GodReflection: How About A Better Way?
His Church Story is our Church Story. Jesus brings to us the kingdom—the reign of The Holy—through the story of his way, his assembly of believers, his life, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and all of what we know as his church. To belong we must trust Father, Son, and Spirit, to move our address.
God moved my address when I declared, “I’m in.” As a young boy, when I emerged from the waters of baptism God’s computer changed my address from earth to Church. (At the time computers were yet to exist on our planet). From the baptistery, my feet—now clean—returned to my Second Street address to sleep, but my heart and my allegiance had a new home. Since my childhood house, I’ve now lived at many different addresses.
But I always remember, no matter where my earthly address, I am now a member of God’s Church—one of those he set apart to live daily with him in his kingdom. He is now my king and I live under his care. Unlike other kings, King Jesus knows the name of each of his subjects and shares his love unconditionally with every individual in his kingdom.
God’s Church is the most important organization on earth and in heaven. In fact, it is the only perfect organization on earth. God’s Church is perfect. It is spotless. It is the bride of his son the Christ. It is Jesus’ body. Jesus has a perfect body. Jesus’ body does not have frail health. His body is not cancerous nor eaten by leprosy. God’s Church is perfect. I am a member of God’s perfect church.
Wait a minute. That doesn’t sound much like the earthly church I know. I see a church of frail men and women like me who sometimes fight more than they praise. I see a church that proclaims its love for sinners while building all sorts of protective walls to keep sinners at a distance. I see a body whose cancer sometimes gets more press than its health.
OK, let’s assume I am a member of a healthier assembly of God’s people. They are people who love one another and who love and serve the world at home and around the globe. There is no need to play games. God’s church on earth is composed of fallen people who still are far from perfect. How is it possible for me as a member of an imperfect church full of imperfect people to claim I am a member of God’s perfect church?
I must refocus my sight and my heart on the hill outside of Jerusalem. When Jesus assumed the sin of the world, as the Christ he made it possible for God to see
me through blood-stained glasses and see the image of His son without sin. That is the way God sees His church. It is perfect only because its members are perfect in His sight due to the powerful blood of Jesus. My friend, the late Allen Dutton was right in the use of one of the statements he often repeated while living on this earth: “The blood of Jesus runs deep—real deep.”
Jesus’s church—the one he bought with his own blood—is now our church. My permanent address was moved and will remain at that church.
I like how N.T Wight describes that church in the book Simply Christian he shows church as the place where Father, Son, and Spirit, join heaven and earth with their earthly family to work toward God’s ultimate purpose of “making all things new” for us to enjoy in their presence in our “life after ‘life after death.’’’
While on the last stretch of my journey toward God’s final assembly of his church, where there in fact will be only good—minus all pain and suffering—I find comfort and feel at peace to know Jesus’s story throughout chapter after chapter shows me how to make his church story my church story. Isn’t that a better way?
What are your reflections? Have you made his church story your church story?
Stay tuned.
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection on Jesus’ Story of Church.
God Reflection 