Doing Church or Being Church?

Church work is tough. Whether it is paid or unpaid, the challenges that come with it are quite daunting. In times of confusion, we need to ask ourselves whether we are 'doing' Church, or are we 'being' the Church God has called us to be. Here is a brief list of differences. For more, please read my reflections on Sabbath Walk this week here.

Doing church is content in doing exactly what is expected.

• Being church brings to the table what God expects from the community.

Doing church only goes to add stress to people's stressful lifestyles.  

• Being church recognizes the stress, and encourages one another to cast our cares on Jesus, to carry the burdens together.

Doing church is tiring and performs a circular rotation from one church activity to another.  

• Being church is energizing, and is constantly on a trajectory of gospel spreading both inside and outside of church.

Doing church is content with "I have done this, or I have done that." 

• Being church goes beyond the first, and begins with the community. It uses words like 'we, our, us.'

Doing church locks one in to maintaining church.  

• Being church frees one to sharing the love of Christ to all, both within and without the Church walls.

conrade