Recently I was texting with a brother in Christ who was checking in on my family and me. Our conversation turned quickly to the many streaming worship services that are available.
As we appreciated Christians who are communicating this way, we both concluded that these half-measures could never replace the regular, in-person gathering of Christians.
Being without the consistent, in-person gathering of Christians is a difficult challenge, and one I will be glad to move past. When the apostle Paul was unable to be with the brethren in person, he often wrote about how much he wanted to see them. He wrote to the Christians in Rome, saying in Romans 1:9-12:
For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Paul wanted to be with them, wanted to experience the encouraging exchange of faith that occurs wherever Christians gather. When Paul prayed, he consistently expressed this desire to God.
I am missing our regular gatherings. I know you are missing our time together, too. I have spoken with several from our congregation, and the sentiment is always the same: I hope this is over soon, I miss being together! Please express these desires to God, talk to Him during this hardship about the things you wish were different. God will not grow tired of your constant communication, nor will He find your concerns to be petty when they are for the spiritual good of your brethren. Pray to God, talk to Him because He listens!
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears. -Psalm 18:6