“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” -Matthew 18:20
Fellowship has been on my mind a lot lately: hanging out with people, talking about the little things and the big things, and generally just having fun. And it’s always the first thing we cross off our to-do lists or cancel indefinitely when life gets too busy. People were not meant to do life alone and get so bogged down in the big stuff.
Church gatherings are so important. Not to toot our own horn, but my church has a fantastic ice cream social in July and an awesome fall festival in October. Grabbing dinner with a friend to catch up and swap stories is essential. We recently spent our Friday night with several youth boys going to an escape room. If you asked me four years ago as I was getting ready to graduate college if hanging out with teenagers on a Friday night was my idea of fun, I’d say absolutely not. But what did college graduate me know? I had such a good time with my youth kids watching them figure out clue after clue, and trying to help them race against the clock!
After a Wednesday night service we sat around and talked with our other fellow members. Daniel and I got in the car both just so filled up on community and thankfulness for this couple we call our church parents. We got very close to this couple after performing in a Christmas church play this past year, and we enjoy sitting down and talking with them when we get the chance.
I’m also a big family girl. I love eating meals with my grandparents. I always look forward to family dinners with Daniel’s parents and family. Hanging out with my brother is such a treat because he stays so busy. My go-to person for shopping trips, movies, or any other crazy adventures is my mom. I call her very often and for any little thing I can think of. Watching movies with my dad is great because he hates hitting pause and he doesn’t get mad if I quote famous lines because he is doing it alongside me.
I wouldn’t say I have lots of close friends. It bothered me a good bit growing up, and as I’ve gotten older it is even harder to get together with the friends I have now. So, I cherish those book club/what’s new/reminiscing story time dinners I get to have with those closest to me. The bonds I have formed with friends, church members, and family members is something I never wish to take for granted.
Human connection is critical. Those who are able to leave their house and be around others, there is no excuse not to. You miss out on such a huge blessing by closing yourself off. As a believer and follower of Christ, I cannot sit at home on Sunday mornings when my church family is meeting.
I’ve heard several statements that bother me too.
“I don’t need to attend church to believe in God.”
“I can worship Jesus anywhere.”
“The church is full of hypocrites.”
Yes, all those statements are true. Attending church does not save you or automatically make you a believer. Yes, you can worship Jesus anywhere and everywhere, and you should. My favorite place is to sing in my car as loud as possible. Shower also works great too. Acoustics right?! And oh yes, the church is full of hypocritical people, who mess up often and daily, and definitely have the ability to hurt your feelings.
I know church hurt is real. I’ve gotten upset by people in Christian communities quite a bit over the years, but Jesus reminds me time and time again that I do not attend those gatherings to impress the people in the building. I come for Him alone. I show up to grow alongside other believers who also encourage me and will be at my door in a heartbeat if I were to call them. I go to God’s house of worship to join in the sound that sings His praises because He deserves a chorus of voices, not just my own. I go to have my toes stepped on, to be convicted of wrongdoing, so I may change and become closer in my walk with Jesus. And it’s a powerful feeling to miss if I were to stay home.
But Satan is good at tempting me to forget that power of being surrounded by members of God’s family. The enemy loves to isolate, get you one on one because you’re easier to pick on then. Bullies don’t like taking on more than one at a time. Because once he gets you thinking you don’t need to go to church, or be around people in the church that hurt your feelings, or that the weekend is your time to relax and recover from a difficult week, it gets that much easier to convince you to not follow Jesus.
It’s a slippery slope. I didn’t attend church much in college, struggling to find the right crowd. Once I got out of the habit, it was much harder to get up Sunday mornings once I was back home. Especially during Covid. I was bitter and upset, and didn’t want to be around anyone. The last thing I wanted to do was listen in my car from the parking lot at church. But once I started going back, that powerful feeling of the Holy Spirit was so present as I gathered alongside other believers. It takes over and reminds me why it is so important to be around others.
I’ve felt Jesus at concerts praising His name, in the pew at church, at my sink washing dishes, in the middle of the night after a nightmare, and all the places in between. But while I can’t reach out and physically touch Him, being next to another one of God’s children is the next best thing.
And praying over ice cream together with other believers? Out of this world! Two of my favorite things!
Mirror, Mirror 