Why ‘Church In Person’ is Better

Over the past five months, Christians have got used to online church and have come to quite like some of its benefits: no stressful 10am rush to get out; no need to find a parking space; a guaranteed comfortable seat (with coffee in hand); and as soon as the service is over we can walk into the next room and have lunch. What's not to like?

Perhaps all those physical services were an anachronism - necessary before we had Zoom and YouTube, but like printed hymnbooks and pedal-organs, they can now be dispensed with.

Or is there something more profound about physically meeting together? Might there even be a theological basis for physically gathering even when the digital alternatives seem much more convenient?

Let me argue that there is.

The weight and tone of Scripture

The start of lockdown created what was often a furious debate as to whether it would be legitimate to have a communion service online. Strong arguments were made on both sides but neither were able to point to a ‘drop dead’ biblical text in order to seal their case. Both had to build from what they felt was the tenor of Scripture rather than explicit commands.

Similarly, in arguing the case for physically gathering together where possible, there is no single proof text to appeal to. Even texts such as “when you come together” (1 Corinthians 11:18) and “not giving up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25) could be interpreted as not necessitating physicality if other ways of gathering were possible – for example online.

Nonetheless, there seems to be a weight and tone in Scripture that pushes towards God’s people being together in the closest possible ways. John craves ‘face to face’ over ‘pen and ink’ (3 John 13-14). Paul is constantly frustrated that he cannot close the gap between himself and fellow Christians but has to communicate with them remotely (Romans 1:11). In both cases, it is a recognition that physical distance inevitably creates some measure of relational distance.

Now of course, in the absence of being together physically the apostles used other means that were available and those weren’t ineffective. Today Zoom clearly closes that relational gap significantly beyond letter-writing – but it doesn’t entirely. Which is why for all the usefulness and benefits of online meetings they often leave us with a degree of dissatisfaction.

From the dust of the ground

The reality is that human beings were not created virtually but as physical and embodied creatures. We are tangible, multi-sensory, only wholly functioning and fully experiencing life when all five senses are in play.

Coupled with our physicality is the divine image of a trinitarian God imprinted on us. That is a God who has relationship at the core of his being. It is what gives us our instinct to be in community and connected with others.

Put both of those physical and relational components together and we understand the desire to be with others in the flesh.

The incarnation is another powerful signal to us in all this. It was, of course, a necessity that Jesus shared in our humanity in order to be an authentic substitute able to secure our atonement (Hebrews 2:14).

Nevertheless, the fact that Jesus became flesh and blood opened up a way to relate to God that is profound beyond words. God the Son touched the leper, children sat on his knee, John leant against him, he took Jairus’ daughter by the hand. As John later put it, almost bursting as he did so, “our hands have touched [him]” (1 John 1:1).

Expression and experience

Even with the best will in the world, distance creates some measure of division. We will lose some degree of empathy, of solidarity, and of feeling when we are apart from each other physically. That is not to say that non-physical connections can’t be good, but they can never be the best.

When we gather physically (in the same spatial location) it is an expression of our unity: ‘look, here we are together!’

But it is also to experience that unity as embodied and relational beings. It's the reason why people still want to go to restaurants, the cinema, and football stadiums despite the fact that Just East, Netflix, and Sky Sports can provide the content more cheaply and in the comfort of your home.

Differences in the age of coronavirus

Of course, in this age of coronavirus there can be no touching, handshaking, or hugging - whether physically together or not. Does that mean that socially distanced church services are no better than FaceTime?

Well no, because physical connectedness is more than just physical touch: it’s about proximity and reality.

• It’s the difference you feel between seeing a picture of the Queen and being in the same room as her.
• It’s the difference between being with your bereaved friend at the funeral service and saying you watched it on the live stream.
• It’s the difference between watching the baptism on an overflow screen in an adjacent room as opposed to sitting beside the tank.

So the question is not is it ok to watch church services online?

But would it be better, if safe for me to do so, to be at church services with my brothers and sisters? To give physical expression to the unity of God’s people and to experience it in the fullest possible way that I was created to do?