Is the Modern Church a Spiritual Church?

Where are many conflicts and problems in the world, from which we seek release (sometimes in our own lives). People are looking for answer to their problems and are seeking to resolve them in various ways. Some people turn to the church for their answers, but may be disappointed. Others find their answers with no problem. Because someone is a Christian doesn’t make them perfect; we have our flaws just the same as everyone else.

The modern church needs to be a spiritual church, a church where people are given inner strength to meet their everyday challenges. How then do we provide that in a meaningful way? Although the church has many practical issues to address, it needs to be a place where people can encounter the spiritual side of their nature and being. This can be expressed through welcome, preaching, teaching, prayer and often an atmosphere of inner tranquillity.

Many people think of ‘church’ as a building. To most Christians the building is just a place to facilitate an act of worship. Church is really the people; it is quite simply a group of people. Their collective spirituality depends on how these people work together. We all work together, supporting each other and practising our shared faith. Quite often we are challenged to reconsider our own lives and how we deal with people through the sermons we hear each week.

The Church of Christ in every age, beset by change but always spirit-led, is made up of people of different ages, races and backgrounds. It is not a building, but a church that longs to be a partner in Christ’s sacrifice and clothed in his humanity.