Why I Love the Institutional Church
Source: Elisa Berry blogs at MatthewAndElisa.com
Recently a dear friend asked a question similar to this: “Why have you abandoned the institutional church? Isn’t she the bride of Christ? She may be messed up but that doesn’t mean we should forsake her.” First of all, thank you, Friend (you know who you are!), for asking such a question and caring enough to express your heart about this.
First let’s define the Bride of Christ. The Bride of Christ is Jesus’ beloved church, his perfect counterpart, created by him and for him. The Bride is the reason why Jesus came to earth, to rescue her from sin and remove everything that would hinder love. The Uncreated God was in love with his creation. The corporate bride is compared in Scripture to a body composed of many parts, each having different functions. They are all unique and their common bond is that they all report to the head, which is Christ. So, in order to form a part of Jesus’ bride, the church, you must be a follower of Jesus.
Is the institutional church the bride of Christ? My answer is both “yes” and “no”. To be sure, this glorious beautiful woman that reflects her fiancée, Jesus, can sometimes be found within the walls of institutionalized religion. But is she the rigid structure that supports most of well-known Christianity in the West? No. She is a living organism composed of relationships and that are connected by love for Jesus. She branches out like a climbing plant, her tendrils rising over rocks and walls. Similar to her divine counterpart, Jesus, she cannot be fit into a box. Since she reflects him, she has many dimensions. She thrives when she is free to explore and go where there is sun and water to nourish the cells within her. She exists wherever there are followers of Jesus. She is not a meeting on Sunday morning (although at times you may find here there). When the Father created a bride for his son, he made her so that she would be summed up in him. Jesus is all the Bride needs – she doesn’t need a structure to be healthy.
I don’t believe the Bride of Christ is “messed up”. Jesus doesn’t see her that way. He is totally in love with his Beloved. Jesus already conquered everything that hindered love. He already paid to remove the sin and the filth that once entangled us. The Father has hidden us in Jesus – that is our position. Would Jesus want to join himself with a wretched filthy adulterous? No! He must have an equal counterpart. We are already complete in him, we are not messed up. We lack nothing in Jesus.
By the grace of God I will never forsake the Bride of Jesus. I am a part of her. I love her. I think she is beautiful. I also love the bride that can be found in the “walls”. However, because of the season that God has led me to, I can no longer be a part of the “institutional structure”. I still want relationships with my brothers and sisters who remain in the institutional church. I love them and miss them. I understand that not everyone is called to the same lifestyle as I am. It’s not up to me to tell people what season they should be in – that’s Jesus’ job.
I do not have regrets or doubts about having heard God’s voice correctly when I left the institution. However, the fact that my departure from the “structure” has been hurtful to some is very painful to me. I hate the strain it has put on certain relationships and I wish I could change that. I’m trying to reach out in the ways that I know how and praying that relationships can be mended.
I love living in my home with a large yard. I like neighbors close, but not too close as to hear their daily lives intrude on my own. I love having the space to create my yard into an extension of who I am. I love being able to escape to my upstairs bedroom for some solitude during busy family days filled with activity. One of my favorite things to do is to sit out on my deck in the morning, listening to the birds and warming in the morning sunshine.
I would find living in an apartment or a mobile home difficult. I have lived in both of these at times in the past, so I speak from my experience. It’s not that they are “bad”. Some people are quite happy and content living in them. They don’t mind living in small spaces and in these shared communities. They thrive on not having large yards to maintain and houses to clean. However, for me, I need the space of a suburban home and yard.
Both are good, valid places to live.
So what has this to do with Elisas’ topic? The issue is not that one is “good” and the other “bad”.
Instead, it is more; WHERE are YOU called to live? And then live there to the fullest of all possible manner and glorify God.
Elisa Dear,
This is a very well written article. It is clear that you have a Biblical understanding of who Christ's church and bride is. You write with love and grace. I am so proud of you. I am witnessing (long distance) the way you are reaching out to who ever God puts in front of you with His love. I “see” you “doing church” every day – not just one designated day. You really, truly live what you write about. I am so thrilled to see you and Matthew reach out with the love of Jesus to whom ever. May your loving efforts bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God. Lovingly, Your Mother-in-Love
Hi Elise,
I stumbled onto your website through facebook inviting me to the conference at Bethany. Funny then that I should read an article saying that you are not going to the “institutionalized church.”
I am not shocked or think any less of you for it. But I would like to tell you a story.
When we were missionaries in the Philippines, we visited a one of our established church plants with many believers for a village. I got my kids dressed up, but they soon got dirty, playing with the dirt and rocks under the benches! They didn’t have the money to buy guitar strings so the music was lead by a guitar without some strings and the singing was off-key! The testimonies were about how God had given them their food. No miracles or interesting testimony of something that God had done unusual. The elder spoke for about 10 minutes and used one verse and an illustration that he got from the materials that we taught him. After, everyone went home and we were not invited over for lunch so there wasn’t any fellowship!
I complained to the Lord and said “I didn’t get anything out of that church service! Why should I even go?” I felt like the Lord answered that I go to church to meet Him. He brought home a verse to me in a new way. It is shared often in the small churches in the villages in the Philippines. It says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:20
I have remembered that lesson almost every Sunday now for more than 10 years! When I go to church, even now, I remember that I go to see Jesus. I spend some extra time with Him, praying after the service when everyone else gets up and walks away. I appreciate His presence. I love Jesus. I also find that I don’t want to go to church to visit a building. Right away, I feel at home and love seeing my family. They are so precious.
I love you, Elise. May God bless you with my story.
I don’t quite remember how I stumbled upon your blog…
Nice photo of the institutional church. I could have gotten a better shot for you…
Love,
Your Olathe friend.
Good post.
David Slyker, from IHOP Kansas City, came to BCOM recently to teach a class. He spoke of the western church being the bride, and when pastors bash the western church, Jesus is saying “careful preacher, that’s my wife you’re talking about!”
God Bless the pastors and youth pastors who heed the command of the Lord to enter into such a difficult occupation. I love the institutional church, but feel that things such as organic house churches, composed of unqualified people with a raw passion for God and no titles, will take the lead. I believe that America is heading in that direction. Not so much a decline in the churches activity as much as a change of appearence. Houses of prayer also seem to be growing and may also take the lead. That is unless we find a way to turn the decadence of this nation around, which hopefully will happen.
peace