It gets a bad name in many quarters. Some of it deserved, some of it definitely not. Probably most of you, but nowhere near all, who are reading this belong to some faith community. As in, a group of people who organize in some fashion around a transcendent belief. Politics, athletics, and cooking clubs don’t count. Not that those things aren’t really good reasons to organize groups around, they just aren’t to the point here.

When it comes to God, the Spirit, or however people view life outside of plain biochemistry, everyone has an opinion on the best way to get grounded … or saved … or completed. Setting aside wars and persecution and all of that, folks can get riled up about appropriate music, dress, sacramental practice, who presides over ceremony, and a lengthy laundry list of the right and wrong way to do things. Choirs. Bands. Hymns. Priests and Pastors. Bible or no Bible. Other sacred texts. Prayer. Meditation. Lengthy sermons. Short homilies. Silence. It’s exhausting!

This is one reason I fought God for thirty years. There was just way too much difference in all of these things. And none of them seemed perfect. In fact, I found fault with nearly every one. I mean, if they can’t figure out the best way to get in touch with the Other and people are constantly debating this point or that, who am I to commit? Now, for some of you, this was never a problem. But, I’m a tough case with more than my share of ego that bristled. Forgive me.

Well, it’s safe to say I’ve found church. Real honest to goodness church. I’ve spoken about it before but I feel called to put it out there again. If you’re reading this and are not part of a faith community, I’d beg some patience. Hopefully, my point will transcend a lot of the divisiveness.

I didn’t find church right away. Even after I went belly up in surrender in 2005. It was like, “Here I am, what’s next?” I won’t bore you with the details but it started with a prayer and some attention by some really good people that God dumped on me. The prayer was basically, “Lord, I need help. I get that you’re real. It’s hard not to get that you’re real because you actually showed up. I mean, really showed up as in there is no alternative explanation to the fact that you showed up. And, now that you’re real, I need help. Please surround me with people who can help me grow into the type of person you designed me to be. I have a sense of what that design is supposed to look like now and I definitely need help. Even though I may have a few of the pieces, I need help. Did I mention I need help?” That about sums up my prayer at the time.

The rest is history. Now, the doubter will observe that all of these people I’ve met and come to know very deeply could have crossed my path anyway. Well, maybe some. In fact, some had already crossed my path. But, there is no way. No way that any of what has happened to me could have occurred without supernatural influence. Period. And, I’m a rationalist!

So, what did God do? What is this church he showed me? What is it that he offers each of us?

I believe that we are designed to be in community. We are communal organisms. A few may reject this and become hermits or ascetics or monks that decry connecting with others. But nearly all of us seek relationship with other people. We work very hard at it. We can’t help it. Some of us may be better at relationships than others but we all seek it. Even most ascetics and monks collect themselves in community with other ascetics and monks. What’s going on here?

I won’t go on here about biology or evolution or the social construction of reality (I actually had to read an amazingly difficult book with that title once!). Let’s put all of that aside and just agree that relationships are important. And, to continue with our basic examination, let’s just throw in that love is kind of important. And pretty natural. So, loving relationships are pretty ingrained in our makeup.

To me, that’s where church begins and ends. Loving relationships. Whether it’s a relationship with God or one another, that’s the point of church. Church is the manifestation of God’s will in our human existence. At least to me it is.

In a basic Christian understanding, the church is the body of Christ. Well, what does that mean? That can sound very weird. But, actually, it’s not that weird. If Jesus ushered in a view of reality that says we are here to be in loving relationships and serve one another in love, then his “body” is the encompassing of all of that. I believe it’s that simple.

So, church, as I see it, is people coming together in loving relationships that are structured to look out for one another and help each other flourish.

I buy into this belief that the church is Jesus’ body in action today. His teaching and example is a commandment for all of us. If he is as he said he is, that’s rather important. This rationalist, former searcher, practitioner of different faith traditions, can’t find fault with anything he said.(I may not completely understand everything but I can’t find fault with the stuff I do understand.) Everything he said matches with my experience and understanding of reality. For me, that’s proof. Others, including some of you, may disagree, which I respect, but that’s my belief.

I’ll try to bring this home now.

I think I said in the last week some time that I “belong” to something like six churches. That’s not a boast and I’m no example to hold up by any stretch of the imagination. (I’m still that younger brother in Luke 15.)

Beginning with three days ago on Friday, church was at the Millsom house with the Little Band of Believers. Saturday, it was celebrating and worshipping with the Emmaus Community which is built around sharing God’s love with others through acts of service. Yesterday, it was at “regular” church, where at the end of a fabulous hour, Dawn invited the congregation to come forward who were ill or hurting and receive prayer. I went, of course, and was surrounded by dozens of loving people who either were in need of prayer and support or were there to provide it. You can’t imagine what it feels like to have loving hands holding on to you in that kind of a situation. Thank you!

This morning, I was with my small group of other guys, praying and focusing on some of the big things in life.

Wednesday morning, I’ll have coffee with a covenant partner.

Wednesday evening, Diane and I will join our “small” group of seven couples as we navigate life together.

None of these things is a struggle to attend. All of them, save one, were integrated long ago into the fabric of life Diane and I live, before retirement.

They have two things in common. The first is that they are made up of people who seek to be in deep relationships with others and who are led to look out for others’ welfare. The second is that the focal point is God, with an appreciation that he offers us a different kind of life.

What, then, is church really? That’s simple. It’s sharing life. Consciously joining in community. A community that values things like love, hope, compassion and grace, serving others (especially those who struggle or who are marginalized by the rest of society). A community that values the place of worship and other spiritual disciplines. This community also values transparency, as much as that is possible. It values forgiveness and redemption and the relief of the burden on self and others.

This church is not about rules and a legalistic view of reality. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons Jesus came into this world. He came to turn religion on its ear and to condemn the primacy of the legalistic perspective. Humans have corrupted the church, which is to be expected because we all fall far short of the ideal. Nevertheless, all organizations need rules and structures and there are countless examples of how those rules and structures have assisted in furthering the values mentioned above and not impeding them.

Diane and I would say that we’re IN church continuously. To some, that might be the theme of a horror movie! Certainly, the type of church we live in is not portrayed at all well in the media or common conversation. Remarkably, it takes very little effort once we open ourselves to what is possible. Sure, we probably watch far less television than the average household. We have a few less blocks of time we could choose to use for other things. But, we still have plenty of time for other priorities in our life. And, this was just as true when we were working full time.

If I have not been clear, I wish for this kind of life for everyone. It’s a Door A/Door B kind of thing. “Do I want to realize the fruits of these things?” Just ask and, then, Behold.

Lord, thank you for showing us how to live a life that is built around these values you taught. It’s not easy, by any means. But it becomes easier when we are in close community with many others. Please open doors to opportunities to share life in ways that are truly fulfilling. Help us not to judge the failures of institutions but to consider how some groups and organizations have achieved monumental things. Help us not to focus on hypocrisies but to see wonderful opportunities. Thank you for calling me to something greater. Amen.