Church Community As God’s Answer For Love In the World

God’s holy church gets a lot of stick these days, which is not new. Such ‘popular’ thought has rumbled through the minds of many learned persons and into the public square since Christendom was first challenged by modernism (the 1850s – 1940s) and ultimately overthrown by postmodernism (1950s – present). But, for all its quirks, the church is the only ultimate answer for a hurting world. It’s the only answer because it’s God’s answer from time immemorial.

This article cannot, by its brevity, be a definitive exposé. But it can be a contribution for thought: the church is the doxology of God on earth. The church is the answer the hurting person needs because it’s a community response in the character of God’s love. God designed us to live in a community, but we only survive safely and thrive on opportunity. Church offers acceptance and purpose.

The church exists to see the lost saved, the hurting healed, the disciple grown, the devoted servant serving, the evangelist preaching the good news. The church exists so that all God’s creations would be found, receive forgiveness, find purpose within God’s Kingdom, to make every life count. Church meets every individual at every stage of life’s journey. It endeavors to bring a warning of heaven to earth through human beings enabled by the Holy Spirit.

The church is God’s answer to a broken world, asking life’s hardest questions. The church doesn’t offer flippant or packaged solutions. Still, it attests to broken realities, transcending them through love, accepting many unanswerable questions, and moving on in love beyond the questions to the heart of human need. It’s love the world wants. Love is the answer. Love is the healing all crave. And love is found in the community. Church knows it’s not answering a hurting world’s wants. It’s love the world needs. God’s love, living and active through His Word, empowered by His Holy Spirit, reaches out through His Church. © 2016 S.J. Wickham. Steve Wickham is a pastor with Degrees in Science, Divinity, and Counselling.

God’s holy church gets a lot of stick these days, which is not new. Such ‘popular’ thought has rumbled through the minds of many learned persons and into the public square since Christendom was first challenged by modernism (the 1850s – 1940s) and ultimately overthrown by postmodernism (1950s – present). But, for all its quirks, the church is the only ultimate answer for a hurting world. It’s the only answer because it’s God’s answer from time immemorial.

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This article cannot, by its brevity, be a definitive exposé. But it can be a contribution for thought: the church is the doxology of God on earth. The church is the answer the hurting person needs because it’s a community response in the character of God’s love. God designed us to live in a community, but we only survive safely and thrive on opportunity. Church offers acceptance and purpose.

The church exists to see the lost saved, the hurting healed, the disciple grown, the devoted servant serving, the evangelist preaching the good news. The church exists so that all God’s creations would be found, receive forgiveness, find purpose within God’s Kingdom, to make every life count. Church meets every individual at every stage of life’s journey. It endeavors to bring a warning of heaven to earth through human beings enabled by the Holy Spirit.

The church is God’s answer to a broken world, asking life’s hardest questions. The church doesn’t offer flippant or packaged solutions. Still, it attests to broken realities, transcending them through love, accepting many unanswerable questions, and moving on in love beyond the questions to the heart of human need. It’s love the world wants. Love is the answer. Love is the healing all crave. And love is found in the community. Church knows it’s not answering a hurting world’s wants. It’s love the world needs. God’s love, living and active through His Word, empowered by His Holy Spirit, reaches out through His Church. © 2016 S.J. Wickham. Steve Wickham is a pastor with Degrees in Science, Divinity, and Counselling.