The Church

I have been growing increasingly interested in the centrality of the church in the life of the believer. It has been all too long since I last posted, but at least tonight I want to point to this growing interest of mine. I don't know if I'll be able to write much tonight.

I think it was Rick Warren who said that God has a Plan A, which is the church - he has no Plan B. God intends to build his church on earth because the church is the expression of his Son Jesus. The church is the Body of Christ. Until the Kingdom becomes a full reality on earth, God expresses himself through the church.

The church is the first sacrament. I read that somewhere last summer and it has stuck with me. None of the sacraments have meaning apart from the church.

There is no salvation apart from the church. I don't mean the Roman Catholic Church, or any other formal expression. I'm talking about the host of believers. The Roman Catholic Church is historically the center of the movement of God's church, but all the other denominations and fellowships that are located in the life of Christ are the church - the church is made up of every believer on earth in community. Community is the essence.

I am rambling. It is late and I've been up a long time today. I will be more coherent in further posts.