What Is the Church?

Is it the buildings in which we gather, or is it the people which worship their God? For if it is the people, then where ever they are is church. However, if it is the building, it is nothing more than a building and it is lifeless. For Christ preached mostly outdoors, where the people were, where life went on all around them. Jesus spoke in the Temple, to those that held ritual and tradition higher than their God, and they heard nothing of what He had to say. But when He spoke to the people where they were, they listened. They gathered and they listened. No one told them to be silent in respect, they chose to be silent. For they hungered after what Jesus had to say. For He was life and giving life in love. He did not demand their silence, their silence demanded His words. What do we do to encourage our church to grow? Do we bring life into our church or is it empty of life? If we are the church, then we live and share life, love and joy. If it is the building in which we meet, then what does it have to offer other than shelter? I am not being disgraceful in my questioning, I am wanting to know realistically, what is the church? A building or the people? I want to enjoy my gathering with the saints of God, to praise and worship our Lord in joy and love. To feel His presence in our midst while we joyfully rejoice in His presence. To do this, is it law that we enter silently and sit motionless waiting for service to begin? What is so wrong in being glad to be in God’s House and showing it by our glee and happiness? Are we turning our church into the Temple that heard nothing said by Jesus? Or are we the crowds of people sitting on the grounds outdoors, gathering and crowding close so that we can hear His every word? What is His church, the building or the people?