What is Church?

I find this question to be frustrating mostly because the answers often point us to faith, denominational, and doctrinal divisions.  And life in our silos is not terribly helpful to the work of creating and sustaining community, but I also find this question to be fundamental.  And I’m not sure if the answer in its entirety remains static over time. 

Because my faith tradition makes much of scripture – as it should – I started considering this question by looking at the texts that reference church.  Here’s a link in case you want to review them.  Not surprisingly, we get big dose of New Testament early church chatter when we go that route. 

Is that a complete answer?  Perhaps so since those writings reflect themes people wanted to capture as the first generation of Christians began to pass away.  Perhaps not since we have no references to Jesus’ Judaic roots in the Hebrew Bible.  So, maybe we need to ask the question differently…

Following the lectionary as a means of personal devotion was something I discovered in adulthood.  I’m always amazed at how the text selected for the week speaks to me in surprisingly powerful ways.  This year’s Thanksgiving Day texts include Deuteronomy 8:7-18, Psalm 65, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Luke 17:11-19.

In Deuteronomy we are called to praise God as the providential provider, both in the scarcity of wilderness wanderings and on the solid ground of plentiful resources: 

8:17 Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is God who gives you power to get wealth, so that God may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as God is doing today.

The Psalmist praises God for answering prayers and blessing the Earth with bounty.

65:9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. 65:10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.

The writer of 2 Corinthians encourages us to take risks, to sow bountifully and to be generous in sharing that which God has given.

9:13 Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, 9:14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you.

The gospel words cause us to imagine Jesus on a journey toward Jerusalem.  He has a destination in mind but that doesn’t stop him from meeting needs along the way.  When 10 lepers call out to him, scripture says he “makes them clean.” He goes on to tell the one leper who praises God -- a foreigner -- that his faith has made him well. 

17:19 Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

Do these observations about God as providential provider and prayer answerer have any bearing on our risk taking journey toward church?