Sunday, March 6, 2011

Ecclesiology

Now that I’m in seminary, I get to use all these fancy terms that no one used in their everyday language – unless, of course, you’re in seminary. This past week I had to write a paper laying out my ‘ecclesiology’.

Ecclesiology is the study of the church.   So essentially, I spent five pages trying to define what the church is, what I think is most important for the church today and how these things might affect my ministry.  

Defining the church is tricky business, if you think about it and I found it challenging to fit it all into five pages….I actually stretched it onto six.  What would you say if someone asked you to answer the question, “What is the church"?”

So, what did I say?  I know, you’re all just dying to know.  Basically, I said that the church is developing relationships with each other based on our relationship with the Triune God and then bringing the joy of those relationships to people around us – especially those outside the church. 

The text that I used was Colossians 3:1-17 which, incidentally, was also our wedding text.   I think, that if the church can do with each other what this text says then I think we are well on our way.

All that being said, it’s much easier said than done.  There is no one right way to ‘do’ church.  But the point is that it is, something that we do, in fact, do.  It’s a living, active thing.  No person, denomination, or congregation has the corner on the way to live rightly and act rightly.

But that shouldn’t stop us from trying.  Because if we aren’t trying, then we aren’t living for Jesus.  So keep trying, keep doing, keep serving.  And remember that we need to be a church and have good Christlike relationships with each other, in order to DO church.

How about it – What is church?

1 comment:

Beth TenHaken said...

Great thoughts, Michael. To me, church is the body of believers that I have come to rely on for so much more than fellow worshipers. They are the people I go to with my joys, my sorrows and my concerns. I would be lost without'the church' and am glad to be able to say that.

See you soon. Love, Mom