A Tragic Church Fire Begs The Question: Does The Church Go On With No Building

I was altered on Facebook yesterday afternoon that the First Baptist Temple (Tx) Worship Center and offices burned in an early morning fire. Fellow SWBTS grad Gary Anthony is their Minister of Music and it destroyed the music suite, the sanctuary and the offices. I can't imagine the mess that he's having to sift through.

At such times I have seen the church rise to it's highest potential. A church fire at a sister church across the street from ours in Sweetwater brought out the best in everyone as they hustled into other parts of the building to save books, tapes, tables and chairs. We sat for hours that day just marveling how the walls come down when tragedy hits.

Would your church go on if they had no building? What if tomorrow you had no place to "gather" or call home? Would you see the church rise to it's highest potential and say "we have no walls--for we are the church" That's right--the church isn't a building. The church is the people of God where the presence of the Holy spirit dwells right now. In all the churches in my city right now that sit dark and empty, God isn't there waiting for someone to come visit him. No, the church is scattered all across and ready for action at any moment. The church "building" is only a gathering station and as such is temporal.

So--what would you do. The newspaper in Temple said a poster left in the building untouched by the fire said "Greater things are yet to come". Maybe the hand writing is on the wall.

RT: Church Fire in Temple