church

In the last couple of weeks I have had discussions with people (who essentially approve of the figure of Jesus) where the word ‘church’ has been used in a negative manner, in the sense of institutional or organised religion. I’ve been trying to understand why this makes me defensive about the word ‘church’. The Greek word ekklesia, which is translated as ‘church’, originally referred to the community of believers, but ‘church’ has now come to be identified with buildings and institutions. I can see why the church as an institution has a negative image, and I want to maintain or reclaim the meaning of church as community, but I couldn’t explain why.

Yesterday, while chatting with Ricky about this, I managed to say,

so (hypothetically) if I say that church is an essential part of my faith, does that make me sound like an active member of a vibrant community, or a mindless drone?

it depends on what the hearer thinks church is about

My understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus demands living and praying with others in community, and that is what ‘church’ means to me. My fear is that if ‘church’ is only understood as buildings or as worldly institutions, this older meaning will be lost. I think that is why I am so defensive about the word.