The church building has gotten a bad rap.
I understand that “the church is not just the building.” And it’s easy to say, when driving by a church building, “Oh, there’s the (random number) Baptist Church.” That not really accurate, because the (random number) Baptist Church is made up of its living members, not just the raw materials of the building that the Church meets in. But remember this about the venerable church building:
The church building contains the body of Christ.
It was the Apostle Paul who showed us that believers are the body of Christ. 1 Cor. 12:27. And where do you find the largest concentration of believers in a local setting? You guessed it – the humble church building. And I do mean humble, because even the grandest church building is but rubble compared to the glory of Heaven, and when the time comes, the glory of the new Earth.
I’ve said this before in a long-ago post, but I’ll say it again here. Dr. Seuss had it very right: Every town is not just a town, but a “Who-ville” – made up of all the “whos” who live there. Likewise, home is not just a “where,” but a “who,” because home can be anywhere when the people you love most are there.
And a church building? Where else do you have so many members of Christ’s body, each with his or her own spiritual gifts and functions within that body, gathered in one place? Yep, that place is pretty special.
So this Thanksgiving, go ahead and give God thanks for the building where your local church meets. And this Christmas, don’t hesitate to display that all-crystal, internally-lighted church decoration you’ve had in your Christmas box for years. It stands for a building full of forgiven, redeemed, gifted and called people.
It’s a special place, indeed.
Numbering the Days 