The early church was together. A lot. They were devoted to fellowship - koinonia, sharing life together.
Is What We Are Doing "Church"?
From Pastor Chris
Hopefully the gradual improvement of our online worship services shows how hard our staff, audio/visual, and worship teams have been working to facilitate a meaningful time of hearing God’s word and singing praises to him. But when I take a break from my new role as “Online Content Producer” to look at the big picture, I have a nagging question: Is what we are doing “church”?
Let’s consider what exactly a church was from its inception. The Greek word that is translated “church” is ekklesia. It literally means “called out ones” and in a secular setting referred to an assembly, like a modern day town hall meeting. So gathering is inherent to being a church.
This was borne out in the early chapters of Acts with this broad description of the church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers… And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:42, 46).
The early church was together. A lot. They were devoted to fellowship—koinonia, sharing life together. Whether in large worship gatherings or in the home, they ate, learned, prayed, and shared their possessions, and they did it together.
This was not merely a flash in the pan after the spiritual high of Pentecost. As the church spread throughout the Roman Empire and crossed ethnic boundaries to the Gentiles, the habit of meeting in large groups and in homes continued. In Acts 20, Paul reminded the church elders in Ephesus, “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (20-21). Still the church was built and grew through public gatherings and gatherings in the home.
So many of the New Testament’s teachings about what it means to be the church requires life together. The 59 “one another” commands presume being in one another’s weekly lives enough to love, rejoice with, forgive, and bear with one another. The author of Hebrews warns Christians that “neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some” runs counter to “stir[ring] up one another to love and good works” and “encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Let’s revisit the question. Is what we are doing “church”?
No, not in the fullest sense of what the church is supposed to be.
So what is this collection of online gatherings and conference calls? It is how we love our neighbors in the short-term through physical distancing. It is doing the best we can in a dire situation. It is approximating, with the best technology can offer, the togetherness of the church without being physically together. But it is not the real thing.
This is not a great lead-in to a call to civil disobedience. I believe we should continue meeting online to preserve the physical lives of our neighbors. As we do so, however, I believe we should simultaneously appreciate the connectivity technology affords while longing for in-person fellowship around hearing God’s word and praying to him.
This helps us to acknowledge that the current state of affairs is imperfect. There are communal experiences the New Testament talks about taking place in the context of the gathered church, such as the Lord’s Supper or church discipline or making communal decisions, that we will not be able to partake in until we are together again.
This also helps us not get too comfortable watching a service in our PJs. As wonderful as that is, it will never replace being in person. And we long for the day when we can be together again.
As we continue our online meetings, pray about how we might better connect with one another—both in the Sanctuary and in homes—once we get the green light to have more contact. Read through the early chapters of Acts and ask the Spirit to grant us the kind of koinonia that they shared. And let us take advantage of every opportunity now, through phone calls, letters, texts, and video conferences, to encourage one another toward love and good works as we anticipate doing so in person.