I’m Not Leaving The Church

My family and I attended our last traditional church meeting in early April of this year. It did not happen purposely, rather, a series of events led up to the departure. One being the early arrival of our fourth child. We were instructed by doctors to avoid the masses, specifically church, for a while. You have to be extremely cautious with premature babies.

Have you ever heard the saying, “You can’t see clearly when you’re in it.” That applies to this case. The break from church helped us see our lives, particularly our spiritual lives, more clearly. We started asking why. Why do we do the things we do?

We were concerned about what we were teaching our children and what our account before The Lord was going to look like. We just didn’t feel like we were serving The Lord in the best way possible. In fact, we found ourselves to be the very religious people the world despises.

But I want you to know, I’m not leaving The Church.

I love The Church. The Church is my family. My brothers and sisters.

The Church has given me so much. So much love. So much joy.

The Church partnered with God to change my life. The Church helped me grow into the woman I am today.

I could never leave The Church.

The Church is beautiful in its mission, bringing the simplicity of the gospel to the world around it.

The Church teaches us to be selfless and love God and people more.

I’m not leaving The Church. I could never leave The Church, because leaving The Church would mean leaving my faith.

The Church is a people. A people Jesus came for. A people Jesus saved. Through faith we belong to The Church.

The journey out of the traditional church setting opened my eyes to something that was right in front of me for a very long time.

I saw a remnant. A remnant of people in The Church who are hungry for more of God.

These people long to reach the lost. They long to use the spiritual gifts the creator has placed inside of them. They long to live in unity with their brothers and sisters. They long to understand His word for themselves.

These people know that something has to change. They know that God wants to do something so sweet in their walk with Him. They know that His will goes far beyond a Sunday morning service. They know that the traditional church setting isn’t working for them.

Some are still plugged into a local body. Some are bouncing around. Some have been out on their own for quite a while.

The remnant is not a rebellious people. They’re not bitter or mad. They’re not prideful or boastful. They’re simply seeking God in a different way.

God has broken my heart for the remnant. God has called our family to the remnant.

The remnant belong to The Church.

I could never leave The Church. In fact, I am fighting for The Church. I’m stepping outside of the norm, stepping out in faith, seeking the face of God on behalf of The Church, on behalf of my family.

Our family has stepped out of the traditional church setting and there has been a cost. It has cost us friendships and relationships. It has cost our family a lifestyle, a comfort. It has cost us our religion. We were so religious.

But we have gained so much more.

So, this is me, your sister in Christ, saying I could never leave you, Church. I love you deeply.

Nothing could divide us. Our mutual faith unites us. We will spend eternity together.

The Church is so much more than the physical limits we put on it. Let’s not let the way we do church define The Church.

Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34). This is how we show the world the gospel, by loving one another. Disciples of Christ live differently, they live unified. They live as The Church, geographically scattered, but united in spirit.  

 

Please comment below what you love about The Church!