The Purpose of the Church: Part 1

Ponderings of the Spiritual Life Director

Our worship theme this month was “Beloved Community”. I worked at creating worship experiences that would help us understand that the purpose of our church community was to further the creation of- and to help build that which- we might call “heaven on Earth”- the Beloved Community. It’s a big vision, and one which I’ve felt compelled to work towards for several years. Perhaps you have, too.

Currently, we have been working together to discern our shared values so that we can write a mission statement. This mission statement will direct us in working towards the Beloved Community in our own unique way, as a UU Church in Lakeland, FL. We will find a more focused purpose together in that.

But yet, in the midst of the pledge drive, I continue to question- just to be sure we are headed in the right direction; just to be sure there is meaning behind what we are doing; just to be sure we are happy and fulfilled: Why should we actually give to the church so much of our time, talents, and treasures? What are we actually doing? How do we reach this grand vision of Beloved Community? I needed to dig deeper, and so I asked Google: What is the purpose of church? Here’s some answers I found, adapted to fit our theology, for you to contemplate this week:

“The three great purposes/priorities of the church are: (According to Matt 22:37; John 13:34)

1. Love God (Spirit of Life, the Mystery from whence we came, etc) – Upreach
2. Love the Church (We love each other; we are here for each other)– Inreach
3. Love the World (A love deeply embedded in our 7 UU Principles) – Outreach”

“The local church exists for evangelism: to reach the lost.”

“The church exists for discipleship: it exists to serve and strengthen the faithful.”

“The Church is the mirror that reflects the whole effulgence of the Divine character. It is the grand scene, in which the perfections of [God, the Sacred, the Divine, the Holy] are displayed to the universe.”

“The purpose of the church is to worship the Divine, study, pray/meditate, love one another, help each other, participate in meaningful ritual, to learn how to live as good people according to our principles, and to be equipped to spread the good news of Unitarian Universalism to the world.”

And what about other religious communities. What statements do they make for the purpose of their existence?

“The synagogue is the Jewish place of worship, but is also used as a place to study, and often as a community centre as well.”

“What is the purpose of a synagogue?” Ultimately the answer is, “To make God’s Presence noticeable.”

“A mosque is generally a very symbolic place for a Muslim, being a humble way for Muslims to recreate pure divine presence on earth. The primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place where Muslims can come together for prayer. A mosque brings the community together as it acts as many things, a social centre, a community centre and an educational centre etc. as it has many events which welcome both old and new members of the mosque.”

“Most Buddhists think that private worship can be as important as formal public worship. However, most Buddhists participate in forms of public worship, usually at a temple. Public worship brings Buddhists together as a community, helps them learn more about the scriptures and develops their practice of meditation.”

These are very general overviews of why places of worship exist. Indeed, books have been written about such things and it can become a very intricate subject. At UUCL, I believe we are the manifesters of our own purpose- individually and as a community. We all come to church for different reasons, with different experiences, talents, and abilities to make things happen. When we work together and honor each person’s contributions, we create meaning. The Spirit of Life moves within and among us and we begin to create something that we might not have even known we were searching for because maybe we didn’t even know it existed. Maybe it’s the magic of connection. Maybe it’s Beloved Community happening before our very eyes.

And so I ask you to really think about why you want this church to exist. And, think of generosity as a spiritual practice- does what you give make you smile and provide you with contentment? Is it good for you?

As always, I offer these questions not just for reflection but also because I really am curious to know how you answer them. Talk to me, call me, email me. We are the church. We make it happen together!