“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47 NLT)
Fellowship implies physical closeness; dare I use the word intimacy? Intimacy is a good word for what happens in fellowship with our Christian brothers and sisters, but more importantly, is what we seek in our oneness with our Savior.
A vital reason the Lord gave us His church is to provide a seedbed for growth as a child of God. We grow best in community, where we can rub shoulders with others who are wrestling with the same issues with which we wrestle. Yes, of course, in our technologically advanced world the internet affords us opportunities to stay in touch with others from whom we’re separated by great distances, but to depend on electronic means to have fellowship and find intimacy is like reading a book and thinking you know the author. It’s artificial at best and can be very disappointing.
Believing the internet can be your church is like having a video of a dog and believing it’s your pet. It may make you feel better, but it’s artificial, fake, misleading, non-fulfilling. It’s not enriching, invigorating, stimulating like human contact can be. When my pain was deepest and words didn’t heal, being held in the arms of someone who loved me and cared deeply for me provided a healing balm that pictures and sounds cannot provide. As Dr. Michael J. Svigel wrote: “Theology 101: An online church makes as much sense as an online family.”
Yes, of course, if you’re out of town or unable to attend, participate in worship with your family online, but don’t mistake that “program” for Biblical fellowship. The early church “worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people.” None of that can happen on the internet.
Their contact was personal, consistent, inspiring, encouraging, and it resulted in a multitude of their friends and families coming to know the Lord as a result. Reaching our lost loved ones and friends begins in prayer, but it most often materializes as a result of personal and persistent contact. People need to “see” Jesus, sense His presence, hear “His” voice and sense His warmth before they realize just how real He is.
In some ways an online “church” is like test driving a car online. You may see its features and gain an understanding of its capabilities, but you can’t feel it, smell it, sense how it’s going to meet the needs of your family or how you’ll feel when you’re behind the wheel. It may be fun to see, but it’s not going to transport you or your family anywhere.
Online “church” isn’t church in the best sense of the word. It’s at best a salve that sooths our conscience and makes us feel better as we continue to wither spiritually. Yes, it’s a blessing to shut-ins or those who aren’t physically capable of attending, but can never take the place of rich, personal fellowship with other Jesus lovers.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 