What is Church?

What is Church?

With Easter approaching the conversation came up during my walk with Jason tonight

 What is Church?

For many, it is a place where they go to find answers, guidance for their life and to join in with like minded people. A place to pray, be healed, delivered and to grow in God.

It's been a little over ten years since God supernaturally healed me. In those ten years, I have searched for a "home church." But, after having a revival in 2021. And seeing how those who are to love others and guide those that need guidance acted. I have had a hard time even attending church in peace.

The truth is and I shared it on my homepage and in my most recent book. I have done things that I have come to realize those sitting on the pews couldn't handle hearing. I know what rejection feels like from people and I saw it firsthand not long ago.

I'm not saying everyone in church is this way.  But it only takes one bad seed. If we are to have a building to come together and worship God and His Son, to join as one in Spirit and truth why is the spirit of judgement so thick in the atmosphere? If Jesus died on the cross, was raised from the dead and defeated death. Why then are we keeping others in bondage and away from joining once a week to worship God? Did Jesus die for us to be the boss of others? No, He died, sacrificed His life so we could be free from our sins and to worship God. 

I know I can't possibly be the only one who feels this way. I have a very deep and intimate relationship with God. I have ran after God for the past ten years like a girl in love with her boy she's crazy about. 

I want and desire a place to join with others. To grow in God, to not be religious but part of a family that has open hearts and allows God to move freely.

I can't go into a church and describe the hell I endured as a drug addict, the sins I did when I was high on the drugs. I can't share the truth of God's grace and mercy and how He forgave me for having an abortion.  Just that word alone makes a wall come up for many.

No, I'm not proud of it and suffered greatly from it. But, I'm like everyone else who has screwed up, fell short of God's glory and simply want a place to join together and worship God in Spirit and truth.

The day I invited a gay man to speak at a revival was the day I realized I didn't belong in the church. You know, the church I've been told about my entire life. I was always raised and told those who are in church go to Heaven those out of church are sinners and go to hell. It hurt and broke me to realize what I thought was of God, really wasn't.

This writing isn't for the highly religious and if you are religious and reading it you’re probably already squirming.  It's okay, because if you looked at your life you would realize your not perfect either.

Church is how you serve God in secret, in front of people and especially your everyday walk with Him. It's not how you represent yourself on a Sunday in front of the "Church Crowd" but how you treat those that are trying to find the truth about God and their way to the Kingdom of God!

PS

Remember, keep the soil healthy and the bad seed won't grow 🙂

Life Celebrant Anita J Shipman