I recently listened to a worship song that I heard a long time ago but never quite grasped the true heart behind the message.

Thankfully, I came across it again and was blown away by the relevance and application it held for my life right here, right now.

One part in particular that gripped my heart was this line about “heavenly places.”

I had to stop, rewind and just sit on that concept for a bit because I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what the singer might actually be singing of.

What does that really mean?

What constitutes a heavenly place?

And then I began to wonder, is the church doing anything to achieve or earn such a description?

Are God’s people facilitating God’s environment?

When I imagine a heavenly place, my heart bleeds imagery. I see a place where love is the currency. A place where suffering and pain are met with wellness and comfort. A place where the weight of every moment is counted and honored. A place where abundance is the only option. And ultimately, a place where God proudly and powerfully resides.

Does my life’s influence as a Christ follower deserve an adjective as exalted as the word “heavenly?” I would guess that it should, but it most certainly does not realistically speaking.

Tough questions for the mirror tonight.

So the other night I was having a great conversation with a friend.

And this friend and I were discussing the role of the church in modern society, but more specifically, in our immediate sphere of life. What purposes does it serve in the world and in my/your world?

Here is what I concluded to put it simply: God is God. God is in everything. But God is not church. Because God is God. And church is church. duh.

God has a son. His son's name is Jesus. If Jesus had a wife, her name would be "the church." The church is the bride of Christ. We, as believers, are the bride of Christ. We are the church. We are Jesus' wife. Still with me?

So technically, if Jesus is the son of God, and the church is His bride, that kind of makes the church God's daughter-in-law. An important role in la familia, but not quite AS important as the son himself.

But like every great bride, the church is meant to love and serve and fulfill the needs of Christ. And in return, like every good hubby, Jesus is our protector, provider, and unconditional lover. Sounds like a match made in heaven eh? (pun intended)

Therefore, church, in the physical/social definition of the word, is important, but not everything in the grand scheme of faith. Before you crucify me for blasphemy, hear me out. What I'm saying is, if you fit into that group of us that have missed more than one church service, or don't look and act like everyone else, or happen to have sinned more than twice in your life, you shouldn't feel as though you've missed the boat. We don't just go to church, we ARE the church, and the church is a beautiful, romantic body with the potential to remedy every one of this world's infirmities with God's love. Let's make our man proud.