Weird Ideas: Holy Spirit. Holy Church.Sýnishorn

Let’s talk about what the Church is, and what the Church is not.

Let’s start with what it isn’t. The Church is not a building. It is not a local white-framed institution with a steeple, gothic cathedral, giant warehouse, or big box store retrofitted with a stage, lights, and a smoke machine. The Church is not a local congregation’s charter or constitution. The Church is not a denomination. The Church is not just a gathering of Christians, nor is it a worship service, program of activities, social club, fellowship circle, or humanitarian organization. It might include and even energize those things, but at its core it’s something different. (In all this notice the use of a capital “C.” When we refer to the “Church,” we’re not referring to those specific things just mentioned. That’s better described with a lowercase “c,” as in “church.” No, the Church is something bigger and grander than all those things.)

So what is the Church? The Church is the body of Christ. Not His actual physical body that was born of Mary, walked the earth, and was nailed to a cross. The Church is an intimate extension of who Jesus is. The New Testament describes the connection between Jesus and the Church with the closest, most integrated terms – like parts of your body connected to each other and to your head. It’s all a metaphor for the simple idea that when you are in Christ and part of Christ, you are part of Him and connected to each other.

This connection with Christ and each other that we call “Church” extends beyond space and time. It includes those in Christ who are alive and those who have died. Sometimes you can see it and sometimes you can’t. It is a connection in Christ believers share by the power of the Holy Spirit. You could even call it a new humanity through which the Holy Spirit brings God’s work and kingdom to earth.

If this plan helped you better understand how Christians see the Holy Spirit and His church, we encourage you to subscribe to the other “Weird Ideas” plans.