Our Stories Unleashed

Gathering Again

"The church is re-opening.”

This statement has been shared everywhere from the mouth of the President to texts between friends. And the doors of the church are indeed open again. This week saw our first in-person gathering since moving online 11 weeks ago. The church building was flooded with the kind of light that only comes from open doors and radiant faces. What a gift it is to gather – both in person and extended into our online communities as well.  

We must be mindful of our verbiage when talking about this, though. The church building is indeed opening again, but the Church never closed. And there is a grand difference between the church as a building and the Church as Peter describes it in 1 Peter 2:9:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 

Gathering is an integral part of the Christian faith because it is an integral part of what it means to be human. We are made to thrive in community. Gathering is crucial. It is spiritual. It is biblical. But it is not the goal. God’s words to the nation of Israel through the prophet Amos show us this truth.  

Contrary to the typical pattern of a nation in turmoil turning back the God they had forgotten, we find Israel at a time of great prosperity during the ministry of Amos. They were remembering their sacrifices and offerings, singing songs of praise, and assembling regularly. You could say they were attending church regularly, submitting their tithes on time and even volunteering on a committee. Go Israel, right? Here is what the Lord said to them. 

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, 
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, 
    I will not accept them; 
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, 
    I will not look upon them. 
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; 
    to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 
24 But let justice roll down like waters, 
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 

Verse seven of this same chapter talks about how the nation had “turn[ed] justice to bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground.” They were maintaining their religious rituals, but not their spirit of worship. And what we find is not an admonition of the gathering of the Israelites but a strong word of rebuke. It was not a condemnation of God forgotten but rather of religious ritual replacing true worship.  

Tithing is an act of worship when priorities in your life shift to the purposes of the Lord. Serving on a committee is worship when you see it as your duty to ensure the Church is leaning into the causes of the Lord. Gathering is worship only when we allow our community to both hold us accountable to centering our hearts and lives on Christ, and to propel us into the world in His name. 

So yes, we gather. Hallelujah we have community to gather in. Gathering is spiritual. It is biblical. But, alone, it is not the goal. We gather not for the sake of gathering, but for the sake of bringing justice and righteousness as a cleansing flood to our land.  

Is our desire to see the justice and righteousness of God overtake our land as great as our desire to be back in a building together? Do our prayers reflect that? Do our actions?  

God, as You bring Your people back, renew our hunger and thirst for righteousness - for You. May our gatherings not only be ourselves to a location, but every tongue, tribe and nation coming to know and proclaim the saving work of Jesus Christ. Unleash your power in our lives, our Church, our community and our world.  -Jason Simon, Minister to Students