This
is the twelfth and final in a series of blog posts with my sister Betty Haynie
about what we believe. Our thoughts are intentionally brief on subjects that
could fill volumes.
WHY
I BELIEVE IN THE CHURCH
By Betty Haynie
The word “church” does not just mean a building, as I am sure you
realize. It means the people who have accepted Jesus and are Christ’s
“body” on earth, His “church,” spreading His message of love and salvation to
all. Christ is the Head and we are all Members of or parts of His body - hence
the word “Membership.” If your passion was golf you would need to go to a golf
course in order to play, or at least a driving range. The same with bowling -
you need a bowling alley and others with whom to bowl. Imagine a Barbershop
Chorus where each member decides to stay home and work on their part alone.
Hmmm? I don’t think I’d want to hear them sing. As a believer it is imperative
to your spiritual growth to belong to a group of believers.
Those who believe in Him are His feet, hands, legs, and fingers
serving Him through working together with other believers to accomplish the
ministries put before us. A toe or finger cannot do much on its own - but,
connected to the body, which is connected to “the Head” it can do its job! That’s why we need to belong to a body of believers. That’s why, when you
believe, you must belong to a community with vital beliefs. They become just as
much a family as our earthly family does when we are born into this world. Just
as our mothers and fathers nurture, protect and care for our needs as babies,
our church family nurtures, protects and cares for each of those who are “born”
into the family of God.
I am sorry some of you have had bad experiences with church
people. BUT… we (the mature church goers) are constantly seeking God and
forgiveness and are far from perfect in every way, so please forgive those who
behave adversely, in their ignorance, pettiness, whatever..., so that God can
forgive you for the times when you may have been less than perfect. Don’t
reject the message because of the messenger!
God wants a relationship with you. Of course you can have this by
yourself, but most of us would not stick to the course alone. We would tend to
revert back to old habits and procrastinate about reading the bible or praying.
We need others with whom to bounce around our ideas and to learn from. We need
others for love and acceptance. Birds of a feather.......you know the rest.
It’s really hard to grow when you have no teachers or examples by which to
measure yourself.
The practice of faith is personal as well as private, but we need
one another for support and comfort. Real spiritual growth is produced through
relationships and community; through loving one another and through your
growing relationship with God Almighty! This kind of love is amazing,
unselfish, truthful, kind, patient, loyal and more.
All of this in church! Not every one “gets it”! But everyone has
the opportunity to!! Some think all they need to do is attend services every
once in a while. That doesn’t cut it. You need to become involved! I’m sure
you know that the more you put into something the more you get out of it.
Blessings, Betty
WHY I BELIEVE IN THE CHURCH
By Dottie
Parish
Jesus began building the church while he was
here on earth and he expected us to continue this work. (Matt.16:18) Scripture also urges us
“to not give up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25 ) and to “go into all the world” (Mark 16:25 ) and teach and witness. Jesus also promised the
Holy Spirit to guide us.
When I returned to church after years away I was
flooded with memories of my childhood and young adult experiences in church. I
remembered singing “Jesus Loves Me” as a toddler. I remembered memorizing Bible
verses. I remembered the smells of a church, the sounds of a church, the feel
of wooden pews, the hymns, the scripture, and all felt precious. I remembered
the teachers and youth leaders who had taught me, encouraged me and loved me. I
remembered retreats where we sang, talked and learned to pray. I remembered my
baptism at age 12 and my teenage joy one Easter in realizing Jesus is alive and
is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Before my return to church there had been little
music in my life. Now music fills my heart and soul every day and God’s
presence brightens each day. As a church member I am no longer alone. I am part
of the fellowship of Christ - a loving support group with a great mission. I
have meaning and purpose in my life again. What greater cause than doing God’s
will can there be?
At least
seven things minister to us and change us when we belong to a vital church. Here’s
a short list.
Fellowship. We gain fellowship, like a warm family,
a group united in purpose who know us and care about us. We worship with
others, their worship encourages ours, and their experiences inform ours. We
see people grow spiritually.
Prayer. We pray together. “When “two or three agree as
touching anything on earth.” Coming into God’s presence with others and
interceding with and for others in need deepens our own faith and our care for
others. Personal prayer is also available as others in church gladly pray for
and with us.
Worship. We worship together lifting our
voices in praise to God. This is not the same as singing along to a TV service
or worshipping in nature (though these can also be valuable). Worshiping with my
brothers and sisters in Christ and an open heart to God is life changing and
fills us with his Holy Spirit.
Giving. Giving enriches us. We give our
time, money and our energy to build the church, to reach out to spread the Word,
and to heal and help those in need.
Confession. Confessing our sins silently in
prayer frees us to open our hearts to God and others. When we confess our sin
and repent before God he hears us.
Communion. Communion, or the Lord’s Supper,
is a unique spiritual ritual in which we humble ourselves and give thanks for
what Christ has done for us. And we remember that he gave his life for us.
Scripture. The church teaches us and our
children the amazing and consistent truths throughout Scripture and that God is
holy, loving and true.
Fellowship, Prayer, Worship, Giving,
Confessing, Communion, Scripture. We gain spiritual wisdom from each of these things and it
changes us. We go out into the world and live our faith, witness to others, and
serve others. And we return to our church to keep the fire burning.
There are 100,000
or more Christian churches in the United States
As
Betty said, real spiritual growth is produced through God focused relationships
and community; through loving one another and through a deepening relationship
with God Almighty! The church changes us and changes the world. Don’t
miss out! Join the Church of Jesus Christ!
Blessings,
Dottie
No comments:
Post a Comment