What is the Church? Part 1: An Origin

I have recently been challenged to articulate what exactly the church is.  In many of the circles I have found myself in, the answers often included multi-syllable words ending in -ism and -ology.  While these words hold a depth of meaning, they lack a sense of heart.  To say that the church is a "heterogeneous, multi-ethnic, fellowship committed to orthodoxy and worship through a prescribed liturgy" leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Do not get me wrong, I think the definition is accurate, just not palatable.  I need something to sink my teeth into, something that speaks to me as a person who gets up at 4:40 am to go to work to support my family.  While the -isms and -ologies translate in the classroom, they sound an awful lot like a clanging gong to those of us not so well-versed. Beyond this, these words lack a vitality that dresses the church in rather drab cloakings.  The church is a fierce, living, breathing entity, a story in the process and it deserves to be described as such.

The very first church was like this:

" They spent everyday eating together, laughing and crying, relishing honest conversation over good meals.  They strived to live together in a radical way, giving away everything if they had too, so that no one suffered.  They would cry out to God for help because they desperately needed it and would sing songs of "thank you" whether He answered or not.  They committed themselves to live out Jesus' love commands as taught by his closet friends.  They were one despite being so different, daring and hoping to change the world one act of intentional kindness at a time.  And by this, the world took notice and smiled and some even risked it all to join this group so devoted to one another that they could truly be called a family." (Acts 2: 42-47, My paraphrase)

This is a story I can give myself to.  This is the story I have given myself to.

This week I will explore this story of who the church is and I thirst for your thoughts and convictions as well.