The future of the church is certain. There can be no other conclusion when we read words spoken to Simon Peter by Jesus. "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it..." (Matthew 16:18) Taking this passage seriously takes away any fear that the church will disappear. It is here to stay. There have been times throughout its history when persecution has driven it out of the visible busy mainstream into the hidden places out of sight. But, no matter how deeply underground it is driven, it like its Master rises with power.
What has changed and can be expected to change again is its form, its expression, the way it is present in the world as the Body of Christ. The institutional structure may become unrecognizable due to the pressure placed upon it as it tries to be a part of the economic driven world, but the church is not really a small business struggling to survive in difficult times, but a spiritual community whose light can never be extinguished. Invisible before the Incarnation, it will forever remain visible, present, and powerful until the day it is brought completely into the heavenly eternal realm.
A very basic affirmation of the people of the church is that the church is of God. It is always wrong to think of it as ours. It is not. It is His. It does not belong to us, but to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is in a sense the dwelling place of the Triune God we worship. It is a community where our God is worshipped, where we hear Words from Him that give shape and direction to our life, and where we gather to remember what He has done for us through the sacrifice of His precious Son. It is our inner being that rises up when the spiritual community expresses itself in the world. The church is a place which points us to God in the world and a place where our soul receives the care it needs for living now and throughout eternity.
What has changed and can be expected to change again is its form, its expression, the way it is present in the world as the Body of Christ. The institutional structure may become unrecognizable due to the pressure placed upon it as it tries to be a part of the economic driven world, but the church is not really a small business struggling to survive in difficult times, but a spiritual community whose light can never be extinguished. Invisible before the Incarnation, it will forever remain visible, present, and powerful until the day it is brought completely into the heavenly eternal realm.
A very basic affirmation of the people of the church is that the church is of God. It is always wrong to think of it as ours. It is not. It is His. It does not belong to us, but to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is in a sense the dwelling place of the Triune God we worship. It is a community where our God is worshipped, where we hear Words from Him that give shape and direction to our life, and where we gather to remember what He has done for us through the sacrifice of His precious Son. It is our inner being that rises up when the spiritual community expresses itself in the world. The church is a place which points us to God in the world and a place where our soul receives the care it needs for living now and throughout eternity.
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