Why do we go to church anyway?

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On Sunday (4/14), our adult Sunday School class discussed the last of 7 sessions using the Animate Faith series called Church | An Imperfect Family led by Bruce Reyes-Chow. This has been a great 7 weeks as this study has raised good questions, given some direction, and has truly has engaged the participants in deeper conversation about faith.

Devotions

We know that it was Jesus’ custom to go to church (Luke 2:41; 4:16). Consider the Scriptures below:

Take time throughout the week to answer (perhaps in a journal) the following questions:

  • How would you define “church” and “the purpose of church” using your own language?
    • Are these expectations Biblical?
    • When you go to church, do you feel as though your church is fulfilling these definitions?
    • What do you think the church should be that it is not?
  • Why do you go to church?
  • If you don’t go to church very often, list a few reasons why you don’t go?
  • When you leave church, what happens in the first 15 minutes after you leave (i.e. what is the condition of your spirit, where do you go, how are your relationships)?
  • If you feel like church is an obligation or something you “should do” or a habit, how can “going to church” be more life-giving?

Taking It Further

As children, we learned the song:

The church is not a building.
The church is not a steeple.
The church is not a resting place.
The church is the people.

Where does the idea of “church” come from?

The word most often used in the Bible for “church” is ekklesia. This is a Greek word that literally means “the called out ones”. We also use it to mean “assembly” or “gathering”. This word is not limited to a religious meaning, but is also used in politics. Of the 114 uses of this word in the New Testament, 109 are related to a community of God’s people.

The etymology of the English word “church” appears to be based on kyrios, which means lord. Derivative words like kyriakon (“belonging to the Lord”) and kuriakon doma (“Lord’s house”).

While God is truly everywhere and He is with us at all times, is our need for “church” satisfied in any way outside of a gathering of believers?

References

prjeffwilson

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