Dear Friends, 

I've done a bit of writing over at the Spirit and Truth blog and I thought it would be fun to share it with you here. 

God is doing some cool things with the ministries I'm a part of and I'm thankful to be on this journey with all of you! 

For the first time in a decade, I don’t work for the local church. When that change happened in November, it was wild. That first Sunday morning especially, I felt like I was breaking the rules. As if there was some sort of law enforcement officer who was standing behind the curtain waiting to arrest me for my deviance. 

Actually, the first month of my transition I didn’t make it to a Sunday morning experience. And to be honest, I didn’t plan this - it just sort of happened. Between sporting events, some travel, and just a busy schedule my family and I didn’t go to church. 

For the last ten years, the church dictated my schedule, and now my schedule dictates when we go to church. In the midst of missing Sunday, I began to feel a hole in my life that was previously filled with worship. 

To be clear, we weren’t void of connection with God. We did online worship a couple of times, we did some family devotionals, and our prayer life was still healthy. Really, most things stayed the same with the exception of a Sunday morning corporate gathering. 

As a family we began to feel it. We began to feel that we were missing something that we all needed, and that’s when I realized something about the season and rhythm of life we are in:

We are going to have to fight to make church part of our life. 

I know coming out of the last several years of quarantine, masks, and just general confusion I’m not the only one. I was reminded recently of what St. Paul writes in the book of Hebrews 10:24-25:

“And let us consider together how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

So, how are we to interpret what Paul is saying when he preaches “not giving up meeting”? I would suggest, what Paul is talking about is the idea of the local gathering. A group of people who are unified around the desire to worship the Lord in community. 

Gathering matters. 

First, it matters because all of creation was designed to worship God (Psalm 148:5). This type of worship is baked into our DNA. It is part of how we are wired; when we feel a little “off” after not going to church on Sunday morning it is because we aren’t responding to the natural desires of our God-given identity. And while the online experience has done great things to connect people to the church, it hasn’t changed the reality that many of us don’t engage in the physical aspects of the worship experience like standing, or singing, when we are in our living rooms. The physical posture of your worship changes the internal posture of your heart. 

Second, it matters because God’s presence is FELT in community (Matthew 18:20). I can remember going to church and weeping during worship for no other reason than sensing God’s presence in the room. It’s there. When people gather together and corporate worship rings aloud the presence of God becomes palpable. Gathering in community often helps close the distance between you and God. 

Finally, gathering in the church matters because God did not call us to a static isolated relationship, but rather to be part of a movement (Acts 9:31). Following Jesus is about surrendering what we are holding on too so that we can pick up what He is leading us towards. The fullness of life with Christ is not something that can be easily attained on our own. Rather, we are propelled towards that fullness in the midst of community. Said another way, we need people to push us out of the rut when we are stuck! And if you follow Jesus long enough, you will always find a season that feels like you’re stuck. A one-person movement doesn’t move very far.

I know my argument for why we must fight to make it to church doesn’t make your schedule less busy. I know it doesn’t make it easier to get your little kids out of bed. And I certainly know it doesn't make finding the right community any easier. 

My prayer is that it reminds you that at the end of the journey is a deeper, more personal relationship with the God of all creation, and that is absolutely worth the fight. 

Fighting Together, 
Tony