Texas Tech University is as fine an institution as I've ever had an opportunity to work with and be a part of as a student. It is a beautiful campus set in West Texas with a defined look that is adhered to building by building (with a few exceptions), and the professors that I have worked with in the school have a genuine care for the students that I saw rarely at the University of Houston. Rather, it reminds me more of my education at Texas Lutheran (1200 students) where the learning was personal and engaging. That was my experience for a year-and-a-half as a student earning a Superintendent's Certificate.
I once flew with a man who taught as a professor at Tech on a flight to Austin, and we both discussed not being from Lubbock. As we spoke, he noted the culture in Lubbock and referred to it as "provincial." I knew what he meant. Texas Tech University, a major university in the state, is viewed in and by Lubbock as something that is West Texan. In a sense, it belongs to Lubbock. In truth, though, it belongs to the state of Texas and educates thousands of students from across the globe. The professors at Tech are from a variety of states in both their personal lives as well as their degrees and also many are from a variety of countries. It is international in reach and scope and the offerings impact the globe in agriculture, medicine, science, engineering, law, and other professions certainly reach statewide and across the region (including other states) in education, communications, and such. Yet West Texas embraces it as its own (and well it should because there probably wouldn't be a Lubbock without Texas Tech, or at least it would look very different).
And so we come to the church. We view the church as our own. We raised the funds to build it. We picked the locations ourselves. We picked the colors. The staff we called or hired. Our children were born, baptized, raised, came of age, confirmed, graduated, and possibly married in our church. Our parents were buried by the pastor, maybe even on the church grounds. It is, in essence, our own.
But... who does it belong to, and what does it exist for?
As we look at scripture, Paul writes in Ephesians that "...as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (5:25 - 28) In truth, Christ created the church.
Paul writes extensively to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians) about the importance of the church. The church is in division, so Paul reminds us Christ is the supreme authority (ch 1), our role in proclaiming Christ and wisdom (ch 2), our work as apostles of Christ, even as lowly vessels (ch 4) and caution to the temptations of this world (ch 5 and 6). He speaks to us about our gifts (ch 12) and our actions as one body with many gifts. In essence, our job is to work together as a body of believers to deliver the Word of God through the Sacraments and teaching the Word as Christ created the church to do.
How do we do as a church? Do we think of the church as ours? Do we seek to shape it in our own image, or do we seek to shape it through our own strengths as a body of believers in order to more effectively deliver the Word?
Pray we constantly remind ourselves that the church is Christ's and that we, as his body, are there to teach and proclaim the Word.
Hope Men's Ministry
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