Let's Play Church! Tag. You're next!

Last night I received a phone call from a friend of mine from England. After a year of roller-coaster emotional ups and downs, her husband finally decided to end their marriage. Wasn't her fault. If anything, she's faithful, loyal and a good person. Seems like there was this young girl from China that got in between them. Being a follower of Jesus, naturally I spoke to her about our loving God and Savior Jesus. Long story short, she's turning to praying and thought she would go find a church in her locality where she can perhaps pray and get back on tract with God. But here's where the story gets interesting. Over the phone I heard myself telling her "You don't have to go to church." Yikes! Me, a pastor, telling a soul not to go to church!

Let's look at a possible scenario. Say she goes to church this Sunday morning. She would quietly find a seat on a pew at some corner, probably the back row. She knows no one and being a stranger, she would probably be left alone by herself. Maybe a "hi" here or a "How are you" there. Seated, she would be looking at some effigies of Jesus Christ or a cross. Then the hymns begin, the pastor delivers a sermon that might or might not be relevant to her. End of service, people are chatting and she would quietly return to her world of heartache and despair. She would be wondering if God had seen her or heard her. Maybe hopefully He did. She'll wait and see.

Let me qualify myself here. Church to me is not about a building or a service. Church, in it's truest sense, is about a gathering of believers in Christ together at any place and at any time. Instead of going to a church, I asked her to meet up with a christian friend or two and just share with them what she's going through. Way I see it, her christian friend(s) would counsel with her, love her, bear with her, accept her, encourage her, spur her on, cry with her, be kind to her, pray with her, give preference to her, keep in contact with her to help her, watch over her. THAT TO ME IS WHERE CHURCH IS! That to me is what church is all about. That was what Jesus had in mind when he said, "I will build my church ..." Church is when His followers gather together to minister to one another. After all, the word church, in Greek "Ecclesia" means a "called-out group of people assembling together."

For too long now we have this notion that church is where we meet on Sunday mornings or other services. Jesus didn't own a building. Neither did he originate the idea of a service such as the ones we are accustomed to today. Whether it is a Monday or a Tuesday or any other day, Jesus is always "playing church". He is always ministering to someone. After His ascension to heaven, His disciples did the same. They met TOGETHER at every opportune time on a daily basis. They met primarily in homes, on the streets, in the market places. Literally any place, any time!

PLEASE UNDERSTAND that I am not suggesting that Sunday services and church buildings are redundant. In fact, Sunday gatherings are important and a bonus. But our God is a God of diversity! There are many ways to get one thing done. There are many ministries but it is the same Holy Spirit that empowers it. So let's not be too dogmatic over this lest pride comes in. My life has been so blessed by FGT (my former church which now no longer is) and by Vineyard Church. Our Sunday services has been so inspiring and I will not deny the fact that many lives are blessed and changed throughout all these years. But our concept of church must change. We must get back to the understanding of the church that Jesus had in mind to build. That will empower us. That will change us.

I want to encourage us at the Vineyard Church to rethink church. Remember church is a gathering of the followers of Christ on a daily basis. It's not exclusive for Sundays only. We should meet everyday, not in a service but in a gathering. Could be 2 or 3 families or friends gathering together for dinner or a movie or to counsel with someone or to visit with someone in hospital or to pray together. But when we gather, let there be some "church" thing going on. For example, my family had dinner with Steven Tan, Heidi and Anne on Wednesday night. We had a great time (clean fun)and just as we ended the dinner, we were praying together ... "playing church". That to me was church. May not have a fixed order. May not have songs. No sermons but it was an edifying time together, renewing friendship and strengthening each other in the Lord. That's church in action!

Now, as for my friend from England, here's a very highly possible scenario. When she and her christian friends come together, whether in an apartment, or at Starbucks, they will have a meaningful time together. Her friends will no doubt minister to her, love her and pray for her and help her. She will no doubt be inspire to walk with God again. In the end, someone got translated from darkness and into God's marvelous light! That my friends, is church. It consists of you and you and me. We are the "living stones" from which Jesus builds His church. Jesus Himself said, "When 2 or 3 are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them." Don't just play church on Sundays. Make it everyday. No wonder in the book of Acts it was recorded that DAILY it was added to the church NEW BELIEVERS. Thank God they did not meet only on Sabbath alone. They met everyday!.

When I was a kid, we used to have this slang "Not every Sunday one." See, I would have done some thing awesome. And when I tried to repeat it, it didn't quite work out like it did the first time. And so the other kids will say ... "Not every Sunday one."

We are the CHURCH that Jesus Christ built some 2000 years ago. We are His living stones. When 2 or 3 of of us come together in His Name and "play church", we became that living church of Jesus Christ that the gates of hell can never overcome! So, everyday can indeed be a Sunday! In fact, it should be. Let's play church everyday! Tag. You're next!

God bless.