What is church?

I am reading a book about Detrich Bonhoeffer.    He was a was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, dissident anti-Nazi and founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings fascinate me.   He keeps me on my toes theologically, ethically, and just all around keeps the wheels in my head spinning.  

The book is called:  BONHOEFFER PASTOR, MARTYR, PROPHET, SPY by ERIC METAXAS.   I cannot put it down.   This is not my typical summer read. I usually keep away from books with any word that ends in “ology.”  But, this is one that is keeping me fresh and alert to the marriage of theology and life.

He asks the question:  "What is church?" 

This quote is one great example, “Where a people prays, there is the church; and where the church is, there is never loneliness.” (pg. 69)

I loved this image of church.  It is not a building that we all think of, it is a community of people together sharing their faith.  This means that church can be anywhere. 

• It can be in a school cafeteria as a group of friends comfort another student who is having a bad day. 
• It can be in your living room as a family sharing your joys and concerns together.
• It can be on a fishing trip, when the sun is rising and God’s great creation is showing its awesomeness.

Yet, I think sometimes we only view church as a building, a place, rather than church as an extention of who we are as Christians. 

Today, I ask you:  What is church?  

What does church mean to you?  What does church mean to your family?  Please send me an email with your child’s response to this sentence: Church is ________________.

I look forward to learning how our faith community views church. 

Check this out: RETHINK church video......What if church was a verb?