We know when the word church is used most of the time we are talking about the modern-day, organized religious organization that people attend on Saturday or Sunday. The traditional organized church with its many programs, leaders, pastors, rules and regulations.
We forget that the Church is not a building or an institution but a community of people who love God and love one another. Whether in church or out we are all one body with Christ as the head.
I think an issue today among those of us who have left the organized church is to feel those who are still involved in church and those who think differently than us are our enemies. This is not the correct way of thinking.
People attend church for various reasons such as out of obligation, guilt, social purposes or because they have always gone to church. Yet there are many people attending church that truly love God and want to follow Him and show his love to others.
Many outside of church start thinking they are more righteous or further along in their walk with God than those who still attend church. This is a bad attitude to have and we should be loving and accepting of those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ no matter if they attend church or not. Just as those who faithfully attend church should not look down on those who have left the organized system looking at them as if they are backsliders or have lost their faith. Our Father will lead each of us in the way he has for us in his timing.
The important thing is our love for God and for one another. No matter what we do on Sunday mornings, whether we attend a church building or love God from outside the walls, our goal is to decrease to self, our desires and plans and allow Him to increase and love others through us.
Done with Religion 
Good words Joanna, especially about becoming more like Him. Thanks for the comment.
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I totally agree. I come from a church culture where if you stop attending church, it means you’re backslidden. I’ve found that’s not always the case. We are told in Scripture to never give up meeting with each other, but that’s not always in the context of Sunday programs and “church” as we know it today. In the end, we really should just be a community and build one another up and help each other get to know Him in a better way. Maybe if we preached less, and became more like Him, we’d all be better off.
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Exactly Dan. Thanks.
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Amen. Because no matter where we sit on Sunday mornings, we are ALL the Church, the Bride of Christ.
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