What makes you a Christian?
I am frequently asked the question, “Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?” This is becoming more and more of an issue as the definition of what regular worship attendance has changed in the last decade or so. It used to be that regular worship attendance meant that a person attended worship every week. Recent research has shown that when individuals describe themselves as regular worship attenders, they mean they worship once a month. So the question rises again, do you have to go to church to be a Christian?
I can unequivocally say, that yes, you can be a Christian and not go to church. But here’s the rub. Christians don’t go to church (defined as a building used on Sunday mornings). Christians are the church in every aspect of their lives. A good question to consider then is “what is the church?”
The first word used to mean what we call the church was the Greek word ecclesia or ekklesia. This word comes from ancient Athens and was the name of the principle assembly for government. It literally means the called-out-assembly. The call would go through the city for all free male citizen to gather for debate and decision making. In the history of Christianity, ecclesia, the called-out-assembly, was the first word used to mean the church. Therefore, you cannot be the church alone, because the church is an assembly or better yet, a community.
The Christian community is the central unit of the church. I believe the problem has arisen when church became about obligation instead of community. We were created in the image of God who is community Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer — the Trinity. God’s call is the invitation to join the community of the Trinity. In the Trinity, all are co-equal members. In Christian community, all are co-equal members. To quote Paul, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female for all are one in Christ Jesus.” We are called to be one, but not alone. Individuals and yet united. We are called to be community.
It is in community where we learn what it means to be a Christian. We learn to pray, to study, to serve, and to give. These are things that do not always come naturally to human beings. But more than anything else, it is in community that we learn to love. Not romantic love, but the love that takes a lifetime of practice to start to understand. This is a love that stands with those who are oppressed or suffering. Love that cares for those who cannot care for themselves. Love that stands the test of time.
So yes, you can be a Christian and not go to church, but you cannot be a Christian if you are not being the church.