Here's the Church....

"Here's the church; here's the steeple; open the doors..." I am certain that I heard those words early in life. In fact, I can remember saying the words and doing the actions in the church where I was first raised in the Christian faith.

From time to time, I've thought about this rhyme; most recently, my daughter has been picking it up from somewhere. All three children seem to know it; I don't know if they learned it in Ghana, or if they have picked it up since living here. I have seen them struggle with getting the hands and fingers in the right places, but they've also struggled with knowing the words.

The words came flooding back: "Here's the church, and here's the steeple. Open the doors, and see all the people. Close the doors, and hear them pray. Open the doors, and they all run away." When I was young, I never really thought about the words. Now, when those words run through my head, I think "Is this really what people think the church is?" Do people really think that it's all about a building? Do people really only pray in church? Where do the people run when "church" is finished?

Those questions may seem ridiculous, but if this rhyme has been taught, and is still being taught to children, then we may be teaching them bad theology and practice. Many churches today are not driven by mission and ministry, but by keeping lights on, doors open, and aging monstrosities of buildings standing. We practice faith by "going to church" on Sunday mornings, but not all of us actually live our faith beyond the walls of the church building. And what do we do when we leave the church - run back to the world and leave our faith behind us?

A cute little rhyme really causes the church damage, because it presents an unclear and unhealthy model of church life. There is very little here that is missional, other than the fact that the church gathers together for worship and prayer. There is nothing in the rhyme that suggests that people live their faith on a moment-by-moment basis, or that they take the faith with them into the world. It suggests, at least to me, the opposite. Let the mission drive the church, not the church driving the mission. Let the people pray without ceasing. Let the people be equipped to share their faith when the enter their homes, economies, and workplaces. When those things happen, THERE's the church!