I don’t think anyone ever imagined they would live to witness a time when churches would be shut for service. The decision to do so must have come from a place of deep regret and helpless submission to the current pandemic. The burning question is, “Does this admit defeat?” Are we losing a sense of “Christian-ness” because of this decision? I think reframing the question would put things into perspective: “Why do we go to church?” The unanimous and accurate response would be to worship God. If worship is the reason we attend church, then does it matter where we worship God? Jesus had this conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4. It is not the place of worship that is significant but how and who we worship that matter. Jesus was vivid in this teaching: Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth , for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks . It’s about the heart of worship. Matt Redman’s song, The Heart of Worship, signifies the same thought. The scandal of the closed churches drives us to introspect and understand the meaning of true worship. Maybe this is a call to wake up from our spiritual slumber and realise it’s never been about the building. God seeks the people who attend the building, and from them, he desires true worship in the Spirit and in truth. As the worshipping community, we are the church. We are not defeated because we are physically restricted from attending church, but we are victorious because no restriction can stop us from being the church.
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