Life Together
By Zach Chronley
For the last 200 odd days we have all begun to create new patterns for our Sundays and our lives. For those of us that grew up going to church services, this has been an entirely foreign concept. I can personally say I cannot recall a single time in my life where I missed attending a service more than two Sundays in a row. And now, seven months later, we are beginning the process of regathering on Sundays as a church family.
We all miss seeing our friends, but at the same time, gathering comes at a cost for us in terms of time and energy. Many of us have spent our Sundays over the last seven months not engaging in intentional community. There are those of us that are going to be lined up early like it’s an iPhone launch because of the excitement of regathering as a church community. Others of us are much more hesitant. Either we, or some of the people in our lives, are at high risk for Covid-19. Undoubtedly in every church, for a number of reasons, some won’t return to Sundays and many have good cause to wait.
Why we gather
But I want to encourage anyone on the fence to remember why we are regathering: to live life together. We meet not to check off a box saying that we are fulfilling some responsibility as a Christian or because we don’t want to be judged for not being there. We gather for the sake of being a community that loves and cares for one another. There’s an expression, “People don’t want a friendly church, they want friends.” We receive teaching on Sundays and in small groups, but that is not the whole reason we gather. The church collectively is both the bride and body of Christ. And as a body, we care for one another.
Although we may require surgeries or need to take medicine, it’s all so that our own bodies can do the repairing. Similarly, we are meant to care for and support one another in our church family, not only church staff or CG leaders, but each of us individually and collectively helping one another. We can’t help what we don’t know. If we are not sharing our lives together, we will not know the ways in which we can serve and help one another.
Gathering for others
One of the ways we go wrong is when we make the goal of going to church to be all about ourselves. We need to fight against a consumer mindset. While we should receive teaching and correction with humility, each of us is called to use our gifts for the sake of others any time we gather. Regathering reminds us that we all need to check our hearts to remember that relationships require us to show up and be present in each other’s lives. Maybe the reason God is calling you to regather is for the sake of someone else?
We gather for the sake of our household. If you’re a husband, you should be motivated to gather for the sake of your wife. Likewise, wives to husbands. We are called to lay down our lives for the sake of our spouses, and we need to remember what we’re teaching our kids about our values by not just attending services but being a part of a church family.
In this season we need to remember to be kind to one another. Some new parents will no doubt be struggling with the stress of traveling with a newborn. There will be people nervous to be there. Do not write anyone off, instead bear with one another and go the extra mile to ensure the comfort of others. The volunteers will be there hours before any guests arrive in order to make Sunday services happen, but whether you volunteer or not, you have a role to play on Sundays.
Community Groups
In the same way small group gatherings are vital as ever, and while many groups have begun the process of returning to in-person meetings, we also have several still meeting online to accommodate every comfort level. Online or in-person, community groups are one of the most important ways we are known by others in our church community. We want our church family to be known. It’s not about getting attenders on Sundays, but about a healthy church family connected to one another. If you have fallen out of regular CG attendance, or have never been to one, now is a great time to get connected!
The truth is life together takes work. Community is made more often than it is found. You’re likely to get as much out of being in community as much as you give. We need to have grace with each other because we all are fallible. Life together is messy; people are far from perfect when it comes to living up to the fullness we are capable of in Christ. We are going to fail each other sometimes, but we are called to the same forgiveness as the one who forgave us from everything and continues to forgive us.
Even though the circumstances may feel far from ideal, God has opened the door for us to regather to the aim of better living our lives together. We know the challenges and fears, but God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind. With that sound mind, we encourage you all to join us with a new sense of purpose. Let’s celebrate our collective gathering, but let’s also love one another in the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot wait to see you this Sunday.