The Church is not the building. But, Hebrews 10:24-25 and the very basic sense of κοινωνια – fellowship or communion – has an idea of physical gathering and sharing aspect to it.  Giving a grieving friend a hug, your friend at church with that deep belly laugh that vibrates the floor, laying your hand on someone’s shoulder as you pray with them, are all a part of the physical nature of being The Church.

The following post is a guest article by Bryan Schneider, pastor of the Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church located near Morning Sun, Iowa.

Dear Congregation,

There’s something that concerns me. I need to get it off my chest. This is a very personal note. There will be a lot of “I”s. It’s from my heart to you The Church.

You’re in danger of something. Loneliness.

We need to preserve life. God commanded that in the sixth commandment when He said we shouldn’t kill. So we are protecting those who are most vulnerable in our society. Isolating ourselves and quarantining ourselves is important to preserve life.

But, there’s a real danger. Man wasn’t made to be alone. It wasn’t good for Adam. It’s not good for me. It’s not good for you. We are social beings made in the image of a triune God. God has innertrinitarian conversations. Take a moment to read Genesis 1 and 2 and see how often God speaks within himself using “us” and “our” language.

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