The church is not a building

Call To Prayer  

Title: The church is not a building  

By: Njuacha Hubert  

Date: 29/08/2022 

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Mathew 18:20 

A building is a structure built with some material like bricks or wood to contain people or things. Usually, it is fixed and cannot move. But a church is not a building. It is like when we say a Home is not a house. The house is that building you see but the home is where you experience love and peace. Where you are surrounded by those who truly care and show it. Similarly, the church is not that building with its beautiful decorations and high roof like the heavens above or, as the case may be, that simple room where you meet with the brethren on Sundays. The church is the body of Christ. It is the assembly of believers whether in a magnificent structure or a dilapidated house or online, in the name of Jesus, that is for the sake of Jesus. Yes, you can still say the church is a building, but it is a spiritual one! By saying it is not a building, I am also saying we must draw our attention away from the externalities and focus on what really matters; the word of God, Jesus! Again, by this, I am saying don’t limit it to your specific church denomination. 

Sometimes we go into a church for the first time and we begin to look at the number of members to assess the value of the church forgetting Jesus started with just 12 apostles. We are interested in how good the choir is and not in the spirit of worship. We can conclude “oh what a small church” but yet its Jesus who said where two or more are gathered… If we are to evaluate the church, do so based on the word of God that is preached and the loved expressed. However, we can be sent there by the lord to build too and not just be built. In as much as the pastor needs to be enthusiastic about what He preaches and prepare well his message, the best church is not one where you laugh all the time and always hear what you are comfortable hearing, but one where you receive a balance diet of the word of God, which can be comforting at times and other times confrontational or challenging. 

Sometimes you ask someone what your faith is and their first response is to mention the church name. I find this sad because it is a demonstration of our division in the body of Christ. You are a Christian first before being part of any church. In actuality, we are one church in different buildings and sometimes different names. You might say “no they are not truly Christian, our church is better”. The question is, is your church perfect. We definitely can criticize each other but it is unacceptable to condemn another of part of the body of Christ while claiming we are for Christ. We should discuss our differences but more importantly our similarities and all this always in love. We are one body in Christ.  

Prayer Point 

We thank God for this word we have received. We pray that we begin to see our churches beyond its social aspects and also as part of a bigger body which is the body of Christ.