Church

Golden rule or the Golden Truth: All of life, for everyone, is better when we all live into this truth.

Leslie Congregational UCC: TheMightyLCUCC

What kind of church do I want and what kind of church is God calling us to be in our current time and place in history? Do we get those two things mixed up sometimes? Do I yearn for a church of my own making? What kind of church do I want? How can I lead a church towards what I want it to be?

Some may say that as the pastor I’m not supposed to be pondering these two things. I’m supposed to know, beyond a shadow of doubt, how to lead a church, free of worry and my own agenda.

I let you in on a little secret though. Pastors ain’t perfect. We have both internal and external expectations and pressures of near perfection. Both must be addressed to make room for healthy growth for pastor and congregation, together. As such, both pastor and congregation must wrestle with the tension between what kind of church do we want and what kind of church is God calling us to be.

What kind of church do I want: self/inside/ego.

What kind of church is God calling us towards: other/outside/divine.

When we truly understand the spiritual importance of our human vocation, we realize that God has built a church in every heart. If church is the dwelling place of God, and I hope that churches do their best to be that, then church can be thought of as the place of divine presence, a sanctuary for the hurting, lost, lonely, in need of care and grace.  

When we truly understand what “church” means, we are invited to live into the vocation of being love in the world. By golly you don’t even need to believe in God to partake in that holy, universal vocation of all of humanity: to be love in the world.

You see here’s the thing. You don’t have to be a pastor to build and or sustain a church. You don’t have to be a Christian to build a church. You don’t even have to go to church to build a church.

Whichever deity you interact with, or don’t interact with, God is calling all of humanity to the same work of building a more loving, caring, and just world for all people. Not through any faith or any church, or any religion. But through every heart. Sometimes, I hope often, the church reflects this Holy Vocation in word, study, and deed.

The great Mystery, the great Truth, God, Christ, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, nature, are all calling to our hearts through invitation to embark on the work of creating loving communities where every single person is given space and freedom to thrive. That can be done at a family dinner table, the Communion table, or at a board room table. This work can be done in a church building or in any heart.

When grace is given, when forgiveness is offered, when love leads our lives, when wisdom leads us towards that great love, when any community comes together, or any person embarks on a journey to make the world a bit better for having us in it, then “church” is being built and sustained. Building or no building, religion, or no religion.

In essence, in my view, church is a place to awaken ourselves, pastor and congregation, personally and communally, to the presence of Divine Love.

Call it what you want.

For this pastor, that’s church anywhere, everywhere, by and for everyone.