First Impressions
What if church isn't a place you pick, but a body you join?
Think about the last time you picked a place to eat. You probably asked a few quick questions. Is it close? Is it worth the price? Will I like the food? Most of us do the same thing without even noticing when we walk into a church. Is the music too loud? Is the preaching good? Do the people seem friendly? None of those questions are terrible. But notice who's asking them. They're the questions of a customer.
Now read Ephesians 4:11-16 slowly and notice what Paul cares about instead. He doesn't mention atmosphere or style. He talks about a body, like your own, with hands and feet and eyes, all connected and all working together. He says Jesus gave certain people to the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Then comes the surprising part. Why did he give them? 'To equip his people for works of service.' The leaders aren't there to do all the work while everyone else watches. They're there to get everyone else ready to do it. Think of a great coach. The coach matters a ton, but the coach never plays the game for you. Keep reading and you'll see what it's all for: a church that is united, grows up in the faith, and looks more and more like Jesus, all held together by love.
Here's what I love about this passage. It paints a picture of church with room for everybody. Paul says the whole body grows 'as each part does its work.' Not as the talented parts do their work. Not as the people with microphones do their work. Each part. Picture a potluck where one person brings every dish and everyone else just eats. It might work once, but it won't last. A healthy church is a table where everybody brought something. That means the quiet person in the third row, the nervous freshman, and the dad who feels like he has nothing to offer all have a job only they can do. And if you stay on the sidelines, something real is missing, even if nobody says it out loud.
If that sounds like pressure, hang on. Over the next few days we'll see it's actually good news. You weren't invited to be a spectator. You were invited to belong to something and to matter to it. For today, just sit with the passage and ask yourself honestly: when I walk in on Sunday, do I feel more like a customer, or more like part of a family with work to do?
Sit with this
- 1When you think about church, are you usually asking 'What am I getting out of this?' or 'What am I bringing to it?' Why do you think that is?
Journal prompt
Write down three things you usually think about when you walk into church on a Sunday. Next to each one, mark whether it's about receiving or giving. Then write two or three sentences about what you'd like to change.