The Church Alive

Hello to all,
I've been anxious to share my new favorite church sign with you. I drive past Gray Church of God daily and read their church sign. This week they have posted "A Church Alive is Worth the Drive". Finally, a good church sign that really gave me something to ponder.

Since I have taken up the 'Church Sign Critic' job my list of least favorite church signs has grown more than my list of favorites. One church in particular keeps my blood boiling for weeks after I read their sign. I won't share the church name with you but allow me to share one of my least favorite posts from their sign- "Contemporary Christian Music=hell, Traditional Hymn's=heaven" (or something like that). And my next least favorite listed a reference to the KJV being God's Word and the NKJV being from Satan. These two really bothered me. Not because the church holds certain beliefs but because of the way this effects the community around them. I have to wonder what message this sends to the unbelieving world around them. I guess we would need to answer the question of what is the chruch sign for anyway? Well as you can see this is a whole nother soap box I won't climb upon today! (And yes- I do know 'nother' is not a word! I just love to drive the spell checker crazy (as if it's alive)! And, keep in mind- I'm Tennessean to the bone.)

What is a 'Church Alive'? First, let's establish what the word 'church' means. The church is not the building but the people. So, alive people are worth the drive. Don't know about you but I personally would not waste the gas money to 'drive' anywhere to hang out with physically dead people! ha!! Truthfully,I have spent enough time in funeral homes mourning the deaths of friends and loved ones to do me for a lifetime. And, sorry for seeming so coy-please take these comments in jest and know I'm trying to make a point. I consider it a privilege to be near to those who are grieving a loved one by being present at the funeral home, hospital and most anywhere they need me to be.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word alive as "living, existent, active, animated, filled with living things, vigorous or lively, teeming". Does this definition accurately describe an alive church? I think not. Churches (peoples) can be lively and vigorous and still be dead in Christ. Churches can be filled with activity and still not be alive in the spiritual and Biblical sense. Take for example my visit to Bristol Motor Speedway two Sundays ago. The people at the Speedway were teeming with life. The energy level was UP! Many of them, during the race, were yelling in support of their favorite driver. Hand and arm motions were happening all over the place as a show of support as their driver moved to the front of the pack. These were people alive the atmosphere around them was lively but were they alive in Christ?

How does God's word define a church alive? This is the question I've been pondering all week. One worth the work of discovery. So, I'm on a journey to uncover the answers. At first I thought it was a simple question but the more thought I've given it the more I have come to believe it's not. The other question I have asked myself is "When have I been a part of a Church Alive?"

As simple as these questions may seem I'm not so sure any of us could say we have it all figured out. I do know one thing- I yearn to be a part of the Church Alive and I'm in search of the congregation that I could honestly walk away saying- Now that's the Body of Christ Alive.

I wonder if this 'alive' thing is the very reason the church in America is not growing? Is it because there is no life to it or in it? I'm not sure. I will tell you this- I aim to find out! So if the questions I've asked in this post confounds and perplexes you as much as it does me- than get to digging. One thing I do know for absolute- God is present in the Church Alive. No doubt.

I will dedicate the next several posts to this topic. If you find it interesting- join me next week for more discussions on the Church Alive.

Searching for the Church Alive,
Lori