the mystery of the missing articles - the point

OK, here's the point. The reason I've been writing so peculiarly with regard to the term "church" (e.g. "what I'm looking for as church", "the experience of church", "church is about relationships") is because I'm grappling with a concept and an experience.

Let me point out three verses as a starting point (Ha, ha. Life is ironic and the Lord has a sense of humor. I'm using verses after just mentioning that "with time I would consider verses" but for now "I will continue to let my consciousness stream forth."):

Ephesians 1:22 and he (God) put all things in subjection under his (Christ) feet, and gave him (Christ) to be head over all things to the church

Ephesians 5:32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Matthew 18:17 And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.

In all three verses the definite article can be found in the Greek text (the original language the New Testament was written in). The first two verses refer to something very spiritual and abstract. The third refers to the actual experience of interacting with a group of believers as the church.

But the reason for my purposeful non-use of either "the" or "a" when talking about church is to grapple with the thought of church being something spiritual. Church is a spiritual fact. It is a spiritual reality. It is not institutional that can be carried out by some constitution outlining church practices. It is not organizational with various job descriptions. But it is something very experiential.

The starting point for my experience of church is the presence and freedom of the Holy Spirit among a group of people and the primary regard given to Jesus Christ in their lives.

the mystery of the missing articles - my defense

I don't know if you noticed (but I bet you really did) that every time I mentioned church, I would leave out the article. No, I am not a non-native-English speaker who doesn't know when to use articles. I was actually educated in an elite college-prep school in Hawaii, where I was made very conscious of proper English grammar I went to a second-tier private liberal arts college in California. I received a Ph.D. in chemistry. So I am educated. Well, you may say that my credentials don't guarantee anything about my ability to write or know the rules of English grammar.

Let me reassure you about something, you may catch me being sloppy and lazy. But you won't catch me being ignorant about English grammar.

this blog is my personal wish list

I'm beginning to realize that this blog is taking on the form of my personal wish list. I'm treating this blog as if the Lord asked me, "What would you want to experience as church?" This is the angle that I taking. With time I will consider verses from the Bible. But for now, I will continue to let my consciousness stream forth.

church is about relationships

Church is about relationships. These relationships are characterized by love, trust, and genuineness.

To be honest, it's not easy to have relationships like this. It's almost impossible.

This is where Jesus comes into picture.

church is not the building, it's the people

So we can all (whoever all of you are out there) get on the same page, I'll start with some simple parameters to narrow in on what I'm looking for as church.

The experience of church I'm looking for has nothing to do with the type of structure Christians meet in. My experience of church has everything to do with the people. Actually to look at huge megastructures called churches do not give me a peace of heart, but actually heartburn. Who has to upkeep these structures? How much money is needed to upkeep these structures? Too complicated.

I want my church experience to be simple: Jesus Christ with people.

the quest begins

There is something in within me that longs for a particular type of experience of church. The problem is that I can't quite put into words what that experience is.

This blog will be my forum in which I will muse and meander, and let my consciousness stream.

Feel free to comment.