.” Our worship of our awesome God took different forms as our public worship was prohibited.
Now that we’re “back together again,” I sincerely thank God for all of YOU – the Church – for your patient endurance, forbearance, and mutual support in Christ! Although these past four years have been “trying,” to say the least, I know that God was, and is, truly present with and around us, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit continues to make it possible that we, with all our faults and failings, show the world and one another that Jesus, our Risen Savior, lives and loves through us.
So, when we come together to worship our “Abba”/Father/Parent every Sunday (in person, or if necessary, virtually), “We Are the Church,” The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ in the world. And as you probably know, our being the “Church” doesn’t stop when our deacon or priest dismisses us. Eucharistic Visitors (EV’s) visit one of our homebound members practically every Sunday, bringing Communion from the Service to those who are unable to be with us physically. Greeters, vestry members, and lay leaders help to connect with newcomers and guests, to help them feel welcome in our midst. When we go home, we remain as Church by our daily prayers, united with Christ and one another spiritually. Our personal acts of kindness, especially financially (through our support for hurricane victims, your church’s ministries and outreach funds, and other charitable organizations), help us to understand that our “Church” reaches far beyond the walls of our building!
We are a “welcoming Church” because Jesus lovingly welcomes us into fellowship with Him and one another, through the ever-present Holy Spirit. As one Body in Christ, our Sunday worship of our great God, as well as our prayerful witness to God during the week, show the world that, in the midst of war and division, we remain ONE BODY, ONE CHURCH in GOD – growing every day because God “so loved the WORLD” that He gave us (all) His Son!
Thank you for reading this article! And thank you for being and living as God’s Church! As Lester Holt, the NBC News Anchor says, “Please take care of yourselves, and one another!”
Faithfully, in Jesus, the Head of our Church, and lover of us all,
Jim Bernacki