I wonder what you think of when I say the word \u201cchurch\u201d. When I was at theological college training for ordination one of my tutors used to insist that if we were talking about a church building, or referring to a church building in placement reports or essays that we wrote for him that we always used the full phrase, \u201cchurch building.\u201d To be honest it was a bit annoying at times, but it emphasises something that I know when I think about it, but sometimes forget.<\/p>\n
This building that we are sat in now is not a church. It is a building that part of the church happens to meet in.<\/p>\n
When we say the creed – when we say, \u201cI believe in the holy, catholic church.\u201d we are not saying that we believe in a holy catholic building.<\/p>\n
We are saying that we believe in a holy, catholic \u2026.. what exactly?<\/p>\n
Hold that question, we\u2019ll come back to it.<\/p>\n
First let\u2019s deal with the words that come before. Holy and catholic.<\/p>\n
We use the word \u201choly\u201d a lot but what does it mean? It has a whole range of meanings, doesn\u2019t it. Pure, clean, good, set aside, special.<\/p>\n
We believe that the church, whatever that is, is these things, just as we, as individuals, are all holy. I don\u2019t know about you but I don\u2019t feel very holy. I know I\u2019m not pure, I pick up dust and mud, I get distracted. My holiness does not depend on me. It has been given to me by God. Because of Jesus I have been forgiven and declared holy. Each one of us has. That doesn\u2019t mean we do what we like and don\u2019t worry about living lives obedient to God\u2019s commands. But we do this not to earn our holiness but because we have already been given it. We pursue holiness because we are grateful for the holiness we have been given.<\/p>\n
This is as true for the church as it is for each of us as individuals. This is really important, because at times in church history that this has been misunderstood. The misunderstanding goes like this. The church is holy \u2013 special, pure so it\u2019s really important the church doesn\u2019t get polluted, so we\u2019d better keep all those impure, unholy people out. No. That is not what being a holy church means.
\nBeing a holy church means recognising our own, natural unholiness, learning to receive and live our the holiness we have been given, and having arms open wide to welcome in all who want to taste that holiness.<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s holy. What about catholic? This is simple. Catholic means widespread \u2013 even worldwide. From Jesus\u2019 command to the disciples \u2013 go to Jerusalem, Samaria, the ends of the earth \u2013 the church has been spreading to every nation, tongue, corner of the globe. It is not just a local religion \u2013 it is global. It\u2019s not just here, in this building \u2013 it\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n
While we\u2019re doing brief definitions, shall we do the next line of the creed as well?
\n\u201cthe communion of saints.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s that all about? Firstly, what are saints? That\u2019s actually pretty simple. All those who follow Jesus, have been declared holy by him, are saints. Again and again in Paul\u2019s letters he writes to \u201call the saints in such and such a place.\u201d Saints are everyday, regular, Christians \u2013 you and me. We are saints. So is every person who ever has or ever will follow Jesus. And this is where the \u201ccommunion\u201d bit comes in.
\nThis might be confused with the \u201cCommunion\u201d meal that we share \u2013 bread and wine \u2013 in some of our services. And there is some overlap \u2013 our meal together is an expression of our communion with each other, that\u2019s why it\u2019s called \u201cCommunion\u201d. But this is wider than that. Somehow, as followers of Jesus, as Saints, we are all in communion \u2013 in fellowship, with every Christian ever. Some of those have died. But Jesus has defeated death, they live, so our communion with them continues. As we read in Hebrews \u2013 they are our witnesses, cheering us on. We build on the foundations they laid, we harvest the fields they tilled, we continue the work they began. And so we will also pass on a legacy to those who follow us.<\/p>\n
So, we know that the church is holy, catholic, made up of everyone who has ever followed Jesus, past present and future. But what is it? What is the church.<\/p>\n
One of the best pictures we have of the church is that found in the reading we had from Paul\u2019s letter to the Christians living in the city of Corinth. This is such a familiar reading. One body \u2013 unity. Many parts \u2013 diversity. Each needing the other \u2013 community. All focussed on Jesus \u2013 the head.
\nThis is the church we believe in. An organic unity, formed by God, led by Jesus, a community of disciple making disciples. Following Jesus and helping each other follow Jesus. <\/p>\n
As I\u2019ve said each week that I\u2019ve preached on the creed, it is not \u201cwe believe that\u2026\u201d We don\u2019t say that we believe that there is a church. We say that we believe in the church.<\/p>\n
Now, when I made that distinction in previous weeks I was talking about believing in, trusting in the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. Obviously we don\u2019t trust in the church in the same way \u2013 we don\u2019t look to the church for our salvation, for our forgiveness, our restoration. So what does in mean to believe in the church? Maybe this from evangelist J John might help us with that. <\/p>\n