Get it together.

This week I have been thinking about church.  Many churches are not meeting at the moment, and I've heard a lot of Christians talking about how wonderful online church is, but it's not! Yes, I am truly thankful for technology at this time, but watching your service online is not a substitute for meeting together.  

Now I realised that under the current circumstances, it's not always permitted to meet, but just as a husband and wife are still married, even if the husband must be away for 3 months, so the church is made in its coming together, and we should be looking with expectancy and joy for such a time when we can meet again.  We should not be considering the techy version of our services to be the 'new normal'.  That will never be 'church'.

Neither is simply meeting with your friends 'church'!   In this day and age, not just because of the pandemic, Christians have opted out of belonging to a local church.
I often hear people trying to defend their lack of commitment to a church by saying "Church is not the building. We are the church".
This assertion is actually only partially true.  While the building itself is immaterial, 'we' are only the church when we come together, in a unique way, beyond just hanging out with friends. 

The Greek word ekklesia is the word used for 'church' and carries with it a connotation of standing together as God's people.    'Church' is made up of groups of believers with specific instructions on how they should conduct their gatherings.  Paul outlines some of these principals in 1 Corinthians.  He clearly distinguishes between 'church' and just getting together with friends - for example we are to come together for instruction, to move in the gifts, singing together, and for taking communion etc

A church is more than a gathering. Its members continue to be part of the church throughout the week, as we serve and represent Christ in our homes,  workplaces, community, but a church is never less than the gathering part, and we need to understand that there is something we can only gain from church. God's word tells us that He will build his CHURCH and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.   Church is God's plan and it is important.

I read once that birds that fly in formation can go 40% further than if they fly on their own.  They don't help each other flap their wings, but in formation they make take a rest in the shelter of others.  They have companionship and protection.  A bird is no less a bird if it flies alone, but it is only part of a flock when they come together. 

True church is a hospital, a school, and a gym that all Christians need to be involved with. It is a hospital, because after a rough week, we gather together to heal the wounds through love, encouragement, service and exhortation.   It is a school where we learn through the five-fold ministry how to become effective ministers of the word flowing in the spirit, and its a gym where we exercise our faith, the gifts of the spirits and our love for people who are not like us!