Saved, and Out: What does "Church" mean?

What does "church" mean?  What's church all about, anyway?

I wonder how many believers think something like this:

1. The world is an evil place, and the Bible says we're to set ourselves apart from the world.  So we go to church to get away from evil and distance ourselves from sinners, because sinners keep sinning and deserve going to hell.

Well, you and I deserve hell too, and it's not our works or our righteousness that saved us.  We're also instructed in scripture to be like Christ, and Christ didn't hide from evil and Christ didn't run away from sinners: Christ closed the distance and loved. 

Other believers might answer: 

2.Church is where we go to be reminded that the only reason we're here on earth is to suffer and endure misery.  

But does the worship service also have to be a miserable event, and heap an extra hour of suffering on top of everything else we're here to endure?

If you enjoy sitting in the exact same pew every Sunday, being miserable and scowling at strangers and frowning at visitors, please Smile- I'm just asking  :-)

Thes next two answers might be my favorites:

3. Church is Heaven's waiting room

These folks believe church is Christ's waiting room ... a great place to huddle up, discuss what's wrong with everybody else (and their politics),  find fault with and gossip about each other, and just generally stand around smoking spiritual cigarettes.  In short, doing nothing.

Their approach seems to be, "Now that we're saved and safe doesn't that mean it's time to pack up our stuff, find a comfortable seat in the auditorium and wait for the Heaven Bus to take us home?"

No.  Scripture doesn't say that turning the body into a waiting room is what Christ commanded of his church.

4. Church is where God put me to straighten other people out

These believers are convinced that their spiritual gift is Being Critical and Condescending to Others.  They have all the answers without even needing to hear the question: just ask and they'll tell you they're not always right ... but they've never been wrong, either.  

These Big Shot Brothers can hardly wait to get to Heaven, and help God straighten things out there, too.  Folks like this tend to be selfish with contributing their money to the church, but quite generous with their unsolicited advice and opinions.

But generally, free advice is worth what you pay for it.

Maybe instead of trying to answer What does church mean? we could try asking,  What should church BE?