Home Church

Like most of the United States, we had church at home yesterday. It was definitely not what we are used to experiencing, but it made me think about what it must have been like to be a part of the early church. Home church is all they knew. They didn’t have our large buildings with audio/visual setups. They didn’t have our comfortable seating or heating/air units to keep the temperature set just right. They didn’t have individual portable communion. As I made unleavened bread for the first time, I thought about all of the women who probably didn’t even need a recipe. They had made it so often, they knew all the measurements by heart. What we did yesterday was the norm for the early church.

Unlike the early church gatherings which would have involved those who lived nearby, we had to worship in our homes yesterday without inviting others in. That was the difficult part for me. There is really nothing that can replace human contact. It made me think about those who are home alone during this time; those without spouses or children to help pass the time. Which made me think about those who have littles at home and how exhausting it must be to be stuck at home. Which made me realize, this is hard on everyone. 

It’s hard on those who are home alone. It’s hard on those who are home with just their spouse and miss their kiddos. It’s hard on those who are home with kids. This is a challenging time. 

While worshipping at home was different, it was definitely a blessing and exactly what I needed. I had no idea what to expect, so I was happily surprised when the singing was actual singing from recorded services in the past. It was so nice to hear the voice of the church body raised in worship to our Heavenly Father. 

There was something about “worshipping together” even while we were apart that made me feel so blessed. It was then that I began to think about countries where Christians are not free to gather and worship. Countries where believers have to worship in secret. What a blessing to be in a country where we can freely worship.

Not only can we freely worship, how many invitations did you see on social media to worship online with a church? So much of what we have seen online lately has caused fear, panic and depression in our society. Yesterday was a nice break from all of that. 

And, then, that made me think about the future. When all of this is over, how will our lives be different? Will we be more grateful for the opportunity to go to church? Will we go back to filling our calendars with busyness? Will we be more selective about how we choose to spend our time?

Home church is not my favorite. I missed the hugs of some people I hold very dear. I missed “laying eyes” on those that I know are struggling. I know our minister missed being able to look at us as he spoke. 

So, now what? For me, I will continue to spend time with God at home, hoping that He changes my heart so that when all of this is over, I won’t forget, and I won’t take for granted the blessings that He has showered on me.