Being the Church

Over the past couple of years we have spent a lot of time teaching on the idea that we are called not to "go to church" but to actually "be the church". To be the spiritual community that God has called us to be. Sounds simple right? Actually, what we have found is that we live in a culture that has spent the past several generations learning a vocabulary that directs the way we live. Buried deep in our subconscious, we have experiences and teachings that direct the way we learn, listen and live. These are sometimes seen in our own vocabulary which then proceeds in the way we act. A psychologist once said, "people believe what they say, and they act upon those beliefs". If that is true how does that apply to "the church"? Well, what did you do last Sunday? Most likely you went to church. When you learned about the role of the church to serve, give, disciple and pray, based on the above quote, who's responsibility is that? The church, the place I went last week.
What if we changed our vocabulary? What if we stopped treating the church as a building, or place to go and actually started "being" the church?
In an effort to teach such lifestyle of responsibility, we at The Gathering have decided to put our money where our mouth is, so to speak. We have decided that every other month, The Gathering will replace a Sunday morning gathering with a service day. A day where everyone in The Gathering community will do service projects all over the parish and eventually, God willing, all over the world. Our mission is to be the spiritual community that lives as Jesus lived. We do not want to be a community that goes to church. If we are going anywhere, its where God is leading us to do His will.
Next Post be ready for Project52.