I Love the Church

By Brian Sites

I love the Church. Not simply a church in particular, though there are several that I love dearly. And not just what the church does, though she does some incredible things. I love the Church.

I grew up in church. My dad was—and is—a preacher in a local church. My brothers and I made up thirty percent of the youth group in our small congregation. We got there early on most Sunday mornings, stayed late most Sunday nights, and were part of the faithful few at Wednesday evening Bible study. I loved Sunday School and church camp. I’ve worshiped in a church with 40 sweet saints, and in a church where over 40,000 have showed up in a single weekend.

My entire adult life has been spent ministering in churches. I have had a front row seat (literally) to the Church for as long as I can remember. I’ve often seen her at her best, and a few times had a behind-the-curtain peek at her worst. Still—in fact, even more—I love the Church.

A few weeks ago, I stood with several Christ-followers around the hospital bed of a dying young man, listening to passionate prayers for healing, watching strong arms surround a heart-weary sister. And I thought to myself, “This is the Church. She is compassionate; she stands with those who can barely stand themselves. This is the Church at her best.”

A few days later, I worshiped with dozens of inmates in a hot prison chapel. I saw joy and hope and freedom (yes, freedom!) in a dark, hopeless place. I visited and prayed with men whose lives have been transformed by the goodness and grace of Jesus. And I thought to myself, “This is the Church. Her reach, long; her message, life-giving. She welcomes the outcast, the lonely, the prisoner. This is the Church at her best.”

I see the Church when hundreds of believers gather to celebrate the greatness of God, and when a few friends kneel around a living-room table to pray. I get glimpses of her in a coffee shop where the Word is open on the table, and in a local business where Scripture is boldly painted on the wall.

I love her because of who she is: a family, a body, an army. But perhaps I love her most because of whose she is: the stunning bride of Christ, bought at a high price. I love the Church.