The Church; it's not a building

"This is the church, this is the steeple, open the door and look at the people," using hand motions, I recited to my grandchildren one Wednesday night on the way to church. I folded my hands together and raised my pointer fingers to make the steeple. My granddaughter asked, "What is a steeple?" Realizing  that our church didn't have one, I explained. I've thought a lot about the church in the physical sense...what it looks like outside and in. Some churches are extravagant buildings, stained glass windows, beautifully designed steeples with a huge bell hanging in the belfry and others are nothing more than wooden planks, atop a hill, old but with timeless beauty. I have never seen a church as extraordinary though as those in Europe. On our trip to Italy we visited many. They were a work of art... at its very finest.  I love to admire churches; old and new; you feel like you owe them a certain respect or reverence.The people inside are all different too; each one special and unique; all products of their environment, different experiences, and efforts as human beings. Some quite successful by worldly standards, some less fortunate by the same standards, others falling somewhere in between. Just like outward appearances are quite different inward experiences are quite different too. Some people are fluent in scripture, others knowing the most important verse like, "for God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son..",some devoted to a life of prayer, and others just attending church... we are all at different places. I was reading an article by Sean Deitrich, "Sean of the South," where he expressed that He was not a religious man and he didn't attend church regularly. However, while reading the article I could sense a strong sensitivity to the things of God. I remember a time in my life when I thought, why don't I just stay at home? I love Jesus. I'm not an expert on churches. And I am not an expert on religious or spiritual matters. But, one thing I know for certain is we all need each other. God created family. I grew up going to church on Sunday morning with my mother and sister.  I remember many older girls that had a very positive influence on me. I sang specials and enjoyed going to church. I attended another one regularly on Sunday nights throughout my teenage years. Going to church on Sunday night was more of a,"boyfriend date night" than a "date with Jesus night." Although I might not appeared to be listening, I'm sure that way more seeped into my heart than I realized at the time. As an adult, there were two churches that were near and dear to my heart. I started going to one church around the same time that I had begun to do a lot of soul searching about my own life. Sad to say, but a little critical examination of others around me that were frequent church attenders. You know it's easier to see what everyone else is doing wrong. I remember asking God, "How are they different than I am?" I was not attending church very often. He began showing me things about my own life. It's funny how he never one time showed me anything about anyone else. He told me how much He loved me and always had. I had always heard that but this time I really believed it.  He showed me that he was not disappointed in me. That was huge. I was so disappointed with myself and I felt that I had disappointed everyone else around me. One Sunday morning service, in this church that I had only been attending for a short time, I stood up during worship time and started dancing with the music. It didn't matter to me if everyone thought I was crazy or not. My focus was on Him and it was like no one else was in the room. That was the most intimate expression of love that I could show Him. I wanted to give Him my all. It was beautifully liberating. I learned that I could praise Him with my heart, my mind, soul, and with the body that He had so intricately created. I experienced a freedom in Him that I had never known before. Chains began to fall off. I am forever grateful to God and to that church. It was there that I truly learned to worship Him. God led me to a new church that was just beginning, several years later.  We held service in my brother-in-laws and sisters living room, who were the pastors. I love and attended that church for 22 years. There I learned what a church family really was. Just like your own family; you live life together, throughout all the ups and downs, mountains and valleys, and messes of life.  It was like it was yesterday. I was raising my three grandchildren as a single parent, their ages 4 1/2, 3 years and 11 months old. I went to the mailbox one day and there was a check for $500.00. Never knew who sent that to us. They will never know what it meant though. That school year my church family helped with backpacks, had my house cleaned, helped with childcare and babysitting, sent a ham for Thanksgiving, the list goes on. Most of all though... they prayed for me and they loved me and my family through all those years. Just like in your own family, a church family is accountable to each other. Yes, like in our own families we had growing pains. But, everyone learned from them. I wish I had of learned to put my feelings of pride, insecurity, and rejection away a little sooner, but that's all part of the growing process too. I am so thankful for them. My testimony today might not be the same without their guidance every step of the way. We recently moved and I had to tell my church family good-bye. I stood in front and told  them how much I loved and appreciated them, but all I could do was cry. We lived life together for a long time. There were many, many years of gratitude bottled up inside. We recently moved to a small town and started going to a small church thee.  Last Wednesday night the pastor said, "We are going to take church to a 96 year old elderly woman. She isn't feeling well and is unable to come to church."  I thought to myself, "Okay this is very interesting." As we walked up to her tiny wooden-framed home, and walked in, there she sat in her recliner with her afghan and pillows wrapped around her. Her hair was neatly combed, her eyes bright and alert, and her sense of humor in tact as she shared about her exterminator. Everyone sat wherever they could find a seat; on the couch, in a chair, on the floor, on the porch and overflow in the kitchen, and the pastor sat close by her with his guitar in hand. We began to sing..."amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now I'm found was blind, but now I see." He asked her what her favorite song was and she quickly replied in her little shaky voice, "I'd rather have Jesus than anything..." As she lip-synced the words, her eyes were moist and her focus intent as her brown eyes moved around the room to take it all in. Love was evident. The presence of the Lord was tangible. Not a doubt in my mind, God was pleased. Thank you, Father for teaching us that church is wherever there are people who love you and love each other. We feel right at home ❤

 We all need each other.

sammie jean