Beyond thinking about "the church" as a thing, or even a group of people, what if we understood church less as a noun and more as a verb, as an activity? In that regard, "churching" could be thought of as living out the way of Jesus with others. Rather than getting hung up about who is in and who is out, who is a member, etc., we could imagine doing church together. Of proclaiming genuine good news for our planet and neighbors, of learning and listening to others in fellowship and supporting each other on the journey, and of doing service by resisting evil and unjust structures. Now that would be powerful!
As we endeavor to live out the transforming way of Jesus together and offer good news in light of the core challenges of our world, perhaps it is time for all of us to take up the way of churching together!
On the journey,
Timothy Murphy
Executive Director