Church?

By Scott Wetzel

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Heb 10:25 (NIV)

One of the greatest things about the small church I spent most of my formative years in was the potluck.  I loved potlucks not just because I ate a lot (which I did) or because of vast choices of food (which there was).  I loved potlucks because it gave me a chance to hang out with people in the church.  We’d eat and talk and talk and eat and share stories and run around and just have fun.  It was spending time with friends.  It was the Church.

Church isn’t about the teaching.  Yeah, I know, we go to church and listen to a sermon.  Some of us show up late because there is singing and we don’t have good singing voices or it’s too loud or it’s too quiet so it’s not for us.  Some of us jet out as soon as the service is done because we’ve got places to be or games to watch.  Some of us leave towards the end of service because communion is coming and though it SEEMS important, we don’t really understand its importance so we’d rather not spend the time in liturgy when we could be beating the church crowd at Claim Jumpers.  But really, if you go to church for the teaching, you are severely missing out. 

While teaching is important, the author of Hebrews implores us to not give up on meeting together NOT because we might miss out on some really important information.  He says to meet together to encourage one another.  It’s really hard to encourage one another when we show up late and leave early.  It’s really hard to encourage one another when we don’t come on a regular basis because we’ve figured out who is leading worship on what Sunday.  It’s really hard to encourage one another when we put on our happy church face the minute we get to the doors and never admit that we are broken people that need Jesus.

Church is ultimately not about getting fed.  If it is, then you are poorly nourished.  You need to learn how to feed yourself and how to help feed each other.   Read the Word, rely on God, and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit on a regular basis at home.   Church isn’t a school; it’s a community that needs to thrive with relationships, iron sharpening iron in order to persevere in a world that hates righteousness and justice.  The four walls are a great place to build that endurance.  We learn about each other, our struggles and failings, our giftings and rewards.  As we open ourselves up to this we begin to be accountable in so many different ways.  We receive accountability not only in our spiritual walk, but also in our relationships with one another.   The unity created in those relationships begins an amazing communal worship time.  It’s people singing with one voice in a beautiful chorus to the living God (no matter how off key or off rhythm YOU think you are).

It’s when we show up and show up early we can then begin to breathe life into the Sunday morning service.  That’s how we get to know each other.  That’s how we can begin to trust each other.  That’s how we can begin to open up to each other.  It’s when we realize that we are broken people that are only put back together by the blood of Jesus that we can truly accept anyone into our community.  It’s when the lost see that we aren’t perfect but we are redeemed that they will begin to wonder and ask questions.  It’s the breaking of bread and the trading of stories that is a catalyst for that momentum. 

I think we need a potluck.