Do Not Neglect
As an introvert, I acknowledge my need for quiet. Moments of alone space with God. Stillness for processing, praying, thinking, and refreshing. We’ve all, I’m sure, had much of that in some stretch of time the last few months. For many of us more than we’d ever desire. For even myself, my heart grew weary—not two months in, but a week into the lockdowns. The effects of not gathering as a church on that first Sunday morning were almost immediate. Effects from the absence of corporate prayer, confession, communion, teaching, and worship and the absence of love, laughter, pursuit, and burdens being shared and carried as a body of believers coming together.
I, much like you, am thankful for the gift that technology has been during this time. But all of our Zoom services and Facebook live streams remain a far reach to the transformative and needed presence of the physical gathering.
Jay Kim in Analog Church said it this way:
“..church communities cannot be built primarily around content, because while great content can inform and even inspire, content alone is never enough to transform us. Transformation in the life of the church is always an analog experience, as we journey shoulder to shoulder with other people, gathering in real ways as real people, to invite God to change us individually and collectively.”
As we watch live streams or recordings on Sunday mornings, we are not “doing church.” We are watching a sermon. We are consuming content. The corporate church gathering is so much more than, or rather is not, consumerism. It is a people—a people exchanging one another’s presence as the body of Christ. Yet we’re seeing today, even before the pandemic, an on-demand approach to church. This reality continues to reveal one of the biggest pitfalls of today’s generation—a subtle teaching that salvation is an individual event.
“But the Bible begs to differ. Jesus and the New Testament writers make clear that those who profess Christ as Lord and Savior are not simply saved as isolated individuals but, most importantly, are saved into the community of God.” - Jay Kim
Our salvation is not something we conceal in solitude; rather, we partake in our salvation with the family of God. The Lord intentionally created us as the means by which he brings about salvation. Evangelism and discipleship were the last commands from Jesus’ lips when commissioning the apostles (Matthew 28:19-20). We have the gift and honor to be a part of God’s narrative—and so, we gather. We gather to encourage. We gather to teach. We gather to love. We gather to equip. We gather to grieve. We gather to hope.
And so whether it’s for one week or five months, we are not designed for isolation.
Do Not Neglect
The recipients in the book of Hebrews were dipping their toe in apostasy in order to avoid further persecution from Rome. They thought that sounded easier, less heavy. The author wrote with urgency on this matter. After multiple chapters highlighting Jesus as the greater savior, lamb, and priest, in chapter 10 the author exhorts,
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25
To the Hebrew writer, this was an eschatological urgency. He saw these recipients teetering the line away from Christ, willingly walking away from the only hope of salvation. The author reminds them that the day is drawing near when our Savior returns. We do not know when. Yet, we must be ready. When we neglect to gather as a body, it becomes easier to fall into temptation, become lukewarm, succumb to our own preferences, and lay down our cross. Our neighbors are less likely to be pursued, wandering hearts less likely to be steadied, and minds more easily captured. But together we encourage, build up, and strengthen one another for the faithful walk. Gathering together is a matter of eternal life and death. Just like the recipients of Hebrews, we should also feel this urgency. We should feel a responsibility for one another.
The Covenant
The greatest danger we face in the current climate is chalking up church as a product to be consumed over a people to do life with. When we neglect to meet (other than for health issues), we view church as something we choose out of comfort, accessibility, ease, and the like—including the people. We are feeding our flesh’s desire to remain in our comforts and preferences. The reality is many of us have delighted in the excuse not to show up. Not to commune. Not to pursue meaningful and hard conversations. Not to continue serving or loving our neighbors. Or maybe even excuses not to begin any of these commands.
John Trapp went so far to say,
“Schism is the very putting asunder of the very veins and arteries of the mystical body of Christ. We may not separate, but in the sense of intolerable persecution, heresy, idolatry, and Antichristiansim.”
It wasn’t until recently that I understood the importance of church membership. For many years, the idea of signing a covenant seemed to just be an agreement to be in attendance. What I didn’t understand were the characteristics of the covenant. Church membership is far more than merely attending; it agrees to submerge ourselves in that local body. It agrees to do life with these congregants, to challenge, build up, love, and walk with one another. This is hard. It’s hard because a bunch of finite, sinful human beings agree to work through this life together. It is bound to be messy, frustrating, and hurtful at times, but it is also bound to be life-giving, sanctifying, encouraging, and joyous when understood as the gift that it is. Our local bodies are God’s tangible presence on earth. It is one of the ways God draws near. One of the ways he teaches. One of the ways he convicts —through others.
This covenant cannot be properly upheld when we neglect to gather.
Our Role
And so in this season of unknowns, I challenge us to consider our role in the church. To ask the intentional heart questions that will reveal what we believe to be true about gathering together as a body. To prayerfully consider what we believe our salvation means for our responsibility towards one another and God’s will for the church. To take a deep dive into the current season and ask ourselves where our hope lies, where our fears reside, and what truth we’re resting on.
Our role is bigger than ourselves. We are saved into a family, and we are called to bring more into the beautiful adoption Christ offers. And when we’re weary, when we’re weighed down, gathering fulfills us. Sitting under gospel-centered teaching, corporately worshipping and confessing our sins, and feeling unified as a people will and does bring abundant joy. Because we are not alone in this spiritual war, we are not alone in this physical hardship. God is not only with us; he provided a tangible presence for us to grab hold of.
Our role is to be a faithful witness, a faithful brother/sister, a faithful servant, and be admonished by fellow witnesses, brothers/sisters, and servants of the Lord.