Called Out

Church is a loaded word. For some, it’s positive ushering
in thoughts of connectedness to God and others. For some, it’s negative evoking
thoughts of judgement and shame. For an increasing amount of people, the word
church conjures up thoughts of irrelevance. Church was something people used to
do in a by-gone era, but it’s outdated and disconnected from current reality.

I’ve been on a long meandering journey with the church all
my life. As a kid, my world revolved around church. If I wasn’t sleeping or
going to school, there was a great chance you’d find me at church. Tis the life
of a pastor’s kid. Some of my best memories and life-long relationships come
out of those early years when my world revolved around the church.

As most teenagers do, I went through a season of so-called
enlightenment. Halfway through my teenage years I had unlocked all the wisdom life
offered and was having a hard time squaring it with the church. Maybe some of
it was warranted, but my disillusionment with the church grew mostly out of misunderstanding.
I saw the church as inwardly focused and an enclave against the big bad world.
I failed to realize what God was calling me out to do.

Church is such a loaded word because it has evolved to be synonymous in western culture
with buildings, programs, services, etc. We go to church, we serve at church,
we give money to church, and all the other things that present church as a
thing or a function. The word church originated from the Greek word “Ekklesia”
which is a compound word meaning “Called-Out.” It was actually a very popular
word in the ancient world used to designate an assembled group of
people for an intended purpose. In other words, early on church was more
about a movement than about institution.

When I was a young married man, the so-called wisdom of my
teenage years proved to be a fleeting mist. I didn’t know where to turn or what
to do, but thankfully God put me on a collision course with the Church! Not a
building or a program, but a group of men who lived out a missional life and
brought me into their circle for just a short season. It was all God needed to
introduce me to a pastor, Len Woods, who for some crazy reason let me be a part
of impacting college students in our area.

It clicked! Church isn’t something I do, it’s something that
I am! It’s a movement of people who bring their talents, resources, and flaws
together through their mutual connection to Jesus Christ for the purpose of
reaching the world around them. Bringing love, hope, and connectedness in a
world of isolation and brokenness. What greater mission could one ask for!

Now I’m a pastor of a church (notice the little “c”) and a senior one at that. God cracks me up! It’s
still a challenge to keep the focus on where it should be. Buildings, programs,
and projects are a great blessing from God, but they are not the end, they’re simply
means to an end. People will always be the heart of the movement and mission. We are
the Church!