A personal definition of the church is: "The church is a spiritual community centered on Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit." We are a part of many communities. Young families find community on ball fields where their children chase soccer balls, run with footballs, and hit balls with sticks. There are other communities associated with membership in civic clubs and the nine to five work world. Some are related to family and there are even some which come about as a result of church involvement.
What is unfortunately true is that some churches do not really meet the criteria of this personal definition. For some members of churches the business connections or the social status is the reason for being present. It has nothing to do with seeking a spiritual community centered on Jesus. It is also true that today's contemporary church is often more focused on politics, gender issues, and social activism. In such places Jesus is not the center, but someone who lives out on the fringe.
Strangely enough there are some gatherings known as churches where the name of Jesus is not really mentioned with any regularity and when He is mentioned, it is as One who stands alongside leaders of other religious communities. Any gathering which calls itself a church and is not centered on Jesus is little more than a pretend Christian community. It may do many thing in service to individuals and the community, but those thing not done in the name of Jesus do not make it a spiritual community centered on Jesus, or a church.
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