This is the Church

This is the Church

It is the beautiful and broken body of Christ.

It is stumbling, faltering, and flawed. Pray for it.

It is vibrant, triumphant, and redeemed. Rejoice in it.

This is the Church

It is sacred and marred. Righteous and erring. The blood of the Lamb covers it all; redemption soaking the ground beneath its feet.

It is filled with sinners, hypocrites, blasphemers, and liars saved and transformed by the grace and love of the Giver of all good things.

Coarse and ugly, it is a priceless treasure. Loud and inconstant, it is the apple of Jehovah’s eye. Timid and afraid, it is the army of the omnipotent LORD of creation.

It is God’s reflected light to the world. The hands and feet of the Great I AM. The voice crying out in the wilderness, calling all creation to renewal. It is the bearer of the greatest mandate ever given. It is the prophets, preachers, and teachers proclaiming truth in a world of lies. It is the lovers, nurturers, and healers extending grace and justice to a world of brokenness. It is the missionaries, Gospel-bringers, and martyrs humbly offering the Bread of Life to the starving.

This is the Church

Christ is its cornerstone. It is loved and cherished, sustained and protected. It is the bride of the Lamb, adorned and exalted. The gates of hell cannot stand against it. It is chosen and set apart. It is buffeted from every side, yet it will never fail. It is eternal and victorious, not by the strength of its hands but by the power of the LORD of hosts.

Reject it at your peril. Mock it at your risk. No weapon formed against it will prosper. All those who rise against it will fall. It is God’s holy and established institution on earth, His ambassador to the nations. It is the imperfect representation of the Kingdom of God. It is the hopeful expectation of the perfected union of Heaven and earth. It is to be loved, nurtured, protected, purified, and embraced. It is the bride that is loved with a love so fierce and so overwhelming. A love that did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. A love that emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant. A love that humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross. A love so amazing, so divine it transcends all human understanding.

That love has called the Church His body.

His love.

His bride.

Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.

This is the Church

Redeemed

Forgiven

Eternal

Triumphant

Loved

This is the Church

Phill Lytle
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Phill Lytle

Phill Lytle loves Jesus, his wife, his kids, his family, his friends, his church, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, 80s rock, the Tennessee Titans, Brandon Sanderson books, Whiteheart, Band of Brothers, Thai food, the Nashville Predators, music, books, movies, TV, writing, pizza, vacation...

12 thoughts on “This is the Church

  • October 17, 2017 at 10:37 am
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    Powerful, Phill! I was blessed as I read this. A great reminder.

    Reply
  • October 17, 2017 at 11:23 am
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    Wow! Great stuff. I was very captivated reading this poem as a whole, with the culmination to me being the line, “Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.” Such a beautiful statement and imagery that gives us stability, worth, and hope in Christ. We love Him because He first loved us. I may read it a few more times.

    Reply
  • October 17, 2017 at 12:53 pm
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    Excellent Phill! I love this, “It is sacred and marred. Righteous and erring. The blood of the Lamb covers it all.”

    Reply
  • October 17, 2017 at 1:09 pm
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    Thanks for the kind words everyone.

    Reply
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  • February 4, 2019 at 12:19 am
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    I’ve returned to this one quite often, it moves me. I had to share it as we outlined our vision for our church this morning. May God bless all of you at REO

    Reply
    • February 4, 2019 at 11:44 am
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      Thank you so much Faron! That means a lot. (I was wondering why the views of this one had picked up over the last few days.)

      Reply
  • July 7, 2020 at 9:45 am
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    I remember how powerful this was three years ago. Perhaps even more so today.

    Reply
  • July 7, 2020 at 11:58 am
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    This gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes. It’s beautiful, truthful, encompassing, encouraging, strong, comforting, compelling, warning, convicting, urging, and I’m sure many more terms I cannot think of right now. Thank you beyond words for writing this.

    Reply
    • July 7, 2020 at 12:13 pm
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      Thank you so much for the kind words, Sheila!

      Reply
  • August 13, 2023 at 3:38 pm
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    So good to read this again!

    Reply

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