Reviewing a chapter of my study on Ignatius Loyola and John Wesley last night, I was reminded that both men had a dual focus - the development of personal Christian spirituality and an encouragement to participate in the fellowship, liturgy and ritual of the church. 

And so I am reminded that the significance of "the church" lies in its capacity to support people in discipleship to Jesus.  Any activity that does not have that as its fundamental purpose must be examined.  This means that the church has to focus on teaching about who Jesus is, on providing guidance about how to grow in relationship with Jesus, on encouraging people to share experiences of Jesus' presence, on celebrating the blessings that come from God's loving hand, on serving the wider community in Jesus' name, on inviting others to learn about Jesus' way.   When its activities fail to do these things, the church will be rightly criticised as being simply another organisation where people gather for mutual admiration.

Let the church focus its activities on calling people to become followers Jesus and providing for Jesus-followers to be better equipped to share the story of his involvement in their lives.