Orange Walls

It was a room no bigger than a small bedroom. No lights, just the outside light coming thru the door. No plush seats, just small wooden benches. No bathroom to be seen anywhere. Nothing fancy. Just a room painted orange.

Many of us might look at such a room and deem it as boring, lacking character, nothing to be had, nothing to be gained. Probably a place we would not invite our friends to or a place to host a party. A place so simple we probably wouldn’t take it if it was offered to us.

Now lets add something to this room. 75 people. 75 people that love God and want to praise him. 75 people that have the desire to learn more about Him, develop their relationship with him, grow closer to Him. 75 people that many would say get it. Lets add the church to this room.

So many people forget, so many Christians forget, what the church is. I forget what the church is. The church is not some fancy building with a state of the art sound system. The church is not that room you walk into with plush maroon seats, all of which contain hymnals, and spend an hour or two once a week. The church is not an organization or a business that makes money. The church is not 4 walls, 10 walls, or 180,000 walls. So what is the church?

As one examines what the church is, it is important to know where the term comes from. The word church is translated from the Greek word ekklesia. The literal translation of ekklesia is assembly or congregation. Beyond that, it generally held the connotation that is was a select group or people, generally called together, for a particular cause or purpose. Ok, so now that we know where the word comes from, what is the church?

Ephesians 1:22-23 is very explicit about what the church is, what this assembly is. Paul makes it very clear. “22And he put all things under his (referring to Jesus) feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” The assembly of the body of Christ who find fulfillment in Him, and Him alone, that is what the church is. 1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us anyone who drinks the one spirit is a part of this body, and that no one is prohibited from partaking. The church is the body of Christ.

Such a simple concept often gets lost in the elaborateness of our modern churches with light shows and huge bands, stained glass windows and big steeples, coffee and doughnuts, and the desire to do more than be a manifestation of God’s love and mercy.

It was in a room no bigger than a small bedroom that I was blessed to witness a church. Never before have I been a part of a church so simple and pure desiring only to praise God for what He has given us and show others around his glory.

Waking up this morning I had no idea that God would use this day to impact me in such a profound way. We joined Inspiration Centre in the Mathare Slums. Walking in to this room I found myself in a state of shock, not quite sure what to think. A tiny room, small benches, an old beat up drum set, and 75 people; not what I expected the church to be. To be brutally honest, my expectations were low. How could God use such a small place to reach me on this day? As is often the case when I put God in a box, He revelaed Himself in unimaginable ways. Never before have I been a part of a group so full of joy, so ready to praise him, so ready to grow closer to him. It was truly incredible to see people with the only thing they own being to clothes on their back thanking Him for another day to praise him. They get it.

It’s not about the size. It’s not about what is contains. It’s not about the colors of the walls. It’s about the hearts that fill the room.