It began like any other Sunday. I started early so I could get to the church building and have some 'alone' time as I prepared my thoughts for Sunday worship. But it was not like any other Sunday. For one thing, I wore blue jeans; but that was not what made it memorable.
I stepped out the back door of my house to walk to my car and the familiar sound of passing cars was missing. There were no tumbleweeds blowing through town, but I heard only the sounds of nature. Yet that is not what made it a memorable day.
All the traffic lights were green, and I passed only one moving car. Unusual, yet, those are not what made it a memorable day.
I entered the church building like any other day. I did not turn on all the lights as I normally do, nor did I unlock the doors. The government recommended that group gatherings dismiss due to the Coronavirus. No one would be coming to the building that Sunday.
However, we met remotely on our computers and phones. Although we did not meet in-person we gathered online for a period of worship and fellowship.
I saw something on that day that we didn't assemble.
Before I tell you what I saw, let me share an experience on Facebook when the following Scripture was discussed:
Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.—Hebrews 10:24–25
Some folks insisted that the verse was a command for Christians to meet every Sunday. Their rigid stance made me sad; I think they missed the point.
Others opposed with statements like: "It's not a command" and "It doesn't even say Sunday" and "It doesn't say anything about worship." Their rigid opposition made me sad; they also missed the point.
The command viewpoint made it something that even a robot or a dog could obey. Yet, the opposing viewpoint lacked substance by merely pointing out what the verse didn’t say. Both approached the Scriptures as a legal document and figuratively rolled up the scroll of Scripture and whacked the other on the head. Shame. Shame on both!
We must not approach Scripture as law. We must ask why God said anything about "not forsaking our own assembling together."
I saw something on Sunday, March 22, 2020, that day that we didn't assemble.
I saw Hebrews 10:25 in a deeper way because I was given a different perspective. For the first time ever we were kept from meeting together and it had nothing to do with inclement weather, building renovations, etc. Our circumstances profoundly emphasized that meeting together is important for the life of the church.
Forty-two network connections provided the means to gather in an online video conference meeting. People joined early and stayed late. One couple amused us by volunteering to be official greeters as other folks joined. This didn't happen because we were commanded. It happened because we wanted to assemble together. No, actually, we HAD TO ASSEMBLE because that is who we are.
That phrase, "not forsaking our own assembling together," is God telling us that coming together in the name of Jesus is rich and powerful. Our assemblies have meaning because of the intent of our hearts toward God and toward each other.
Our congregation did assemble on Sunday, March 22, 2020. We prayed together; we sang together; we shared in the Lord's Supper together, we opened our Bibles together, and we just sat around and chatted with each other. It was very different from meeting in-person, but it was real and it was meaningful.
We were together when we could not be together...and we are richer for having had that experience.
I am thankful for that day.
Every Sunday I am thankful for you and I am thankful that we can be together.
Don't turn your back on meeting together with other Christians. Come and be a part of something rich and meaningful.
God thinks our gatherings are important.
Do you?
Mark Stinnett
December 3, 2023
*Revised from a blog first published on March 24, 2020.
This is good Mark. Thanks for writing this!
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