“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he 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 (NIV)

This is Church. This I don’t hate and would embrace. Some how between Acts chapter 2 and today we’ve managed to distort this and turn Church into laws, walls, a few guitars and a preacher. We’ve managed to reduce Church to somewhere we go on Sunday rather than something we do everyday of our life.

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.” – Acts 4:32-35 (NIV)

I don’t hate the Church, I hate what it’s become. Just reading in Acts about the early Church (aka “The Way”) makes me want it. I want community not drums and cool video backgrounds. I want fellowship not liturgy and church history. I want relationships, not formulas and how to’s. In his latest sermon, Matt Chandler brings up some of the struggles his own church faces and asks some tough questions that I feel every church should be asking. Take a listen. It will make you rethink this thing we call church.

It’s so easy to forget that the Church is still just a whore. Sure we can try to dress her up with music and cool banners and neat slogans and matching pew bibles but at the end of the day she’s still a whore. A beautiful whore, loved by God; she’s the Bride of Christ.