The Church, the Society of God

Created: 19 November 2010 | Print

Index

Societies

Some of you may have attended a Christingle service and given money to the Children’s Society which works to help children going through difficult times. You’ll have heard of other societies which work to relieve the suffering of animals, such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). But the biggest society the world has ever known is the Church.

There is one great difference between the Church and all the other societies – only the Church was founded or started by God. We have already thought about the Church as the People of God and today we are going to think of it as God’s Society.

All societies are organised or arranged in much the same way. To begin with, every society has one or more purposes for which it was formed. The purpose of the Zoological Society of London is to promote the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats (places where they live in the wild). That is why the Society runs the London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo.

Purposes of the Church, the Society of God

Our Lord founded the Church for two main purposes.

To love and worship God

The first is the same purpose for which you and I were made – to love and worship God. So with the rest of the Church we come Sunday by Sunday and show our love and thanks to God by offering ourselves and Our Lord to him in the Eucharist.

To save souls for God

The second purpose of the Church is to save souls, that is, to rescue people from the power of evil and to bring them to know, love and obey God so that in the end they may live with him for ever in Heaven. The Church works to save souls for God by teaching and the Sacraments:

teaching: the Church teaches the Truth about God and about what he has done and is still doing to save us. That is why in every church building there is a lectern where the Bible is read, and a pulpit where the Christian Faith is taught.
the Sacraments: We often find it very hard to love God and live the kind of life which he wants us to live. So the Church gives us the living power of God, that is, grace. The chief means by which we receive grace are the Sacraments of the Church. It is the grace of God which helps us to love God and to become like him.

Organisation of the Church

Societies have organisation. For example, large societies are organised in sections e.g. branches, or regions of the country or the world. The Church is organised in dioceses, each under its Bishop as a successor to the Apostles.

Officers

Every society has officers. In some societies the officers are perhaps a President, Secretary, Treasurer and so on. The officers of the Church are the clergy – bishops, priests and deacons.

Proper way of joining

Every society has a proper way of joining. This may just involve completing an application form and receiving a welcoming letter confirming membership. In some societies there is a special ceremony at which a promise may be made. If you have gone through the society’s way of joining you are a member; if you have not, then you are not a member.

It is Baptism and Confirmation together which form the proper way of joining the Church. If you have not been baptised then you are not a member of the Church. If you have been baptised you are a member, but you are not a full member until you have been confirmed.

Rules

Every society has rules. For example, Girl Guides have their Guide Law which states, for example, that a Guide “respects all living things and takes care of the world around her”. When a Guide makes a Promise in which she agrees to abide by the laws and values of Girlguiding it shows she has become part of the worldwide guiding family. (1)

The Church also has rules for its members. There are, of course, the Ten Commandments, but there are other rules which we should try very hard to keep as well. For example, we should be present at the Eucharist every Sunday unless we are prevented from doing so by illness. We should give so much each week to help pay for the work of God in our own parish as well as abroad. If you are confirmed you should make your Communion three times a year at the very least, including Easter, though actually we make our Communion much more often than that.

Benefits

Every society has benefits for its members, that is, the members get some good from it. For example, members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have free admission to the Society’s nature reserves.

So the Church has special benefits for its members. Many of these are given in the Sacraments, such as Confirmation when we are given the Holy Spirit; and Holy Communion when we receive Jesus himself.

Of course, you won’t have free admission to the RSPB’s nature reserves unless you are a member. So also you cannot have the benefits of the Church unless you have at least been baptised and are a member of the Church.

SUMMARY

The Church is God’s Society, and, like every society has:

1. Purposes for which it was founded. These are:

a) to offer worship to God (main act of worship is the Eucharist)
b) to save souls for him by:

teaching the Truth about God and about what he has done and is still doing to save us;
giving his grace through the Sacraments.

2. Organisation (dioceses each under its Bishop as a successor of the Apostles).

3. Officers (bishops, priests and deacons).

4. Proper way of joining (Baptism and Confirmation).

5. Rules

6. Benefits, obtainable only after joining.

Reference

1. Girlguiding UK (not dated) The Promise. Available from: http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/girls_in_guiding/the_promise.aspx (Accessed 19 November 2010) (Internet).