Church

"For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts."
-A.W. Tozer

I absolutely love this quote.  When I came home from my missions trip to India last February 2013, I had a new perspective on what the 'church' was. In India I saw people who were neglected and impoverished. People who lived under a tarp on the street or in a hut with a tin roof, not even half the size of my walk-in closet. But I also saw a people who desperately and joyfully sang praises to the Living God. Beautiful people who, despite whatever situation or background they came from, loved the Lord and cried out to know Him. Their hearts and souls knew something I had never known or seen before. They knew God because of such a deep personal experience and need for everything He is. They were satisfied in the sweet delight of the His Presence that filled the room as they worshiped. They were the church and as they gathered together, God gathered with them.

Church in America is a little different. We walk in to the service, sing a few worship songs to begin and then listen to a pastor preach.  If the pastor isn't funny and doesn't tell cool stories during the message, or the music is too loud, we say things like 'I'm still looking for a church that's right for me'. We have so much stuff, we are always well fed with much left over to throw away, we live in mansions, and our problems consist of having to clean out our closets because we have to many clothes. No wonder Jesus said the kingdom of God is for the poor. They are the ones who are desperately seeking Him and who constantly recognize their need for Him. As an American myself, I've never had to honestly ask God as my provider where my next meal will come from. I haven't felt a desperate need to know Him because by earthly terms i'm not lacking anything.  Regrettably, I've lived being okay with that.  

Are we so deceived though? We need to recognize that everyone should have that same desperate need and desire to know God more intimately as the poor often do and then drink deep of the Living Waters that flow from Him.  I've realized that church isn't about what's nice and what works for us, how funny the pastor is or how good the worship song makes you feel. It's about us as His body of believers bringing the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. We are the church- a people coming together from many situations and backgrounds and worshiping whole hearteldy and humbling ourselves before our worthy King. We need to experience God because no matter how much truth is spoken, it is empty words if we don't allow God to transform our own hearts out of a desire to know Him more and be more like Him. 

I want to seek the Lord out of a desperate heart to know Him. I want to go to church to be with my family of believers that I can worship alongside, discover life, and experience God with. I want to be completely satisfied in the intimate delight of the sweetness of the Holy Spirit's presence within me.'

For it is true what is said, God alone can truly nourish our souls.