CCIPH - The True Building

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The True Building

A call to remember that the church is the people.

By Ellen Read

Christ's Community in Price Hill
Devotional Thoughts to Further Devotion

February 8th, 2004

In many ways the wonderful gift of the building has forced our Body to mature beyond its usual and normal path of development. Much as a young couple who loves each other, gets pregnant and chooses to marry early has a bigger learning curve ahead of them than those who wait and marry and start a family after some time has passed, so our Body has suddenly taken on the responsibility of a building when we are just learning to stand independently. It has pushed us ahead by several years on the track of what most church planters would see as 'normal'. Therefore we are probably in for some bumpy times as we 'grow into' the building. Right now, it seems that everything revolves around decisions about how to use the building rather than the relationships of those who come together inside of the walls. I would like for us to realize that some of these 'bumpy' times that we may experience might be made a bit more smooth if we relax a bit and live with the building for a month or even two. As we use it and experience it we will have a better idea of what we need to keep, what we need to throw away, what rooms work best for which purposes and also our relationships with those who are not part of our fellowship but who use the building regularly. As things come up, if we take the pressure off of 'moving in', we can take care of things as needed without the panicky feel of having to have it done now. Dear CCiPH Family, let us remember that the church as described by Paul is his letter to the Corinthians is the people and we are to love each other and to carry each other's heavy burdens. The building is a wonderful meeting place but so was CBC and our house and the gymnasium. It will all get done in time, we just have to be patient and let it be within His time and not our own. May we always remember that the building is kind of like our own reality: it’s the inside that determines how the outside is used and perceived…the building we need to put our energy into is the temple of Christ—His Church. May the building on McPherson be a place for that Temple to meet, edify, encourage, and motivate one another to stay faithful…as the Family Christ is proud to say: "That’s My family."

Submitted by Ellen Read