DJ Records: More than a building

For some weeks now, tragic events involving Christian churches have occupied the news: the burning of the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral and the senseless bombings in Sri Lanka.

On visits to Paris, Cologne, Rome and London, I have been inspired by their great cathedrals. I have been struck by the sheer magnitude and history of these awesome buildings. What I still find impressive is that it took centuries and hundreds of dedicated artisans to complete them.

Yet, in spite of all this, I sometimes find myself as moved, when I experience the sense of God’s presence in worship with a small congregation of peasant farmers, in a humble mud hut in rural Africa, or with the urban poor in Cambodia or India.

The most unforgettable church meeting place I have ever seen was one I discovered on the banks of the Congo River.

Having been invited to a church on an island, and while waiting for the dugout to paddle me across to the island, I was intrigued by a narrow path that led into a huge bamboo thicket. Venturing into the thicket, I discovered a place of worship in a clearing in the dense forest.

There was no roof, just the mass of overhanging enormous bamboo which afforded some protection from the fine falling rain, a bamboo pulpit and pews fashioned from rough-hewn bamboo poles.

Jesus said: “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:18). The Greek word “Ecclesia”, which is most often translated as “church” in the Bible, means a gathering or assembly of people who meet for a specific purpose. So clearly, Jesus’ original intent when He referred to “the church” meant that this was a gathering of people. This is just another example of how the meaning of words can change over the years. Thus today, when we speak of “the church”, we tend to have a building in mind.

“The church” that was spoken of throughout the New Testament was congregations who met in homes, synagogues or schools. The practical need for dedicated buildings only emerged in the second century.

One of the best definitions of “the church” I have ever come across is as follows: “The aim of God in history is the creation of an all inclusive community of loving persons, with God Himself at the very centre and its primary sustainer and most Glorious inhabitant.” Dallas Willard.

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