At Issaquah Christian Church we have a roadside sign on which we can display text to the traffic on Issy-Hobart.  Pondering this responsibility and opportunity, I often wonder what we are trying to accomplish. Are we advertising to consumers? Are we like a kiosk at the fair or a for truck at a market with just a little sumpin’ to spice up your weekend? Add a little bit of church to your Sunday! Isn’t it weird to think that the point of going to church services is to add some flavor to your life?

First of all, we are the church (or we aren’t). That means that we do not go to church (the called out assembly of God in Christ). We are members of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12). We do not attend the body of Christ. That is nonsensical on the face of it.

Second, our identity is in Christ. The church is not an additional part of our lives, it is the core of our new identity. We are in Christ . We are the church, it is the most real thing about us. Jesus said that family relationships have no claim like the body of Christ does on its members.

Third, when the church gathers for prayer, praise, and proclamation, it is to rehearse this central truth in our lives. We receive from God and we pour into each other.

There are lots of wonderful aspects of life that add flavor and spice. Church, being the church, however is not one of them. Christ is your life and he has called his people in his name to live out that life together. #BeTheChurch