Grape Juice on the Carpet...

I just read an article that mentioned a church in England that doesn't meet for worship. Ok, well they do meet, but only once a month! How can they even call themselves a church when they don't even meet together on Sundays? How can they afford a staff or buildings when they don't even get to pass the offering plate once a week? It sounds like all they do is meet in little groups and clusters at each other's houses and coffee shops. They get together to talk and laugh and play and grow. These people seem to really care about each other and are genuinely trying to follow Jesus together and make a difference in the world. But they only have a worship service once a month... how can they call that a church?

On the other hand...

I know tons of people who "go to church" every Sunday. Most of them don't have anything to do with each other on Monday through Saturday, but every Sunday they're in the same building at the same time, singing the same songs. I'm not sure most of them even know each other, but they at least recognize each other's faces. Because they see each other faithfully, once a week singing along (or at least moving their lips a little), listenning to the sermon (or at least propping their eyelids open and feigning interest together), and putting checks in the offering. And they call that church.

But how can we call it church when it only happens for two hours a week? How can we have fellowship when we see each other next to never? How can we call it worship, when most of us pass through 6 out of 7 days without a single thought of God? How can we call ourselves the Body of Christ, when we aren't even remotely attached to each other 85.7% of the time?

God I hope we can become the church You want us to be.