Who is your church?

That's right... who not where? I read in a book once that "it is a theologically incorrect statement to say 'let's go to church'". As if the church is the building. The church is the people. It's a who question not a where question. It seems like a small step... but it seems to have huge implications.

I read somewhere else that some time around the Reformation the protestant church became defined as this... "the place where the the gospel is preached, the sacraments are distributed and discipline is enforced." I am for all those things, because they are biblical. But notice the phrase the place where. The shift was to "the place where" and away from "the people who"... and I think the results are devastating.

I think that we have a tendency to minimize our Christian life to faithfully "going to Church" on the weekends, trying to live a good life in between Sundays, and for the zealous inviting others to "go to Church" with us. But what if church is not a where question but a who question.

Even the Greek word translated church (ekklesia) literally means "the called out ones." The emphasis is on the people.

So...who is it that when you gather with them you are the church? Now that is a good question. Do you agree? How can you answer such a question? Well I think the bible helps us.

The church is the people who:
(1) study the bible together (Acts 2:42)
(2) spend time together (Acts 2:42)
(3) eat together (Acts 2:42)
(4) pray together (Acts 2:42)
(5) love one another (Rom 12:10)
(6) support each other financially and physically (Rom 12:13)
(7) restore each other (Gal 6:1)
(8) support each other in tough times (Gal 6:2)
(9) bless their city (Prov 11:10,11)
(10) care for the poor and oppressed (Matt 25:31-40)
(11) tell the world about Jesus (Acts 1:8)

I'm sure you can add to my list... so, who is your church?