There is no way to sugarcoat it – 2020 has, so far, been an unusually bad year. But then, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know: we’ve all been dragged down by the daily drumbeat of dismal news.
A worldwide pandemic. Millions infected. Hundreds of thousands dead. Businesses shuttered. The economy in a shambles. Massive unemployment. Social gatherings suspended.
There are many lessons I have learned from this experience, but here is one takeaway: When I miss church, I miss church. That is, when I “miss church” (i.e., when I don’t attend a weekly worship assembly), I miss church (i.e., I feel its absence in my life).
This is an unfamiliar sensation for me: when I was growing up, I was taught you just don’t miss church. We were an “every time the doors are opened” family. For example, I was born on a Sunday in the fall of 1954. Seven days later, I attended my first worship service with my parents, setting a pattern that would continue for the next 65 years. In fact, before the onset of the present pandemic, I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I had missed a Sunday worship service.
Now, for the first time in my life, I find myself hunkered down at home on Sundays, worshipping online. While I am thankful to at least have some alternative, high tech is no substitute for “high touch.” I miss the smiles, handshakes, and greetings. I miss the comments of my brothers and sisters in Bible class. I miss harmonizing with the voices around me as together we sing hymns. I miss the shared sacred solemnity of the Lord’s Supper. I miss the camaraderie of a community comprised of fellow believers who know me, care about me, and share the same values as we journey through life together. I miss church.
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Yes, I know, we are the church wherever we are, whether individually or collectively. But there is a reason why Paul uses the phrase “when you come together as a church” in 1 Corinthians 11:18. There is a reason he tells them “you yourselves (plural) are God’s Temple and God’s Spirit lives in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16). There is a reason why he commands them to “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (1 Corinthians 16:20). There is a reason for all the “one another” commands in the New Testament. Read Hebrews 10:23-25. Social distancing keeps us at arm’s length to safeguard our physical health, but our shared life together helps to keep us spiritually strong.
It is possible that by the time you read this some great breakthrough will have been achieved, social distancing will have become a thing of the past, and Sunday gatherings will once again be feasible. Until then, continue to pray fervently for a return to a normal, coronavirus-free life. Use every means – whether by phone, FaceTime, or mail – to reach out to your fellow Christians. And make a special effort to connect with those who were already shut-ins because of longstanding health challenges. Now, more than ever, we all know how they feel!
Dan Williams