Donald Miller matter-of-factly told the blogosphere that he no longer goes to church, or at least rarely does so. In doing so he set off a whirlwind of responses. Christian bloggers began writing why Miller was justified in not "going to church" or why he was setting a terrible example for others and denying himself the full richness of Christian life. More often than not, the conversation happening across the internet exposed that many Protestant Americans struggle to articulate a meaningful theology of the Church.
Soma is clearly a community which has meditated deeply on why a body of believers should gather together regularly. Their essay is well worth reading and pondering:
If we are the church, why do we need to get together and hear a sermon? If we are the church, why do we have to get together for singing? Isn’t that stuff getting in the way of us being the church? If “real discipleship” is life-on-life, in community, and on mission, how does a worship gathering fit? It seems counterproductive. Here is the kicker: if you are serious about a scattered missional church, you have to gather your communities regularly in one place.
Gatherings reorients our worship. Our hearts respond and proclaim truth we believe and struggle to believe. We are challenged and invited to worship the one true God. In many cases, the singing, taking in communion, hearing the scriptures taught, calls us to repentance and is the first act of repentance. We return to worshiping God instead of ourselves, other gods, and idols. Worship gatherings are rhythmic celebrations reminding of who God is and what he has done.
Our worship gatherings pause our hurried lives that are filled with mission and community, and remind us clearly of who God is, what he has done, and who we are. Everything we do when we gather reminds us of the gospel, who we are because of the gospel, and our role in God’s mission. We proclaim the gospel in song, we hear the gospel in preaching, we pray for gospel understanding and repentance, and we touch and taste the image of the gospel in communion. The elements of a worship gathering remind us of the gospel.