Whose Church Is It? Belonging, Not Owning

About this episode

Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony discuss the concept of belonging to the Church as God's possession rather than personal ownership.

In this New Year episode, Fr. Harry and Fr. Anthony challenge the casual habit of saying “my church” by reframing ecclesial identity: the Church is of God—not our possession, but the place to which we belong, purchased by Christ’s blood (Acts 20) and built as a household on the apostolic foundation with Christ as cornerstone (Eph. 2:18–20). They trace how the Church’s catholic “wholeness” is Trinitarian—the Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the people of the Father—made real through baptism, chrismation, and the Eucharist. Along the way, they clarify Christ’s unique mediation (mesitēs), show why the Church can be called “of Christ” without diminishing the Trinity, and close with Theophany’s vivid sacramental imagery—especially the ancient practice of breathing/blowing over the waters as participation, not mere remembrance.

People in this episode

Hosts: Fr. Anthony Perkins, Fr. Harry Linsinbigler

Topics covered

• ecclesial identity
• belonging
• Trinitarian wholeness
• sacramental imagery
• Christ's mediation

Keywords

• church
• belonging
• Trinity
• sacrament
• Eucharist
• baptism
• identity

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Acts 20, Eph. 2:18–20, Theophany

More episodes of Made to Be a Kingdom

• Who Is Welcome? Boundaries, Love, and the Protection of the Church · June 12, 2026
• The Spirit Descends: Pentecost, the Eucharist, and the Life of the Age to Come · May 29, 2026
• From Pascha to Ascension: The Fulfillment of the Resurrection · May 22, 2026
• Christ Is Risen—and Everything Changes: The Theology of Paschaltide · May 8, 2026
• Not About Us: The Shift from Lent to Holy Week (and beyond) · April 3, 2026
• Fasting as the Body of Christ: The Ecclesial Shape of Great Lent · March 13, 2026