On Church—Part 1

Where should you go to church? In some places, the choice can feel overwhelming because many cities have dozens if not hundreds of churches. Plus, some churches claim to be the only true church. Are they right? What should you do?

I know this is not a dilemma for everyone. Some people simply go to church where they were raised or they attend a similar church in another city. And for most people throughout church history, this was a moot point. There was only one viable church during their lifetime and one local church within walking distance from where they lived.

But what should a new believer do today? And what about those who are genuinely confused by the plethora of options?

I know what it’s like to feel ecclesial anxiety. I was raised in a Pentecostal church, but in Bible college I decided I was no longer Pentecostal. So where should I go? I knew my dad was raised in a Lutheran church while my mom grew up in a Catholic church, but they didn’t speak positively about those churches.

I still wanted to be connected to a community of believers. During one summer break, I decided to visit a different church every weekend. I needed to see a broader view of Christianity. After visiting about a dozen churches, I realized I wasn’t looking for anything extraordinary in a service. I just wanted to hear good Bible teaching and encounter friendly people.

Since then, I have attended Congregational, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, non-denominational, and house churches. My family and I lived in Asia for about fifteen years so my experience spans churches in the East and West. I have also visited Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Currently, my wife and I worship in a Lutheran church (LCMS) in Tennessee, but we visit other churches occasionally.

I have experienced the chaos of Pentecostal services, where many people are simultaneously speaking in tongues, the casualness of a house church meeting with food and friends, and the structure and solemnity of a Roman Catholic service, where everyone sits in silence before the service begins.

I wish I could say I have found the perfect church, but I can’t. I am convinced that the perfect church doesn’t currently exist on earth. I wish I could say my ecclesial anxiety has been cured, but it hasn’t. Sometimes I feel moved when I listen to apologists for the Roman Catholic Church, or the Orthodox Church, or even house churches.

Am I missing something? Maybe they’re right; maybe they do have the one right church. But then I step back and remember that every church is flawed.

But are some churches less flawed than others? Are some churches designed with fatal flaws? And that takes me back to basic questions like: What is the church? And what pattern should the church follow?

On the one hand, this matter is simple. Church is a group of people who confess that Jesus is Lord and who gather in his name on a weekly basis. On the other hand, this matter is complex because believers have assembled for two thousand years, they are globally dispersed, and differences exist between churches. So, when we talk about “church,” what do we mean? The church in the first century, tenth century, or twenty-first century? The church in the East, West, or Middle East? The Anglican Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, or a Pentecostal Church?

The history and diversity of the church make this an intimidating topic to tackle. And who am I to even attempt this? I am not a church historian, I am not an expert in New Testament Greek, I am not a professor of anything. I am a reader and a writer who is trying to work through some issues in a series of posts. If you’re interested in the topic, join me on this journey. I’m not sure where I’ll end up. Also, feel free to leave comments below. We all need to hear other perspectives on this topic.

Where should we begin?

The Book of Acts

Let’s start with the book of Acts because it provides one of the earliest pictures of the Christian community. Keep in mind, however, that Acts is a narrative, meaning it describes what happened. In other words, it doesn’t necessarily teach what must happen for all future generations. Moreover, we must guard against the human tendency to idealize particular time periods, which is a constant challenge when exploring the past.

The English word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklēsia and this word is probably best rendered in English as “assembly,” “gathering,” or even “community.” In the New Testament, church refers to people not a building. How does that one word swap affect your view of the Christian movement? Here’s the description of the Christian community in Jerusalem soon after Jesus ascended to heaven:

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

I know I said we must guard against idealizing the past, but doesn’t it sound like Luke is doing that here? Was everything really this perfect? This is a summary or general impression of how things were. It’s not intended to give every detail. If humans were involved, there must have been problems here or there. Additionally, subsequent chapters show that even if things were perfect in Acts 2, they didn’t remain so for long. Persecution, controversies, hypocrisy, and divisions would soon beset the church.

And yet the description in Acts 2 provides important insights into early Christianity. How does your church experience compare with Luke’s general impression of the first Christians?

• Devoted to the apostles’ teaching
• Devoted to the fellowship
• Devoted to the breaking of bread
• Devoted to prayer
• Glad and sincere
• Praising God
• Enjoying the favor of all the people
• Growing

We’ll consider these items and many more in the following posts.

Les Bridgeman

After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia and the U.S. I am passionate about the Bible and Bible related topics. Here’s a link to my book page.