MOVEMENT

St Vitus', Prague

From the start the church has been a movement with great momentum.  At the beginning there were no buildings - no facilities - no staff - from the outset the church was a movement centered around a simple idea - an event in history - the resurrection of Jesus.

It was that single event that galvanized the early believers, that Jesus was who He claimed, and it was the re-telling of that event by actual eyewitnesses that launched the church in the first century.

When Jesus kick-started the church He launched it as a gathering around a simple idea with a simple focus.  But as time went on, something happened.  There began to be a transition from a movement with great momentum and passion and power to a location -- from gathering around the celebration of an event to gathering around a building and a system.

St Peter's, The Vatican

The church became something of a throwback to the Old Testament concept of a temple - the place people had to come to meet with God.

One of the highlights of our Sabbatical this summer was the opportunity to visit some of the grand churches of Europe.

St. Vitus' in Prague.

St Stephen's, Budapest

St. Peter's in The Vatican.
St. Stephen's in Budapest.
St. Mark's in Venice,
Basilica de Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, among others.

St Mark's, Venice

Grand church buildings all.  Breathtaking.  Beautiful.  But buildings - not so much churches - many of them empty of worshippers today -- because what began as a movement with great momentum powered by the Holy Spirit, driven by the big mission of distributing the Gospel all over the world, ultimately became lifeless, inward, predictable, with little resemblance to what the very first church was about.

Jesus said:  'On this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'  (Matthew 16:18)

Basilica de Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence

Not long after He said that He was crucified and then He rose from the dead on the third day.  Then He spent 40 days with His followers before ascending to heaven to be with His Father.  During those 40 days He gathered His disciples around and told them in a little while they would receive the Holy Spirit -- and this promise would continue on for their children and grandchildren and for all who would follow.

You and I are a fulfillment of that promise.

And be blessed.