What is church for, anyway?

Possibly the most significant aspect of my life is faith.

I told elsewhere how I came to it, and why I still believe despite going through hard times and wrestling with difficult questions. Faith is my breath of life; it's what motivates me, keeps me going, challenges me. It runs through my veins.

When talking about the Christian faith, soon enough the question of church comes into play. Is it compulsory? Is it useful?

When I first became a Christian, going to church was a normal part of my life. The reason for this was simple: it was my main social circle as an expatriate. When I went back to Belgium, I joined a church with my mother and joined a student Bible study group at university.

Back then, I thought church had two main uses: worship and teaching. I love singing as a form of expression, and worship songs enable me to express my faith and my love for God. Then there was the teaching: church was the main place where I could learn about Jesus, God, the Bible, and how I should live my life. This latter aspect seemed very important back then - preachers spent a lot of time telling you how to interpret what the Bible says about how you should live and what you should believe. I took it all in and strove to live up to it - usually not very successfully, but that's the topic of another post.

The community aspect of it was more complicated for me. I guess most people find it easy to mingle with similar-minded people. In my case, it's a little different. I need structure. If I can join a Bible study/discussion group, it usually works out. The purpose is clear: I know what to do, I love asking questions, learning, enquiring, throwing ideas around. The tricky time is on Sundays, right after the service has ended. People form loose groups and make small talk, and I never quite know what to do. I linger around, flick through some books, and try to find someone I know who isn't busy chatting to someone else. Most of the time I feel uncomfortable. I know now that this is because of my autism, but I didn't know that back then.

At some point in my life, I struggled with depression. That is when church and I started to have our issues. Church wasn't there for me in my time of trial. So I wasn't there for church, either.

Eventually, though, I overcame depression - and one significant aspect was that I found a church that helped me. Did it help me through teaching or worship? Nope. It helped me through community. They welcomed me in very practical ways: inviting me over for Sunday lunch or just for a cup of tea, offering genuine friendship, and supporting me in my struggles without judging me.

Since then, I have thought and read a lot about the concept of church.

The French word for church, "église", comes from the greek word ἐκκλησία (ekklesia), meaning "assembly".

I feel that is what church really is.

Church is not primarily a building. Church is not primarily a place of worship or teaching. Church is a community of people. My friend Mike put very simply what those people have in common: "Ordinary people who know someone extraordinary". We believe - trust in - Jesus. 

Another one of my friends, Robert, wrote about the hypocrisy of those who think coming to the Sunday service is enough. I tend to agree with him. Sunday service is not enough. A church I used to attend closed its service with those words: "The worship has ended, let the service begin".

Church is solidarity. Church is organising a Christmas meal for those in your neighbourhood who would otherwise spend that day alone. Church is ringing up someone who is going through tough shit, and listen to them ranting without interrupting them with unasked-for advice or trite words of wisdom such as, "God only gives you as much as you can handle". Church is supporting people and people supporting you; people helping you to grow in faith and in love, to grow into the person God intended you to be.

This is why I still go to church, even though I don't always agree with the teachings, or the songs are not as inspiring as I'd like: because of the people. Because they're my community, my family, warts and all.

Whenever you are kind to someone, whenever you lend a helping hand, whenever you pray for someone: you are church. Whenever you stand up against injustice and speak up for those who are suffering: you are church. Whenever you get together for support, you are church. Whenever you do all this, and you do it because of Jesus, you are church.

It is so much more than a Sunday thing.