In-Person Matters

Last Sunday at church, as I sat down, I turned to my right and saw Nathan Scull holding his baby daughter, and it made me mist up a little bit seeing how obviously in love he is with her. I saw 4-year-old Evelyn Scott encouraging my 3-year-old Mary to take back the bunny she stole from the nursery, and it made me chuckle. It reminded me of my eldest son, Solomon, running around church with the Evans boys when he was 2 years old and now is soon to be 12! I saw Lisa Frye sitting behind me and it made me think how I need to get into the high schools to promote a new chemistry/physics opportunity we have at COCC for students with financial hardships.

None of this would have happened if I had stayed home and streamed the service online. If I would have stayed home, I would have probably been doing the dishes, watching my cat hack up a hairball, and yelling at my kids, all while trying to listen to the service. Instead of seeing and thinking about my church family, I would have been thinking about how messy my house is.

We need to gather as a church in-person. The hands and feet and ears and eyes need to be assembled for Christ’s body to work for the good of all. (1 Cor. 12:27).

Assembling in person helps us to love God and our neighbors. Online church was necessary for a while (and for a few is still necessary). But online church is not church. We cannot love and worship with heart, soul, mind, and strength online. The cost of being apart from one another is steeper than we realize. We need physical interaction. Connecting with each other includes looking into someone’s eyes, hearing their voice, sharing their space, their presence.

I know not everyone can make it to church, and I do believe offering livestreaming services to those with unique accessibility plays a helpful role as part of a comprehensive, holistic, and ongoing ministry. The Foundry livestream is not going away, and I know several of the elders at Foundry have been ministering to those who are homebound. That will always be an important part of our church, but if you are able, Foundry needs you In-Person. My children need to know the church members. My son, Solomon, is struggling with his unbelieving peers at school. It helps him to see everyone on Sunday who has his back. Church is not always easy; it can be hard to sit with people of different ages, classes, and political beliefs. The gathered hurch is a practice that is sometimes inconvenient, but it is necessary, nourishing, and good.

Let me know your thoughts, fotowne@gmail.com. Better yet, talk to me in-person and come to the Foundry Family night this Sunday, Feb. 27 at 4 pm.