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Ron Writes

When meeting together became a threat to our health, we looked for ways to maintain contact with one another, encourage one another and teach. We started using what was available. We began to meet online. There were some unforeseen results. Shut-ins were now feeling part of the church in a way that they hadn’t before. Those in other countries, those on the road and a host of others began to join us. No one ever expected this to become a permanent way to worship. We stayed home because coming together was a threat to the health of others. It was the loving thing to do. We knew that there’d be a time when we all began meeting in our building again. Online worship however will continue for those who are shut-in, sick, out of town or are concerned about their health.

One critic claims that online worship is forsaking our assembling together (Heb. 10). However, to forsake means to abandon, or desert. No one was forsaking. We wanted to meet. However, those meetings would pose a very real threat to others, especially to our elderly, physically compromised, and to those most vulnerable. We didn’t abandon the church nor assembling. We didn’t stop worshiping. We stopped meeting at our building while there was a danger out of our concern for one another. We went online because we had love for our brethren. You don’t love God if you don’t love one another.

Another critic claims that we’re teaching members that assembling is not important. The critic claims that they’ll find it more convenient to stay at home and worship in their pajamas. He points to the low numbers returning to indoor worship at many churches. This perhaps is the worst of all objections since its presuming that members are looking for an excuse to stay home. It implies that others are less faithful. If this critic is right, then there’s a bigger problem than whether we have online worship or not. 

When all signs of danger have passed, then all members will join us in worship at the building. However, online worship will continue since we have found that the sick, shut-ins, and those around the country and around the world have been able to join us.