I am sitting in my office, watching our new custodian as he mows the grass around the church. Brad is a hard worker and he's doing a good job. As I watched him carefully mowing, weeding, and cleaning, I thought of how often we use the words "my church" to talk about the place we worship. Claiming our place of worship as "my church" can often be helpful - allowing us to take delight in caring for the building and grounds, and all that is therein. Of course we want folks to feel that this is "their church" - so that they will feel engaged in what happens here.
Yet... there is another way to understand that phrase. "My church" can become such a possessive that we shut out others with preference for those we have decided are worthy to be among us. A building can become an idol, one that we fiercely protect and expend our energies keeping to ourselves, without room for change or new faces to participate.
Of course, as followers of Christ we know that the "true church" is us - the body of Christ. Yet that term "church" is used to describe the buildings where we gather for worship more often than it is used to describe us, at least in some places.
For United Methodists this"my/our" language is a particularly sticky statement. Many times boards and committees will speak of "my church" or "our church", forgetting that they are simply holding the building/grounds/contents in trust for The United Methodist Church, not themselves. Our facilities exist to the glory of God and so that there might be a United Methodist presence in the faith community, not so that we can do as we please with it. This is important, because this truth needs to direct our actions and our efforts as disciples of Jesus Christ. We are here, as United Methodists, to share our understanding of God's grace and salvation at work in the world through us as the body of Christ in this place. Opening our hearts, minds, and doors to the wonder of God's unfailing love means that we actively move in the community to seek out those who are in need of the healing and wholeness - the salvation - that God offers in Christ. When we get caught up in "my/our church" thinking, we forget that those we are called to serve exist outside this place and we need to meet them where they are with open arms and willingness to accept them where they are for who they are, trusting that God will do the rest.
Recently my spouse and I were talking about our house in Akron. As we talked, the thought occurred to me - we don't really own that house or that property. We have paid for it - but rather than a purchase it is really a long-term lease. One day we will be gone, and someone else will hold the title - the long-term lease. We can't truly own it - because we can't take it with us! Wow. That was a humbling thought. As I shared that thought with Fred we reflected that we don't really "own" anything in this world - because most of it will exist long after we are gone - or will be gone long before we are. The above verse from Psalm 24 came to my mind. Everything, everything belongs to God, not to us. We simply have a lease for as long as we are here to use it.
Knowing that God is the owner of all that exists - the earth and its inhabitants - ought to ignite in us a deep desire to take good care of what belongs to our Father, and work together as God's dear children to help others to understand such a generous God who is willing to share abundance with us. Recognizing the generosity of God ought to cause us to give back as generously, even as we know that we can never outgive God. As members of the body of Christ we know that our time, our tithe, our talents and our service are the best ways that we can say "thank you" to God. Perhaps if we could let go of the "my/our" pronouns, and remember that everything belongs to God, we could become truly grateful and grow as disciples and as the body of Christ in whatever place we find ourselves. Then the saying will be true, "Today salvation has come to this house" and Jesus the Christ will dwell in our hearts and our lives forever.
