The Alpha Course, The Church

I remember when I first enrolled at Biola University I was excited by what I thought the environment would be like. It was a Christian college (The Biblical Institute of Los Angeles), and I expected it to be like going to school in this beautifully serene, holy place. (Of course, as a youth, I had yet to realize that places aren't holy).

When I rolled up the first day to unload at my building, I heard the sounds of Eminem blasting from a room on the second story. The un-edited version of Eminem.... That was the start of my illusions about Biola being shattered.

Now, I want to make a few things clear. First, I loved my time at Biola, would do it again, and would recommend anyone else to go there. But I would have them go in with different expectations.

A couple things happened for me when I went in. First, I had this idealized version of what the place would/should be like (of course, it could be argued that Biola furthers this perception through its marketing). Second, working as a journalist I spent more time looking in dark corners than the average student.

But the real problem I had was that I had the wrong concept for the Church. That's what strikes me about tonight's Alpha. The church is people — not buildings, not pastors, and not ministry. It is people. And all people are flawed and broken, thus the church is a reflection of the reality of life. The church (and by extension Christian colleges) are flawed and broken, at times, because they are made up of people.

One of the things that I've always loved about Highlands is the lack of judgement and the openness about the idea of everyone bringing their brokenness before God. Trust me, that isn't the case in all congregations. This place is special because of that and, no matter how we grow as a body, I hope that's something we never loose.

What I like about Nicky Gumbel is he rejoices and celebrates the things that make the church — the family of God — special, vital, and vibrant. And it takes all of us, with our unique skills, gifts, and foibles, to make the family of God all it can be. That's why I love what Paul writes in Ephesians 4:16, which says, "From Him (Jesus) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament (the diverse body of believers), grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

They say it takes a village to raise a child, well Paul knows, and says in this text, it takes a whole body, focused on Christ, to make the church.