“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build MY church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.’” Matthew 16:16-18
About a week before the end of our deployment, I was speaking with another nurse on my lunch break. She had just flown in to join the team, and was asking how things had been going so far. After I spoke with her about some of the ways that I had seen the Lord move over the past few weeks, and I expressed some of my joy in being surrounded by a team of like-minded Brothers and Sisters in Christ, she simply said, “Wow. This is church.”
“This is church.” Those three words have played through my mind time and time again since that conversation, and only increasingly so as I have had more time to reflect on the deployment as a whole.
There have been many takeaways from our time spent in Jackson, and many lessons that the Lord is continuing to work through my heart as I walk forward, but the one thing that I have continuously come back to is the incredible experience of operating within the body of Christ. So many times, I have heard of the many members of the body, each functioning in its role, yet working together for one purpose, but never has the visual been so clear in what that actually looks like as it is to me today.
As mentioned in previous posts, I was first drawn to work with Samaritan’s Purse out of a desire to be surrounded by a community of like-minded people. I was longing to work beside others whose hearts were focused on our one true purpose of glorifying God, rather than the many other attractive things of this world. I was hopeful to shed the drama, the worry, and the chaos of the work world today and instead stand united in seeing our positions at the bedside as an opportunity rather than an obligation.
I was undeniably met with every single one of these things, but it truly seemed as with each day that came and went, I recognized yet another benefit of being connected to the body in such a beautiful way. For a girl that has been marching to the beat of “do not conform” for the past few years (Romans 12:1-2), this experience left me with a greater desire to blend into the body of Christ more than I have ever desired to blend into anything before.
Though I have found myself struggling to sum up this experience in words, and am far from capturing the fullness of it’s beauty, I just wanted to highlight a few of the things that stood out to me, first from within that operating body of Christ, and now, in looking back, having physically parted ways upon the completion of our deployment.
We did life together. God has walked me through many seasons of life; some in which I was surrounded by a community of Brothers and Sisters, some simply surrounded by a community in general, and sometimes walking what felt to be physically alone, but never have I had the opportunity to day in and day out walk alongside my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Even in the season in which I was most connected to the body of Christ, my actual encounters within were limited to worship on Sunday, a few hours every Wednesday, and maybe a “Jesus and coffee” meet up once every few weeks. But in Mississippi, over half of our twenty-four hour day and most of our waking hours were spent together. I understand that it’s not realistic in most settings to have this opportunity. Even if we lived with our Brethren, we still have to head our separate ways to work and whatever other obligations may fill our schedule and then reconvene at home, but the unity that was formed in taking every step as the body was absolutely powerful. Our interactions were constant, our heart checks were consistent, and our care for each other grew with every day.
Our focus was on Christ. From the moment that I first began meeting my fellow teammates, medical and non-medical, it was evident that the united focus was not on the things of this world, but on the things above (Colossians 3:2). Every single person seemed to have their own story as to how God had so clearly directed their steps to exactly where they were standing on that day; not only paving the path, but preparing and equipping them with every step. Their presence in Jackson was not a result of a lack of options in life, nor being pressured into the deployment, but out of obedience to the Lord.
Encouragement. Our body was constantly building each other up professionally, mentally, and spiritually (1 Thessalonians 5:11). There were times when a Brother or Sister was visibly in need of a ‘pick me up’, but more often than not, the encouragement was freely distributed as led by the Spirit. And it wasn’t empty, space-filling encouragement, but a type of encouragement that carried a permanency, not dependent on someone else, but rooted in being a child of God. How much more productive and effective could we be if we committed to encouraging each other every day?
We sharpened each other (Proverbs 17:17). As mentioned in a previous post, for as much as I was encouraged by my teammates, I also found myself challenged by the presence of my Brothers and Sisters in Christ in simply being an observer of their way of life; their way of life that I was getting to witness every single day. It is one thing to be told to be humble, kind, and compassionate, but what greater a challenge when these things are witnessed with our own two eyes.
Depth and Desire to know more. We made each other feel seen and known. I have never had every single day within a stretch of work days pass so quickly, but it seemed as though one conversation hopped to the next and carried time right along its way. If it wasn’t with our patients, we were conversing with each other; we were inquiring more about each others journeys; the details of each unique path. We got to hear about each others families, hobbies, walks of faith, and lessons along the way. Honestly, I left Jackson last week with a desire to know even more about every person that I had met and I think many of my teammates could say the same.
We mourned together. We rejoiced together. We loved together. We grew together. We covered all things in prayer together. The list could go on and on, but I saved perhaps my favorite point for last.
Continuity. Every person that I have tried to explain this to responded with, “You passed the baton.” Whether inside or outside of the hospital setting, I so often find myself hoping for the opportunity to continue in a conversation with a non-believer. I’ll be given an opportunity to begin growing the relationship and to begin sharing the love of Christ through words and actions, but then our time together comes to an end and I’m left eager to actively carry on the work that Christ was doing through that interaction. But in the wards, Christ’s active work did not take breaks; His vessels took turns. One team rested and rejuvenated, while the other stepped onto the battle field and vice versa. Instead of finding myself eager to carry on a conversation the next day, I found myself eager to hear about how my teammate had continued in the conversation through the next shift. Brothers and Sisters, what is keeping us from passing the baton in our every day lives? Is your teammate standing too far away? Are you running your part of the race? Did you enter the individual race rather than the relay?
I just cannot capture the fluidity of our handoffs in words. Like a well oiled machine, this was a body in which each member was committed to fulfilling its assigned role. This was a body that was focused on Christ and Christ alone, being guided and directed by Him as the head of the body. This was a body that was united in one purpose.
As I consider all of these things, of which I experienced first hand from within this body of Christ, and I hear the three words of “this is church” over and over again, I can’t contain the passion that is burning within me. Over the past few days, the Lord has run with this idea in my mind and I cannot help but ask, why does the church that I experienced on this deployment look so differently than the church that I have learned about since I was a child? And how, oh how, can we be content in the church that we have created within the four walls, when we can see evidence of the effectiveness of the body of Christ that exists without the building?!
“With all my soul I hate your new moon festivals and your feasts; they are nothing but a burden that I’m sick and tired of carrying” (Isaiah 1:14, TPT). This week, a dear friend of mine and I were able to begin a long-awaited study through the book of Isaiah in person. After reading this verse from Isaiah 1:14 and it’s surrounding scripture, I read the commentary found at the bottom of the page aloud for both of us to hear. “God calls them ‘your feasts,’ not his. Their celebrations had become so shamefully sin-stained that God didn’t even want His holy name associated with their sinful conduct on those sacred days.”
Immediately one question rose to my mind. What would God say about our church today? God provided perfect instruction for offerings and feasts to the people of Israel. These things had the potential to be very God-honoring and beautiful, but the people of Israel had began to do these things with the wrongs motives; with motives outside of Christ. Just as with the story of Cain and Abel, God wasn’t concerned with the offering itself, but the heart from which the offering came. The same goes with the church. Church is biblical and church can be God-honoring, but where do our motives lie? Does the church that we know today align with the church that we have been asked to build among people? If Jesus were standing here today, would he look at us preparing to go to church on Sunday and say, “I don’t want any part of ‘your church’… or rather ‘your churches’? Would Jesus himself be hesitant to step into the four walls of the buildings that we know as church today?
As I think back on so many conversations that I have had about my faith, at some point, I am almost always asked, “What kind of church do you go to?” or “What religion are you?” Why in the world would this be one of the top questions that is asked, other than that it is a result of what has been presented of the church. Division. The church, as known in this world, has been presented as divided. But as we read scripture, where does it mentioned that Jesus will return for his churches?! or His many brides?! IT DOESN’T.
Jesus is going to return for His church; His one, singular bride.
I do not want to see the day that Jesus returns and says, “With all my soul, I hate your new moon festivals and YOUR CHURCH.” It is His church, and you and I have been entrusted with the privilege of bringing His kingdom to earth. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). How else can His kingdom come to earth than through His children; the children that He has called and anointed to carry the message of reconciliation. We are to be His church. We are to be His bride.
This is a heavy message and it comes with great challenge. It’s time for us to step out of our comfort zones, out of what we know as church today, and to unite in a greater way. Yes, I got a little taste of what it feels like to so closely operate within a body of Christ and I saw the effectiveness of that body at work while I was in Mississippi, but now I am back in the ‘real world’ and wondering why that experienced seems so isolated. I have been challenged by what it looks like for that same body to be just as present in our every day settings. I want the experience of being in the midst of the body of Christ to be available every single day to every single person that has committed their life to Christ – it was that powerful.
I want to leave you with the following scripture to provide hope for that which I am encouraging you to run towards.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47
What a beautiful image of the early church. This is not out of reach, my friends, but we have got to come together with one united focus on Christ and the glorification of our Father in heaven. Our church needs to be an image of the body of Christ. Recognize the final sentence of that scripture… “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The early church was effective, not because they were gaining numbers by their own power, but because the Lord was adding to the family; the Lord was growing His church.
Times are tough, our world is in chaos, and the end is nearer today than it was yesterday. Let us to come together as one that He may add to our numbers daily, and when He returns, He will not be hesitant to approach the doors of our many churches, but will be greatly exalted by His one church, made of the many members of His one body; the one bride of Christ.
This is Church.
