Be the Church
What does this popular phrase mean? “Be the Church.”
The intention of this slogan is to say Christianity isn’t supposed to be limited to church buildings. That Christians are supposed to go out into the world and live as Christ asks them to. It’s a bit antiestablishment, too, depending on whose lips it comes from.
But is there a difference between going to church and being the Church?
As Lutherans, we are very good (or at least we ought to be) about stating that the operative word for individuals is not “Do,” but “Done!” In other words, our full confidence for salvation comes from the fact that Christ has died for our sins and Christ has risen to give us life. Even when our own lives fail to reflect our name as Christians, we still have confidence before God because Jesus has paid it all.
It seems, though, that we reverse this when talking about being the Church. As if the operative word for individual Christians were “Done,” but the operative word for the Church is “Do!” As if the primary purpose for the Church is to serve.
Wrong.
Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 5:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5:25-32
The primary reason God gathers his Church is to serve his Church. We confess as much in Martin Luther’s “Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed”:
In the same way [the Holy Spirit] calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
In this Christian church he daily and fully forgives all sins to me and all believers.
Martin Luther, Small Catechism, “Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed”
What Jesus says in Mark 10:45, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,” he still means. This is the primary purpose of the Church. Being the Church is not opposite of going to church. Being the Church means gathering around Word and sacrament. It means BEING served by your Savior. It means BEING cleansed, washed, called, gathered, enlightened, sanctified, kept, and daily and fully forgiven. The primary purpose of the Church is not to DO but to RECEIVE.
Then—and only then—can the Church “be the Church” in the secondary sense. Then—and only then—can the Church serve her Bridegroom and Head, Jesus Christ. In reverse order, we are demanding fruits from a rotted branch. In the biblical order, fruits flow naturally from branches connected to the Vine.
So pray for this:
That the Holy Spirit would continue to gather YOU with his Church around Word and sacrament for the continued reassurance of forgiveness so that then (and only then) you may be equipped to be the Church in the world.
That the Holy Spirit would gather OTHERS with his Church around Word and sacrament for assurance of their forgiveness so that THEN (and only then) they too may be equipped for works of service.
The gospel does its work. Let it enlighten, empower, and equip.