Ridgell's Originals

 I never thought it was a big deal but sometimes people notice that I do not capitalize the c in church when talking about where I go or speak.  Hillcrest church of Christ not Hillcrest Church of Christ.  I have even had people try to tell me why I do it and they have some pretty strange thoughts about it.  So I thought I would just share why I write church names that way.

I want to be sure the emphasis is on Christ not church.  I would write church of Jesus.  Or family of God, not Family of God.  

I think it is already hard in our culture to keep church from being very corporate.  Just my reminder that church is not part of title.  

I think church is a description of who we are.  We are the church/body of Jesus.  Maybe it helps me be sure the priority is clear.

I like to think church is our identity statement.  It is not our name. 

I don't even know that we have to be called anything.  But I get how hard that would be in our culture.  And how would you legally incorporate without a name?  How could you get tax breaks if not incorporated?  Maybe those are important things in our culture.  Maybe someday they will not be.  

I just know I don't want church to be a title.  Especially I don't want church of Christ to be our name.  I want it to be our description.

So maybe it is just a silly quirk I have.  Certainly not the only one.  But it helps me remember that we are a "who" and not a "what".  

The people, disciples, church, family of God and of Jesus.  The way.  

I really want people to know that above anything else.

And church of Christ helps me remember the correct priority.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM