Beyond Big Church
This pandemic has forced new ways of doing things. At the least it has caused us to expand on technology we may have had in place, but utilized only as a supplement to the main thing. Like doctor visits. The impact of the virus has caused telemedicine visits (virtual doctor visits) to increase in some areas by over 700 percent.
I don't think it's a mistake that God established the church at a time when we did not have the Internet, telephones, or any other form of “telecommunication.” The best the first century church could do with non-face-to-face connections (while still attempting to convey their true feelings), was sending letters. It was obvious that the Apostle Paul preferred connecting with other members of Christ's family in person. For example, he said to the believers in Rome:
“…I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while…” (Romans 15:23–24).
Paul says similar things to the Corinthians and other churches. He had a longing to be with them. For Paul, it was not just about the mechanics of dispensing doctrine to growing believers. Yes, he put a high value on the power of God's Word. But he also recognized that God's Word puts a high value on relationship. That did not simply mean a brief time to shake hands during a church-service “greeting time.” Relationship meant the intentional sharing of his personhood with other Christians. For him, it was about true connection with the family of God.
Despite telecommunications and the utility of the World Wide Web , we are an increasingly disconnected culture. Many we call “friends” on social media are barely acquaintances. For many, church has become a place where people sit side by side, but totally disconnected. For them it is no different than attending a movie or a play. Is that what Christ meant by “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18)? Not likely.
Jesus clearly meant for us to be in relationship with one another, and with Him. He instituted the church as a context for such relationships. He may have left physically, but He didn't leave us, or forsake us. And he didn't choose to communicate by email, texting, or Zoom. He did write to us, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to be with us: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever” (John 14:16).
God has designed human beings to be connected. Even apart from the spiritual aspect, the healthy development of a child is dependent upon connection with her parents and other loved ones. This cannot happen via FaceTime, or other forms of social media, or even the most heartfelt, handwritten and delivered letters. Continued growth toward maturity is dependent upon meaningful interaction. This is true for people in general and for Christians spiritually.
It can be common for believers to equate spiritual maturity with sitting in services and then supplementing that with Bible studies and spending consistent time “alone with God.” There may even be various forms of serving squeezed in here and there. We should all do those things; they are important! But they’re not enough. What's missing is the intentionality of relationship. Without that, spiritual maturity doesn’t fully happen.
It’s hard to imagine the Lord purposely allowing a pandemic to disrupt our normal way of doing the weekly gathering! But what if, in His sovereign will, He is using this to help us focus on a missing dimension of what it really means to be His church? What if, while some believers and Christian leaders protest the violation of our First Amendment rights because we can’t gather in a building, He isn’t as concerned about that? What if He is more concerned about our overemphasis on the Sunday gathering becoming a distraction from loving, caring for, and serving one another in the smaller context of relationship?
My prayer is for churches, including ours, whose faith and practice may be too tilted toward Sunday services. May this strange time force what might be a new way of doing things: building more personal relationships in the body.
“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” —Romans 14:19