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What does it mean to be the Church?

In Churchology, Hanna Newcomer Sliva invites us to see the Church not as a building or a program, but as a people formed together in Christ. Drawing from Ephesians 4:11–16, we are reminded that each of us has been given gifts to share, not for ourselves alone, but for the strengthening of the whole body. When we live into those gifts, we begin to grow—individually and together—into the fullness of Christ.

This growth does not happen all at once, and it does not happen alone. As we walk alongside one another, we are shaped by grace, encouraged in faith, and grounded in truth. Even in seasons of change, Christ remains the one who holds the Church together, guiding us toward unity, maturity, and deeper love.

As we look ahead, we are invited to take our place within this shared life. Each act of service, each moment of care, each step of faith becomes part of how the Church is built up. Together, rooted in Christ, we continue to grow into who God is calling us to be.

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Take Time to Reflect

• Where do you see your gifts being used to build up the body of Christ?
• How is God inviting you to grow alongside others in this season?
• What does it look like for us to live as the Church together this week?

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Ephesians 4:11-16 New International Version

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

To watch the full service online, click here.

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In the days after the resurrection, we find the disciples gathered behind closed doors, holding both hope and uncertainty. Thomas, who was not present when Jesus first appeared, longs for something more than secondhand testimony. He wants to see, to touch, to know for himself. In this familiar story from John’s Gospel, we are reminded that faith often grows in the space between doubt and encounter. Jesus meets Thomas where he is, not with judgment, but with peace, inviting him into belief through relationship.

Rev. Mike Love invites us to consider how we see Christ, not only as risen, but as the one still marked by the wounds of the cross. Thomas does not simply seek proof of life. He seeks the crucified Christ, the one who bears the marks of suffering and love. In the same way, we are called to recognize that our faith is shaped by the full story of Jesus. The wounds are not erased in the resurrection. They remain as a witness to God’s redeeming love, reminding us that healing and new life often come through places of brokenness.

As we reflect on this encounter, we are invited to consider how our own experiences shape the way we see and follow Christ. Like the disciples, we gather in spaces of comfort and community, yet we are also sent beyond them. The Spirit breathes life into us, calling us to carry the presence of Christ into the world. In our own wounds and in our shared life together, we become witnesses to the grace we have received. Even when we have not seen, we are blessed as we continue to believe and live out that faith each day.

Take Time to Reflect

• Where in your life are you longing to see or understand Christ more clearly?
• How have your own wounds shaped your faith and your ability to care for others?
• In what ways is God calling you to move beyond comfort and be a witness to Christ this week?

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John 20:24-29 New International Version

Jesus Appears to Thomas

²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus^[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

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Sermon Summary

On that first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene stands outside the tomb in grief, still holding the weight of loss and uncertainty. Even when she encounters the risen Christ, she does not recognize him at first. It is only when Jesus calls her by name that everything changes. In that moment, sorrow gives way to recognition, and despair becomes hope. This story reminds us that resurrection is not always immediately clear to us. Sometimes, even when Christ is near, we struggle to see.

Rev. Mike Love invites us into that same question that echoes through the Gospel and into our own lives: Have you seen Jesus? Like Mary, we may look directly at the presence of Christ and still not recognize him. Yet Jesus is not distant. He is present in plain view, in worship, in community, in prayer, and in the quiet moments where grace meets us. The risen Christ is not hidden, but revealed in ways that invite us to open our eyes and our hearts.

Mary becomes the first witness to the resurrection not because she understands everything, but because she responds. She hears her name, turns toward Christ, and goes to share the good news: “I have seen the Lord.” In the same way, we are called to recognize Christ in our lives and in one another, and to live as witnesses to that hope. Even in seasons of transition or uncertainty, the resurrection reminds us that Christ is present, calling us by name and sending us forward in faith.

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Take Time to Reflect

• When have you experienced Christ’s presence, even if you did not recognize it at first?
• Where might Jesus be “in plain view” in your life right now?
• How is Christ calling your name, inviting you to respond and share that hope with others?

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John 20:11-18 English Standard Version

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,^[a] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.