You are the Church

Do we have to go to church to be a Christian? No. On the other hand, are we doing our part as a member of the Christian body if we don’t go? In 1st Corinthians:12 (see below) the passage says that we are a valuable part of the church body. We have something to give to the rest of the body, and the rest of the body has something to give to us. God has given us all gifts and He wants us to use them for His glory and in His kingdom. Basically speaking, God gave us gifts, and if we don’t use them, that would be wrong of us..

Thinking of the many parts of the body that make the whole, and the many believers that form the church, it is also true to say that the many web sites, daily e-votions, lessons and services that we provide go together to make the whole which is PraiseNation; and the many members of PraiseNation form the whole which is (if you will) the Church of PraiseNation.

The PraiseNation staff have always considered you, dear member, to be a part of the PraiseNation family -- a group of people that although completely separate are joined together as one in the worship and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ -- by definition, you are The Church. Unfortunately, the Internet being what it is and PraiseNation spanning more than seventy nations, there is no single place that we can call 'home' or 'church' for our family. To this ends the staff of PraiseNation are working vigorously in the creation of a new site for our family where we can praise and worship Him together, where you can learn and teach. A place where you can seek help and support and a place where you can offer it.

We ask that you put aside a few minutes sometime over the weekend (or whenever you can) to offer up a prayer that PraiseNation and you, our family, be protected and inspired to enable us all to better live our lives in the spirit of the gospel.

Thank you.

1st Corinthians 12:12-25

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many. 
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.