I don't know what church looks like for you these days, but likely, it looks different than it's ever looked before. As our church has begun the process of reopening, I know many of us have struggled to get back into the routine of "in-person" church.
For some, the challenge has been to break away from the pull of comfort. Inertia can be difficult to overcome, whether we've gotten used to sleeping in on Sundays, or having a cup of coffee in our pajamas while we watch a livestreamed service. The struggle to break away from comfort is real.
And why is it a struggle to go from couch to church service? Because comfort feeds our flesh, and Satan most definitely does not want us to break away from a habit our flesh enjoys.
But that's not the only challenge these days. For many, the greatest challenge is that church just doesn't feel like church anymore.
In our state, the coronavirus restrictions require us to have no more than 25 people in the same room, which necessarily limits how many people can interact with each other. We are also required to wear masks when inside the building, which, again, makes things very different. There are no hugs or handshakes, no passing of an offering plate, there's no choir, and any special music is prerecorded.
I have heard many people say that they wonder if it's even worth going to church, if this is what church is going to be like. Perhaps we should all just stay home and watch the service on our couches. Why put ourselves through all the effort of showing up, if it's not going to feel like church?
In thinking through this for myself, I realized there were two basic questions that needed to be answered: What is the purpose of church, and can that purpose still be fulfilled with the regulations that are in place?
To answer the first question, I checked my initial thoughts against what Ryrie had to say in his Basic Theology. I came up with three purposes for meeting as a church.
1. Church is for the purpose of corporate worship. Honestly, I think this might be what is tripping many of us up. Satan wants us to think church is for us, when really, church is for God. Whether singing, reading from God's Word or hearing it preached, telling our friends about an answer to prayer, or even giving, every part of our church experience should be focused on God. Worshiping together is a major function of the church.
2.Church is for the purpose of fellowship. Now, this is where most of us will get teary-eyed, thinking about all the fellowship we used to have at church before the pandemic. And it's true, our fellowship is somewhat limited by all the rules and regulations, but I was convicted by Ryrie's description of what fellowship is all about:
"The goal... is to increase the health, strength, commitment, and numbers of the body"*
With this in mind, think about what you're missing. Is it the opportunity to strengthen, nurture, or build a fellow Christian up in the Lord? Or are we just missing chatting with our friends about our week?
3. Church is for the purpose of meeting physical needs through giving. There are lots of passages I could quote on this one, but I want to point out that this isn't just about weekly tithes and missions giving. This is about that one single mom who comes to church burdened because she doesn't know how she will pay her rent. She asks for prayer, and after the service, a church member puts an envelope in Pastor's hand with just the amount she needed. --That's not going to happen over livestream.
But let's assess each of these: I'm going to use my church's situation as an example, just because that's what I'm familiar with.
First of all, can we still worship together? You could say, the answer is "yes and no". No, we can't all of us worship together in the same room. But yes, we can worship together. In our case, each group can have up to 25 people worshiping together. But even on Wednesdays when we're only livestreaming, and there's just three of us sitting in the sanctuary, it's still church. Remember, Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)
So can we justify the effort of coming to church even if our group ends up with only two or three people? Certainly!
Next, there's fellowship. Can we still increase the health, strength, commitment, and numbers of the church? Again, the obvious answer is "yes, but not as much as usual." However, we make the most impact on those with whom we have a relationship. Much of our interaction at church tends to be with those we're familiar with. But now that we have smaller groups, and people thrown together who usually may not have interacted as much at church, we have an even greater opportunity to fulfill the purpose of fellowship. We will naturally find ways to communicate with our particular friends, but what about others in the church? This limitation (and it is a limitation) of fellowship could actually be turned into a great opportunity. The dividing up of God's people could actually lead to greater unity when we come together later on. So, is it worth the effort to seek to strengthen and nurture those with whom we "do church" each week? Definitely!
Finally, meeting physical needs through giving. While we don't pass a plate around at our church, there is still a way to give in person. But of course, there is still online giving, so why should we make an effort to be at church because of giving? It is because of instances like I mentioned above. In the course of fellowshipping, we often discover needs that people wouldn't have told us of otherwise. Perhaps it is a need God will prompt us to pray about, or perhaps He will prompt us to meet that need, but my point is, meeting together gives the church an opportunity to find out about needs so that God can use the church to meet them. Is this still possible in a smaller group? Of course it is! In fact, people might be more comfortable sharing needs in a smaller group.
If you still need an answer for the question of why church is important when it doesn't feel like church, go back to the first point again. Church is about God. Church is important, because God is important. Surely honoring Him is worth the effort!
* (Ryrie, 499)
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