We Long for What the Church Could Be

Years ago, a colleague whom I greatly admire was thriving as the new pastor of an historic church.  When receiving accolades from other pastors, he responded this way:  “It’s not me.  People are just beginning to realize what the church could be.”

One of the most memorable snippets from Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis is the story from pre-Mars Hill days when he and a few friends sat around and talked about What The Church Could Be.  You can listen to Rob Bell’s last sermon A Letter to Mars Hill here.  Or you can read it here.

I can’t write anything as profound as this last sermon.  But in a nutshell, as he looked out upon that congregation, and saw An Idea That Had Come to Life.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of hanging out with people who are preparing to be professional pastors.  Three of those people stayed after everyone else had left because they wanted to talk with me about What the Church Could Be.  I have appointments in the next weeks from others who were there who want to sit  in a coffee shop and dream about What the Church Could Be.

This is the future of the church.  It’s always been the future of the church.  From the first Pentecost after the first Easter, we’ve received glimpses of What the Church Could Be.  This is what keeps me in the institutional church.

Jesus came to show us What the Church Could Be.  It’s our reason to live.  It’s everlastingly interesting.