Can we really be the church?

Can we really be the church? I'm not trying to be a wise guy, although a lot of people think that. No, I really think it's a good question: Can we, given our culture and predetermined ideas about what church is, really be the Church that Jesus intended for us to be?

I used to be pretty sure we could, given the right group of people, favorable circumstances and godly motivation. That was when I was 25 years old. A lot has happened to me since then...and to our culture. I'm a little more skeptical now...jaded I think they call it.

I do think we can "have church." We can "do church." But when I read the last part of Acts chapter 2, I wonder if we can ever return to the kind of loving, self-sacrificing "all-for Jesus" kind of community that was present there.

They didn't worry about buildings and structures. Organizational stuff came later and wasn't about power, influence and restrictions. It was about setting God's children free to minister His love to others. I can't find a lot of stuff we do in church now in the Bible. I'm also pretty sure we've left a lot of good stuff out.

People have expectations now that might not be for the best. Some people blame it on the consumer mentality. I have my own theories but I probably shouldn't post them here. To be honest, I'm just not sure there are that many people interested in becoming an "honest-to-God" church.

It always amuses me when people talk about the "good ole' days." Of course what they usually mean is the 1940's or 1950's. When I talk about the good ole' days I'm talking about the 40's and 50's, like the first century. Most people I talk to don't really want to go back that far. I guess I don't blame them...it cost a lot to be a Christian back then...I think I read that some of them even got thrown to the lions.

So lately I've been trying to decide what to do. I'd like for the church I pastor to be more like Jesus wanted. I'm trying not to talk about it too much (you know, the lions and all), but something inside of me just can't seem to forget what we're called to be. I hope God gives me the courage to talk about it more. I'm pretty sure it's worth the risk.

I call myself an eternal optimist. I guess that's because part of me still thinks it's possible to be the church, the kind Jesus talked about and the kind I read about in Acts 2. I think, before I die, it would be really cool to be a part of a church like that.